Examining a question of identity
New play puts spotlight on sense of belonging and what it means to people, Cheng Yuezhu reports.
Similar to Ng, their ancestors moved from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong. While neither have been to their hometowns, Lo understands a bit of Shanghai dialect through her maternal grandmother and Lau remembers some phrases in the Teochew dialect.
"Nowadays, we no longer speak Teochew, Shanghai, or Taishan dialects. Neither do the younger generations. Children are encouraged to learn practical languages, Mandarin or English for example, based on their parents' expectations for their future careers," Ng says.
"It seems that knowing the regional tongues would be the only way we could connect with previous generations, otherwise we will lose contact."
In dialogue and original songs written by Lo, the creative team merges various languages and dialects that they have a connection with, including Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Taishan dialect, Teochew, and Shanghai dialect embodied in a local nursery rhyme.
Starting with the cabaret performance which highlights singing, Ng began to conceive a version with dance expressions.
He envisioned people from different places inside an airplane cabin, hoping to transit from Hong Kong to various parts of the world. However, the plane cannot take off, leaving the passengers trapped inside the cabin with a simple wish to go home.
