Where children come to play Rebecca Lo
It is a chilly Tuesday evening in January, rehearsal night at Faust International Youth Theatre’s Sheung Wan studio. In a nondescript commercial building, more than 50 children aged 8 to 17 are sitting on the carpet. This is no after-school cram session — director Matt Baker is pep talking the amateur actors during the precious few weeks leading up to Faust’s 20th anniversary production, Peter Pan and Wendy (PPW).
Baker, himself a kidult with long locks and an infectious smile, taps his laptop for musical cues that include Blondie’s Rapture. A 16-year-old gets lifted into the air by six of her fellow actors as she swoops in for a crucial scene. There are giggles and chatter from the kids watching from the sidelines. Baker turns around to shush them, and proceeds to shout encouragement to his merry band.
Baker says PPW is the perfect production to showcase Faust’s achievements.
“It is dramatic, imaginative and exciting,” he explains. “I wrote a production that re-imagines some of Peter Pan’s classic characters for 2019 while sticking to the story’s timeless appeal. We want to inspire other young people to come and join our programs by showing them that with hard work and talent they could end up on one of Hong Kong’s biggest stages.”
Faust’s goal is to get local children involved in English-language theater. Founded by Matthew Gregory in 1999, Faust has seen more than 14,000 children between the ages of 3 and 18 take part in its after-school, weekend, and holiday workshops.
“My family doesn’t speak English, and my parents thought it would be better for me if I was fluent in both English and Chinese,” says Chloe So Hoi-ching, age 12. “As there wasn’t much drama taught at my school, I started at Faust when I was 5 years old. Since then, I have learned how to tell stories. I think directing may be a good career choice for me. Faust has helped me with my reasoning skills.”
“Not all of our alumni become actors,” notes Keon Lee, Faust’s general manager. “We learned that some use the skills they developed at Faust to command a boardroom. Faust gives children confidence.”
Along with its annual Faust Festival productions held in theaters including Youth Square and Hong Kong Arts Centre, the company puts on large-scale productions open for auditions to students aged 8 or above. PPW, the company’s 20th anniversary production, is in fact a tribute to Peter Pan, Gregory’s first major Faust play.
James Tsui, age 13, has landed a comic pirate role in PPW. “I am an underling of Captain Hook, and I hope that people will laugh at my jokes,” Tsui says. “I had my first lesson at Faust when I was around 6 years old. Now, I have a lot more homework so I have to learn how to juggle both.”
Aside from appealing to parents of participating children, Baker believes that PPW has a universal message. “This is a show about the wonder of childhood, first love, and responsibility,” he says. “We will still dazzle little ones with fantastic puppet fairies and mermaids, larger than life comic performances, and wonderful costumes. For young adults, there will be advanced physical theater, sword fights, and high quality acting. Big kids will enjoy a timeless tale that takes them back to their adolescence, and the beauty and heart break of growing up.”
Lizzy Marland, age 17, will alternate between the roles of Captain Hook and Mrs Darling. She has been a Faust student since she was 10. “I was a very hyper kid and my mum suggested I join Faust,” Marland recalls. “I fell in love with theater. All those school rules are gone when I act. Theater is a good fit for me, and I want to become a professional actor.”
Marland sees PPW as a feminist revamp of the original story by J.M. Barrie. “I watched every film version of Peter Pan available to prepare for the roles,” she says. “This production is unlike any of them: It is weird in the most wonderful way. Wendy isn’t a little girl who follows Peter around. She has her own agenda and she isn’t afraid to speak her mind.”
The original iconic story of Peter Pan was revamped to add contemporary context, explains assistant director Talulla Ho. “We felt that both Wendy and our audience shouldn’t be subjected to the gender norms of 20th century Britain. We made changes to her character, dialog and relationships with other characters to reflect modern realities regarding gender roles.”
“We have staged a production of Peter Pan before and the story holds fond memories for many staff members,” says producer Sarah Dyson, adding that many cast members have grown up with Faust. “It made a lot of sense to restage the show for our 20th season, to celebrate not only how far Faust has come, but the industry itself and the world around us.”