The Chinese opera stage is no stranger to heartless men. Some are fully-fledged villains, bent on betrayal and violence, others pathological liars. Some are ladies’ men, who woo unsuspecting heroines with poetry, wine and promises before leaving to fulfil their own grand ambitions. Others are romantic leads, in love with the romance of falling in love with a devoted and beautiful woman, but without the strength of will to commit to or fight for their love in the face of fame, wealth or glamorous career opportunities.

In this series of two talks, theatre practitioner and critic Dr Cheung Ping-kuen examines the psychological and emotional journeys of some of Cantonese opera’s iconic “heartless men”, looking at the motivation behind their behaviour, and exploring the relevance of these characters for modern day audiences.

In Talk 1, Dr Cheung looks at some of the shared psychological and behavioural traits of iconic “heartless men”. In Talk 2, he looks at the reactions of their female counterparts and the troubles they suffer at the hands of their lovers, and explores modern connotations of “heartlessness”.

The Heartless Men of Cantonese Opera (1) | The Heartless Men of Cantonese Opera (2)

Talk 1: The Heartless Men of Cantonese Opera (1)

Date:
25 June 2019 (Tuesday)

Time:
7:30pm – 9:00pm

Venue:
Seminar Hall, 2/F, Xiqu Centre

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Talk 2: The Heartless Men of Cantonese Opera (2)

Date:
23 July 2019 (Tuesday)

Time:
7:30pm – 9:00pm

Venue:
Seminar Hall, 2/F, Xiqu Centre

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Speaker: 
Dr Cheung Ping-kuen

Language: 
Cantonese

Fee: 
Free admission. Limited capacity on a first come, first served basis. Please register online in advance.

Enquiries: 
Please contact Ms Chan at (852) 2200 0812 or learning@wkcda.hk during office hours.

Accessibility Services: 
Cantonese audio description and Hong Kong sign language interpretation are available upon request with at least 14 days’ advance notice. Wheelchair accessible seats and companion seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Please request with at least 4 days’ advance notice.

Adverse Weather Arrangements: 
The talk will be cancelled if a black rainstorm warning or a typhoon signal no. 8 or above is in force at/after 3:30pm on the day of the event.

About Speaker:

Dr Cheung Ping-kuen

Dr Cheung Ping-kuen is the Chairman of the International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) and a part-time lecturer at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Before retiring, he held posts as HKAPA’s Head of Liberal Arts Studies (2003–2015) and Acting Chair of the School of Chinese Opera (2013–2014), and was Director of the Hong Kong Art School from 2015 to 2017.

Between 1996 and 2007, Dr Cheung was a member of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, where he chaired the Drama Committee and helped shape the landscape of the contemporary Hong Kong arts scene.

Dr Cheung is an experienced theatre practitioner and theatre critic. As a committed drama educator, he was the founding chairman of Hong Kong Drama/Theatre and Education Forum (TEFO) and the co-director of the 6th World Congress of the International Drama and Theatre Education Association in 2007.