(2019 March) The bard is an old profession. In olden days in Canton province, travelling storytellers roamed cities and villages with little more than the simple props of their “story box”, or even just a folding fan and a percussive woodblock, to mesmerise the audience with stories from classic novels and folktales, all re-told with lots of embellishment and in the local dialect.
We may no longer find storytellers weaving tales under the famous old banyan tree in Yau Ma Tei, but sharing a good story is in the human DNA. Freelance stage lighting designer and pop-up artist Lau Ming-hang (aka SunFool, transliterally a self-styled Father, i.e. a Catholic priest, in Cantonese; L8-01A) will no doubt agree. This deceptively extroverted introvert has been staging story after story in creative and contemporary ways through artistic lighting, theatre and pop-up book design.
J: JCCAC
L: Lau Ming-hang
J: Can you tell us the story behind your nickname “Father”? When did you come across the field of stage lighting?
L: “Father” was a nickname I picked up in secondary school, which naturally stuck when I later read religious studies at university, even though I have no particular religious belief.
As a student, I joined various amateur theatre groups as assistant stage manager. The backstage position led me to my first encounter with stage lighting, and gradually nurtured my interest in that area. So after graduating from university, I gladly applied for another degree at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in Lighting Design. Personally, I love any art form that blends technology with art, thus stage lighting is definitely my cup of tea.
J: In your opinion, what is the role that lighting plays in the entire stage setting?
L: Lighting design is like painting – with light being my brush and the stage setting my canvas. Even without actors, various scenes can be depicted by just these two components. Light projection makes objects three-dimensional – its focal point and movement can determine the composition of scenes, while a change of colour creates ambiences and dramatic effects.
J: We know that you have been nominated for “Best Lighting Design” at the Hong Kong Drama Awards, and have taught various lighting design courses and workshops. Can you share with us some of the most remarkable experiences from your theatre work and teaching?
L: My most unforgettable experience is with Theatre du Pif’s show Dance Me to the End of Love, which we have toured various cities around the world (including Hong Kong, Berlin, Singapore, Shanghai, Macau and Colombia) over the past decade. I remember stopping in two Colombian cities - Bogotá and Manizales. At first, the language barrier and high crime rate gave us the heebie-jeebies – our local guide warned us not to go out alone at night or even on Sundays (which is the police’s day-off). Although communication with the locals was limited to body language, we had a great time working together and I very much enjoyed being a part of the dynamic Theatre du Pif production team of diverse and multi-national backgrounds.
As for teaching – I once taught a group of students plucked from various secondary schools in Hong Kong. I invited them to each share a story about light. To my surprise, three out of the seven students shared their fear of darkness instead. I was shocked by the lack of confidence and trust-building in adolescents, which to some extent is also reflected in the social phenomenon of our time. Afterwards, I asked them to close their eyes and doodle, or scribble freely while listening to music. Vision might dominate our daily lives, but with this exercise, I hope to encourage students to explore the world through other senses.
J: You have been working in stage lighting design for many years. What inspired you to attempt paper art and pop-up storybook theatre?
L: Working as a lighting designer is fundamentally about realising other people’s theatrical vision, meaning there is a relatively low autonomy in narration. So I established my own “pop-up storybook theatre” to tell stories that I wanted to tell. From craft-making as a child to making paper art now, from modelling traditional story box to establishing experimental pop-up storybook theatre – I have met with many challenges, but paper art is as much a hobby as it is my aspiration.
J: Pop-up storybooks are stationary and more related to visual arts, whereas theatre is dynamic and a performing art. How do you combine these two contrasting elements in your creation?
L: The key in fusing pop-up storybook and theatre is the storyteller or narrator. With the help of light and shadow, props and sets, the storyteller is able to create an interactive dialogue with the pop-up storybook and theatre space. Pop-up storybook theatre is a great way to tell fantastic stories of wild imagination, with plot twists and surprises revealed at the flip of the page. Rea-life stories work less well in this format as they appear less intimate or convincing.
J: Some say that your works are fairy tales for adults, what are your thoughts on that? And do you intentionally retain a touch of childlike innocence in your creations?
L: My works speak to different age groups. Although they appear to gear towards children’s theatre, I do not label my target audience. There is no need to make children’s theatre childish just to suit younger audience. I was very pleased to learn from some parents after the performance at the Cattle Depot Theatre last April, that not only the children loved the show - remembering characters and the lines they spoke – but the story resonated with them (the parents) as well.
I am not sure about childlike innocence in my works; perhaps it has more to do with retaining a certain purity. Having lived to my age, my attitude towards work and society is sometimes a maverick “why not tell the truth?” Creative work allows me to stay true to myself, whether dealing with people or with issues. It also keeps me balanced between work and life, and helps me adjust to the gulf between reality and imagination.
J: Speaking of children’s theatre, can you tell us more about directing the upcoming show Tak’s Story, to be staged later this month?
L: Presented by Jumbo Kids Theatre, Tak’s Story is mainly built around objects - a bit like a puppet show but the characters are real everyday objects. Object theatre (also known as object puppetry) is not common in Hong Kong, but I just happen to be someone who has always felt rather connected with objects – as a child I would habitually make the point of saying “thank you” to the lift. I mean, wouldn’t you agree that it is a matter of basic manners to be grateful for the service of carrying me up to my floor everyday?
J: You are among the first batch of artists that moved into JCCAC. Do you have any interesting stories to share? Any future projects in the pipeline?
L: Ever since the earliest days when JCCAC first opened its doors, there has been a strong sense of community among the artists. When the Centre was fitting out the black box theatre, they heard about by background and sought my advice on sourcing lighting equipment. Such interaction is important for fostering the relationship between the Centre and the tenant artists.
JCCAC is the place which incubated my work in pop-up storybook creation. At the moment I am developing a project with another JCCAC tenant - The Fighting Blues (L8-04A). If all goes way, we shall be heading off to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh in August this year.
Please click here to download JCCAC PROGRAMMES (2019 Mar issue)
More "Intimate Portrait" articles, click here
