Polish Theatre Premieres Award-Winning Songs of Lear in Hong Kong This February

Song of the Goat Theatre from Poland to make Hong Kong debut with Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning play "Songs of Lear" in February

Song of the Goat Theatre from Poland will perform in Hong Kong for the first time with its Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning play "Songs of Lear" at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "European Theatres in Resonance" in early February. The work reimagines Shakespeare's classic tragedy as a soul-stirring dramatic oratorio, interweaving fragments of Shakespeare's text with original music, polyphonic singing, performers' movements and minimal staging into a poetic narrative. It distills the emotional and spiritual essence of "King Lear" in a bold contemporary light to create an immersive experience that resonates with the audience.

"King Lear" stands as one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies, recounting the tale of an ageing King Lear who divides his kingdom among his two flattering elder daughters. After abdication, he is cruelly mistreated by them, resulting in his exile to the wilderness, where he descends into madness. His sincere youngest daughter, who seeks to rescue him with her army, is defeated and perishes, leading Lear to succumb to grief and die. The play profoundly explores the intricate and fragile nature of human existence, revealing the poignant sense of helplessness and sorrow in the face of fate. "Songs of Lear" was inspired by artist Kandinsky's principles of "improvisation" and "structure" while pursuing an investigation of the "colour of sound", creating a series of "song-paintings" to capture the emotional landscapes of scenes from "King Lear".

Directed by the company's co-founder Grzegorz Bral, the production features 11 performer-vocalists and includes 12 original compositions expanding upon key moments from Shakespeare's tragedy. The performance is framed by Bral's narrative between songs (called "paintings" in the play) serving to orientate audiences within the story. The 12 songs are compositions created by Polish multi-instrumentalist Maciej Rychy and celebrated Corsican composer Jean-Claude Acquaviva, blending Corsican folk music with Gregorian chants to weave rich and cross-cultural music. The accompaniment is remarkably minimalist, featuring only a set of drumheads, an Indian harmonium, a kora (West African harp lute) and a nyckelharpa. In addition, the meticulously crafted choral arrangements are punctuated by blasts of intense percussion, intertwined with exquisite harmonies and a cappella singing. Together, the performance creates a layered and evocative soundscape that resonates with the emotional core of "King Lear". With the simplest stage setup and costume, it allows every gesture, subtle movement and expression of the performers to bring out the astonishing musicality and tension inherent in Shakespeare's text.

"Songs of Lear" had its world premiere during the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it swept three major awards, namely The Scotsman Fringe First, Herald Archangel, and Musical Theatre Matters awards. It subsequently toured numerous cities across Europe, Asia and the Americas to widespread acclaim.

Song of the Goat Theatre, founded in 1996, has been hailed as the most innovative of the new Avant-garde theatre movements in Poland. Continuing the long tradition of Polish ensemble theatre work, the company has devised a unique performance style. Each production is different, yet they share a similar approach of combining movements, vocals, song and text, which are interchangeable elements in its acting co-ordination technique. Bral, co-founder and artistic director of the company, is also the creator of the Bral Acting Method. He is active as an educator and his acting method has influenced artists and institutions worldwide. He has received the Honorary Order from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage for his artistic and educational contributions.

"Songs of Lear" by Song of the Goat Theatre (Poland) will be held at 8pm on February 6 and 7 (Friday and Saturday), and at 3pm on February 8 (Sunday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. The play has English narration with Chinese and English surtitles, while the songs will be performed in multiple languages (Latin, Coptic and English). Tickets priced at $380 and $480 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visitwww.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/theatre/programs_1927.html. Both performances on February 6 and 7 will be followed by a meet-the-artist session (conducted in English). Audience members are welcome to stay behind to join.

The programme will also feature two theatre workshops (conducted in English) on February 4 and 8 (Wednesday and Sunday) at 7.30pm at the Rehearsal Hall, 7/F, Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Led by director Bral and performer Alicja Bral, the workshops will explore Bral's renowned acting method and offer unique insights into the theatrical creation process. Tickets priced at $200 are now available at URBTIX. For details, please refer to the above-mentioned website.

Song of the Goat Theatre from Poland to make Hong Kong debut with Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning play "Songs of Lear" in February Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Song of the Goat Theatre from Poland to make Hong Kong debut with Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning play "Songs of Lear" in February Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Song of the Goat Theatre from Poland to make Hong Kong debut with Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning play "Songs of Lear" in February Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Song of the Goat Theatre from Poland to make Hong Kong debut with Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning play "Songs of Lear" in February Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Song of the Goat Theatre from Poland to make Hong Kong debut with Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning play "Songs of Lear" in February Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Launch of open tender for new tenancy of Central Harbourfront Event Space

The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (January 5) that an open tender by the Lands Department is underway for the new tenancy of the Central Harbourfront Event Space (Event Space), which has an area of about 3.7 hectares (location plan in Annex). The tender invitation lasts for about 6 weeks and will close on February 13. The new tenancy is expected to be awarded before April and will commence in July for a fixed term of five years. The existing tennacy will expire on June 30.

A DEVB spokesperson said, "The Government has, by way of adopting a management model involving the letting of the Event Space to external party, driven over the years the successful hosting of a multitude of large-scale signature events, such as the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, Art Central, Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival, etc. Such management model will be maintained under the tender exercise, but there will be enhancements in two areas to further unleash the potential of the Event Space, promote mega-event economy, and strengthen venue management with a view to enhancing visitors' experiences."

First, the DEVB has refined the tenancy terms to encourage the tenant (i.e. the successful bidder in this tender exercise) to optimise the use of the Event Space and its prime location, and bring in a rich diversity of events. The DEVB consulted the Harbourfront Commission on these refinements last year and received support from members. Relevant terms include:

While a two-envelope approach is maintained in this tender exercise, the weighting given to the technical proposal is increased from 40 per cent in previous exercises to 70 per cent, and only 30 per cent is accorded to the price proposal. The assessment on the technical proposals would take into account not only whether the events are diverse and capable of enhancing the vibrancy of the harbourfront, but also their appeal to visitors, so as to provide on-going support for the mega-event economy;

The fixed term of the new tenancy is extended from three years to five years, with a view to incentivising the tenant to make long-term investments and planning as well as to deliver events with due emphasis on both quality and quantity;

The tenant is required to provide, within one year from the commencement of the new tenancy and on a regular basis, food and beverage facilities with a floor area of not less than 100 square metres in the northern part of the Event Space adjacent to the promenade area. Apart from synergising with the events to be held at the Event Space, the facilities would also serve visitors to the harbourfront outside the period of any particular events; and

The requirement will continue for the tenant to run events for the public for at least about 30 per cent of days in its annual schedule. In addition, to avoid under-utilisation of the Event Space when no events or events relatively small in scale are taking place, in case no less than about one-third of the Event Space remains unused for events or is left unrented for a period of three consecutive days or above, the tenant is required to open that portion of the Event Space for public enjoyment and leisure activities free of charge.

Second, the DEVB has beefed up the terms and requirements in the tender documents to place a heavier onus on the tenant in monitoring future event organisers and to regularise the communication and alert mechanisms, so as to enable the DEVB, as the venue owner, to intervene in a timely manner. Similar clauses have also been introduced in the tender exercise for the harbourfront event space in Hung Hom launched earlier (December 22, 2025). Such clauses include:

The tenant is required to assess the credentials and experience of the applicants, their capability in hosting events, the feasibility of the proposed events, etc., before confirming approval of venue applications from event organisers. The tenant shall submit regular assessment reports to the DEVB;

The tenant shall closely monitor the progress of event preparation and alert the DEVB in a timely manner, such as whether the event is in alignment with the original proposal, whether the relevant licenses or permits have been applied for and obtained in a timely manner, and whether the ticketing arrangement is proper; and

The tenant and event organisers are required to hold a tripartite meeting with the DEVB prior to the events to confirm the progress of the final stage preparation and the arrangements made.

The spokesperson said that the tenant shall organise events and manage the Event Space in accordance with the commitments made in the technical proposal of the tender submission. A clause will be added in the new tenancy to the effect that if the actual number of event days held at the Event Space as rented out each year falls short of the commitment, the tenant is required to pay a compensation amount to the Government (equivalent to 10 per cent of the monthly rent of the Event Space for each day of shortfall). The arrangement aims to ensure the tenant would fully utilise the Event Space, maximising its efficiency.

Furthermore, with the concerted efforts of various parties involved, the Government has minimised the impact of the Airport Railway Extended Overrun Tunnel project being planned by the MTR Corporation Limited on the Event Space. The aboveground facilities of the railway project will be located outside the Event Space, and the temporary works areas required during the works period will only occupy the fringe of the site, with substantial reduction in the area and duration involved. The location of the required works area has been specified in the tender documents. With the above, when the railway project commences during the five-year fixed term of the Event Space, only minimal impact is envisaged on the use and operation of the Event Space.

Details of the tender exercise and the tender documents are available on the website of the Lands Department (www.landsd.gov.hk).

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