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

FEHD releases second batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in March

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (March 13) released the second batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in March, covering 18 survey areas, as follows:

District

Survey Area

March 2026

First Phase Gravidtrap Index

First Phase Density Index

Eastern

Chai Wan

1.6%

1.0

North Point and Quarry Bay

0.0%

N/A

Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho

0.0%

N/A

Southern

Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau

1.9%

1.0

Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay

0.0%

N/A

Wan Chai

Tin Hau and Causeway Bay

0.0%

N/A

Wan Chai

0.0%

N/A

Kowloon City

Kai Tak

2.2%

1.0

Sha Tin

Ma On Shan

3.3%

1.0

Sha Tin Town Centre and Fo Tan

0.0%

N/A

Tai Wai

0.0%

N/A

Kwai Tsing

Kwai Chung East

0.0%

N/A

Tsuen Wan

Tsuen Wan Town

0.0%

N/A

Tuen Mun

Tuen Mun West

0.0%

N/A

District

Survey Area

March 2026

Area Gravidtrap Index

Area Density Index

Kowloon City

Kowloon City

0.0%

N/A

Yau Tsim

Tsim Sha Tsui East and King's Park

0.0%

N/A

Kwai Tsing

Tsing Yi South

0.0%

N/A

Tuen Mun

So Kwun Wat

1.8%

1.0

Among the second batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering 14 survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering four survey areas in March, most of the areas recorded 0 per cent, indicating that the distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes was not extensive.

The FEHD has so far released two batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in March 2026, covering 28 survey areas. Among these 28 survey areas, 21 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month (i.e. February 2026), representing that the areas' mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Seven other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent.

The warm and humid weather of spring is favourable for mosquito breeding. Members of the public should strengthen prevention work against mosquito breeding before the rainy season, and eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites in advance, with a view to avoiding the nuisances caused by rapid mosquito breeding during the rainy season and reducing the risk of transmitting mosquito-borne diseases.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:

tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside their premises;

remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;

check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;

change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;

properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;

properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and

scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.

Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).

Source: AI-found images