HKRep: 《後阿Q正傳》

About the show

Times change, but Q remains. A, B, C, D, E, F, G — twenty-six letters in the alphabet, yet it had to be Q. Q for QUICK? Is it urgency? Q for QUIET? Is it silence? Q for QUARREL? Is it conflict? Q for QUIT? Is it abandonment? Q for WHAT? Ah Q — who is he? He bursts into a real-time multiverse, crossing over from Lu Xun’s pen into contemporary Hong Kong, eating Shunde grass carp, singing pop music, and preaching about righteousness and morality. Is it all a dream, or a dream worth chasing? This play takes you into Ah Q’s absurd world, watching him struggle and mock himself in this era — and what can his “spiritual victory” method teach our generation? “The Later Tale of Ah Q” is produced by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (香港話劇團), with Artistic Director Poon Wai-sum (潘惠森) adapting Lu Xun’s classic “The True Story of Ah Q” into Cantonese, bringing this iconic character face-to-face with modern Hong Kong. Using a fresh theatrical language, it explores the clash between human nature and the times. The production incorporates pop music and local elements, upending the original’s time and space to deliver a social satire that is both absurd and eerily familiar. Performed by HKRep’s ensemble of seasoned actors, it offers audiences a reflective journey into identity, dignity, and the absurd rules of survival.

Synopsis translated by KinoHK — the performance itself is not in English unless stated above.