It has always been our aim to invite talents from other art-forms to present our works, and to jointly explore creative possibilities. Distinguished artist FUNG Bo-bo, who has nearly 60 years of experience as actress, will give her debut in Cantonese opera.  She plays the part of Empress LEOI, the first woman in Chinese history who had supreme power over the nation. She promises us a performance resounding the intrigues of the political arena of today!

Another distinguished artist is the artistic director of The Hong Kong Dance Company. YANG Yuntao will join in the upcoming performance, playing the part of Overlord of Co. He is known for his creative ability to mix the traditional with the modern, and his attempt to express the Overlord of Co in the ballet performance “The Conqueror” has won many positive reviews and won the Hong Kong Dance Award.

ArenA is a story about Emperor LAU Bong (Pinyin LIU Bang) rooting out HON Seon (Pinyin HAN Xin) through the hands of Empress LEOI (Pinyin LÜ). It epitomizes the phobia-haunted Chinese society, where one is ever fearing replacement by others and is determined to vie fiercely with whoever threatens one’s position, so much so that one’s is content only with the destruction of the perceived foe. Each and every character in the opera proceeds with the assurance that justice is on his/her side.

HON Seon was praised as the “soldier transcendent” and the “god of war”. He was a renowned combat tactician in ancient China, winning every battle! Without HON Seon, perhaps the "Overlord of Co" (Pinyin Chu) would not have gone so far as to part his concubine and throat-cut himself, nor would LAU Bong have created a dynasty of prosperity. Once the Hon (Pinyin Han) dynasty had been securely established, were HON Seon’s days counted?

That was a case of injustice over two millennia old. It would not be possible to dig out all the facts, let alone redress the injustice. This story on stage, inevitably a mixture of facts and fiction, traces HON Seon’s footprints in the last 24 hours of his life. When the two met face to face, would the “god of death” give the “god of war” a way out?

Fung Bo-bo as Empress LEOI
HONG Hai as HON Seon

Susanna CHENG as Lady JIU
HONG Hai as HON Seon

YANG Yuntao as Overlord Co

HONG Hai as HON Seon

YUEN Siu-fai as LAU Bong

MO Hua-min as ZUNG-LEI Mut
LIU Kwok-sum as SIU Ho