From stage to street: Alice theatre laboratory’s kafkaesque aesthetics and experiments in democratizing the creative process

Bernice Chan, Huiwen Shi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Inspired by Kafka’s works, the Alice Theatre Laboratory, a renowned theatre company in Hong Kong, premiered Seven Boxes Possessed of Kafka in 2008. The production fuses the Kafkaesque physicality with the essence of Japanese Butoh, resulting in a distinctive aesthetic style that reflects the company’s perceptions of Hong Kong and its theatre. This paper selects and discusses key productions of the company that are influenced or inspired by Kafka, both thematically and stylistically. By chronicling the company’s essential works in the past 15 years, the article showcases how this experimental theatre company presents its unique view on contemporary Hong Kong society’s alienation, absurdity and fantasy all at once, which stands out among its peers. In addition, through an in-depth interview, this paper attempts to unwrap how Andrew Chan, the director, organically collaborates with his creative team made up of devising performers, scenographers and composers, to democratize the creative process and to recreate the world of Kafkaesque tragic comedy.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCritical Stages
Volume2024-December
Issue number30
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2024

Keywords

  • Alice Theatre Laboratory
  • butoh
  • devising
  • Hong Kong Theatre
  • kafka

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