SHEUNG WAN CIVIC CENTRE | Xixi's Poem Picture Book Musical: Can We Say

Description

Story Introduction

When we change the way we quantify things, we not only stretch the boundaries of language but also open up new possibilities for life. In a cha chaan teng (tea restaurant), Yanyan and her black cat, Xixi, observe the things on the street and ask: 'Can I say one stalk of lemon tea? Can I say one pair of Popeye?*’ Following the footsteps of Little Ant A Sai, they wonder: 'Can I say one meal of ice-cream soda? Can I say one field of Ovaltine?' Are the wood and hardware stores on Poetry, Song, and Dance Street playing percussion music? There is no garden on Fa Yuen Street, and Jordan Valley is not in Jordan. The street stalls that are set up in the morning and taken down at night fold up the day and unfold the night, layering granny’s clothes and the dai pai dong (food stall) on top of each other. Xi Xi’s literature breaks free from stereotypes, inviting us to reopen our curious eyes and reimagine our city from the perspectives of little characters like children, stray cats, and ants. With whimsical thoughts, we can explore new possibilities for the future: you can love this city in many ways, and in an imperfect world, see your own universe. *Quotation from Xi Xi's poem

About Hong Kong Children's Musical Theatre

Hong Kong Children's Musical Theatre (HKCMT) is the only musical theatre troupe in Hong Kong that consists primarily of teenagers and children. Since its founding in 1998, the troupe has presented an original Cantonese musical every August.

Starting in 2024, HKCMT has been committed to expanding local cross-media creations. They adapted the local picture book Happy Picture Frame (2024) into a musical, and after a six-show run with 96% ticket sales, added a seventh performance by popular demand. In 2025, they presented Little Gao's Playground, based on artist Lin Jiancai's work that won the 2025 BolognaRagazzi Award in Italy. These productions featured 113 children and youth performers aged 4 to 15 and received extensive media coverage, including a full-page feature interview in Ming Pao ('Open Culture'), a six-page city feature in Ming Pao Weekly, a 60-minute interview on Art Talk by RTHK, a week of recommendations on Cultural Express, a 60-minute interview on Children's Hour by Commercial Radio 2, and a 25-minute introduction on Collect Magazine. The performances also received charitable sponsorships, providing free admission to over 100 families, including 70 deaf children and their families, and 70 grassroots families living in subdivided units.

In 2026, the troupe takes another step forward by adapting Can I Say, the first book in the 'Xi Xi's Poetry Picture Book' series, with authorization from the estate of Hong Kong writer Xi Xi. The original picture book, illustrated by Liao Bei'en (winner of the 2025 Bologna Illustration Award), combines Xi Xi's playful poetry with unique Hong Kong street scenes, sparking endless delightful associations and offering a glimpse into the city's cultural landscape.

5 Highlights of the Performance:

1. Creative talents include Wo Cheuk-yin, winner of the 'Best Original Music (Musical)' award at the 2024 Hong Kong Drama Awards, as music director; Zhang Chuqiao, winner of the CASH Golden Sail Music Awards for Most Performed Digital Song, as lyricist; Ma Siya, winner of the 'Arts Newcomer Award' at the 2021 Hong Kong Arts Development Awards, as choreographer; and Chen Ganghong, a founding member of Fiesta Space, as director. The production will continue to promote sign language songs, with guidance from deaf sisters Yulin and Weilin Yu, native sign language users and instructors at 'Star of the Deaf', an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Hong Kong sign language.

2. Over 100 children and youth performers, aged 4 to 16, come together in a mix of ages, honing their singing, dancing, and acting skills while learning about empathy, compassion, social collaboration, and discipline through the process.

3. Following the inclusion of sign language songs in 2024 and the participation of children of deaf adults in 2025, HKCMT will collaborate with the Hong Kong Association of Parents of Persons with Intellectual Disability and YMCA to feature five deaf or hard-of-hearing performers this year. Two songs in the musical will integrate sign language with singing and dancing, embodying the spirit of inclusive arts.

4. This production is a cross-media collaboration between HKCMT and the newly opened 'Xi Xi Space', a memorial hall dedicated to the writer. It is the first adaptation of Xi Xi's literary works for children, with script consultation provided by the Xi Xi Foundation, ensuring that her whimsical worldview is passed on to the next generation.

5. 100% created and made in Hong Kong, this musical invites Wu Jianggan, a master dragon dancer with over a hundred years of history, and Siu Kwan-lam, director of the Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance Association, to teach the traditional craft of dragon dance. The prop for the final line of the poem, 'Long Mustache Candy, Hurray!', will be a dragon made using this ancient intangible cultural heritage, allowing both adults and children to experience this vibrant aspect of Hong Kong's living culture.