A new Christmas musical, Christmas Fantasia: The Elf Revisited, is rolling out at four MTR Malls in Telford Plaza, Maritime Square, The LOHAS and PopCorn this December. It is written and performed by students of the Exhibition and Continuing Education for Life (EXCEL) Programme at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) in collaboration with students of the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) under the guidance of the Hong Kong Association of Theatre Technicians and Scenographers. Here is a behind-the-scene sneak peek with its creators.

Collaborating for the first time with MTR Malls to perform a musical means more than showcasing HKAPA graduates’ creativity and putting what they have learnt into practice, but also a valuable opportunity to reach out to an audience of different ages and backgrounds, according to Grace Kwok, Programme Manager of HKAPA EXCEL.

“Shopping malls can let the public, especially those who do not often see theatre productions, know that there are actors in Hong Kong who shine,” says Kwok. “We hope that the audience will find the performance close to life, and ultimately encourage them to come to the theater.”

Christmas Fantasia: The Elf Revisited recounts the journey of a human child named BUD, raised by Santa Claus believing that he is an elf, in search of his human family. It took three months from preparation to performance.

Kwok points out that performing in a shopping mall challenges the performers to deliver their energy to an audience who is viewing from multiple levels and angles in the mall. Furthermore, unlike the theatre that has only one set, they will be performing in four shopping malls with four different sets.

The biggest challenge, however, is producing a Christmas musical in Cantonese, the first of its kind for EXCEL. “Christmas carols come mostly from Western classics and is a test for the lyricist to re-write the lyrics in Cantonese,” Kwok explains.

While rehearsals in Cantonese did not pose any problem, singing in Cantonese requires additional training for the performers. Fortunately with HKAPA’s diversified training, these talented young actors delivered professionalism throughout the process.

Special lighting effects bring out different scenes in each mall

Apart from creating the musical, HKDI students also created four enchanting dioramas for four MTR Malls under the theme “Magical Stories of Xmas”, drawing inspirations from classical Christmas stories, including The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Polar Express, Candy House and Christmas Elves. Displayed in Telford Plaza, Maritime Square and The LOHAS are creations in the form of a magical light show, with a charming candy house using interactive projections at PopCorn.

Bringing theatrical effects into public spaces with immersive effects and giant props to interact with the audience have become a trend for shopping malls, noted Allan Tsui, Lecturer of HKDI and Project Consultant of the Hong Kong Association of Theatre Technicians & Scenographers.

“This is a new experience for Hong Kong as the audience can get a feeling of the fairy tale even if they’re not familiar with the whole story,” explains Tsui.

When watching the musical, the audience should take note of the special globe light effects that use patterned metal lights beamed from a height to bring out a dramatic effect. For an immersive experience, different lighting effects are used in semi-indoor spaces, such as inside the carriages of the Arctic Express.

Looking confident and happy with his theatrical productions, Tsui encourages everyone to visit all the four malls to experience the magic of this festive season in different eras and regions.

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