As sun sets on Hong Kong's Sunbeam Theatre, what's left for Cantonese opera in the city?
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Sunbeam's closure has raised questions about how the traditional performance art can be preserved.
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HKFP
10-08-2025
- HKFP
From local bars to global tournaments: Hong Kong dynamic duo on turning pro and making their mark in world of darts
When Hong Kong representatives Mathew Lee and Hugo Leung made their entrance at the 2025 World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, Germany, in March, a song many Hongkongers knew well began playing in the background. 'Hey ya hey ya hey hey ya hey ya hey…' – the upbeat tune featuring traditional Chinese instruments amped up the stadium as the dynamic duo high-fived enthusiastic spectators. Lee and Leung danced to the familiar rhythm of the theme song from the Cantonese sitcom Virtues of Harmony, which first aired more than 20 years ago. After shaking hands with their opponents, Lee and Leung threw their fists in the air and kept dancing until the music faded. It was a cheerful start to their quarterfinal match against Wales. Lee and Leung eventually lost to the No. 2 seed, but their top-eight finish still marked the best result achieved by any Hong Kong player in the past decade. Darts World magazine called the pair – the only Asian players who reached the tournament's quarterfinals – 'the pride of Asian darts.' To their surprise, their lighthearted entrance also went viral. Many netizens praised the song choice as both unique and representative of Hong Kong, while actress Nancy Sit thanked them for choosing her song and even invited them to perform her signature cross-step dance together. But the darts duo also faced questions from people who thought the song was 'too playful' for a prestigious tournament. View this post on Instagram A post shared by It's all about DARTS🎯觀塘飛鏢練習場•飛鏢用品專門店| Since 2017🇭🇰 (@targetarena_darts) Leung, 26, told HKFP that many international darts competitions allow players to choose their own entrance songs. He described the tournament as more of a 'large-scale carnival,' where players enter the stadium to music they personally enjoy. In the past, the Hong Kong duo have chosen Cantonese theme songs from iconic anime series – all meant to evoke passion and the spirit of perseverance – when competing in individual events. 'We received some messages asking why we picked that song, questioning whether we were there to 'make jokes' or actually compete. Honestly, we were just being ourselves,' Leung said in Cantonese. Lee and Leung say that they are the only darts players in Hong Kong who make a living from their cash prizes and sponsorships. Both waited years before going full-time, gradually collecting enough titles and winnings to prove they had what it took to turn professional. Nicknamed 'Dragon Boy,' 24-year-old Lee said his breakthrough came in 2020, when he earned second place in the 10th event of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Development Tour. Setting foot on the international darts stage convinced him that going pro was no longer just a dream. Leung, who made his international debut at the 2017 PDC World Youth Championship, said launching a full-time darts career was challenging. It wasn't until 2022 – when he reached the top eight at the PDC World Youth Championship – that he began seriously considering it. His biggest hurdle was Hong Kong's high cost of living, which once forced him to take on part-time jobs between overseas competitions to stay afloat. As he started winning more prizes, sponsorship opportunities followed, allowing him to quit his part-time work and fully focus on darts. Still, the duo have to pay for their own flights, accommodation, and entry fees when travelling abroad for tournaments. Learning to cope with not earning enough prize money to cover these costs – and to make a living – remains a 'major lesson' for both of them, Leung said. Pointing at Lee, Leung joked that his teammate had 'more authority' when it came to persevering through a dry spell. 'It must be tough to open your bank account and see the balance when you keep missing out on titles but still have to spend money to compete,' Leung said. In response, Lee said he was currently adjusting after switching to a new darts brand. He said he was confident that he would eventually find the optimal combination of point, barrel, shaft, and flight to perform at his best. These days, Lee and Leung spend most of their time travelling – mainly across Asia – chasing tour rankings and prize money. On average, they spend only about 10 days a month in Hong Kong. Despite not being able to see their loved ones often, the duo said their families have been very supportive. In fact, family members played a role in introducing them to the world of darts. Lee, who grew up in Taiwan, first tried the sport when a friendly customer at his family's cha chaan teng invited his parents to a bar to play darts. He tagged along with them, and it turned out he loved it. Years later, after moving to Hong Kong and joining Asian leagues, Lee ran into the same man again – only to realise it was none other than Singaporean darts legend Paul Lim, who is still competing at the age of 71. Over in Hong Kong, Leung picked up darts at the age of 14 from his mother, who learnt the game at a bar. A former baseball player, he initially underestimated the sport, thinking it was just 'throwing stuff at a dartboard.' But once he gave it a try, he realised it was easy to pick up but hard to master. The sport, which requires players to repeatedly land their 'arrows' (slang for darts) accurately on specific beds of the board – and, of course, the bullseye – demands strong mental focus, especially during competitions that can last an entire day. 'You're competing to make the fewest mistakes,' Leung said. 'And it's very difficult to keep your mistakes to a minimum.' Lee added that physical stamina is also crucial in the sport. He recalled one competition that lasted for 19 hours – from 8am until 3am – during which he took around 38,000 steps walking back and forth to the dartboard. Lee and Leung often opt to compete in tournaments abroad – instead of local leagues – partly because of the need to maintain their rankings in Asia – a requirement for invitations to international events – and because of the disparity in prize money. Leung said that winning a single event in Japan could be equivalent to winning 10 in Hong Kong, and that overseas tournaments are held more frequently, increasing their chances of winning. As local darts competitions continue to attract more participants, Leung believes that what the city needs may not be greater monetary incentives, but rather more resources to help organisers accommodate larger numbers of contestants and host events more regularly. This will also raise awareness of the sport, he said. Large-scale dart events in Hong Kong were often held at the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre (KITEC), which shut in June last year for redevelopment. Its closure meant the city lost one of its key medium-sized venues for concerts and other events. Another venue that used to host local darts competitions – Magic Fun Bowling World in Tsuen Wan – also closed in 2020. As a result, many competition organisers have been left with no choice but to hold events in bars, which limits the number of contestants and spectators. 'Enrolling in a local competition is sometimes as difficult as getting a concert ticket,' Lee said. In November, the Hong Kong Professional Darts League will organise an open tournament at a new venue in a commercial complex in Kai Tak. Lee said he was excited to see the venue's size for the first time. Lee and Leung are determined to unlock more achievements in the world of darts in the coming years, although both admit it is hard to predict how long their careers will last. Looking up to the Singaporean master, Lee said he would continue throwing darts 'as long as I'm not dead.' His partner takes a more pragmatic view, acknowledging that he may not be able to travel as much once he settles down and starts a family. He is also mindful that an unexpected injury could abruptly pause – or even end – his career. 'I can't tell you how long I'll go down this path' as a professional darts player, Leung said. 'I'll just keep going until I can't.'
South China Morning Post
07-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
Actor Eric Kot on why Hong Kong cannot recreate the city's golden era of entertainment
Hong Kong entertainer Eric Kot has delved into many roles throughout his career – from radio host, singer, actor, comedian, to the owner of a streetwear brand. He first made his name when he formed a Canto-rap duo Softhard, with fellow radio host and comedian Jan Lamb in the 1980s. Now, after 11 years, the pair are going to star in their second theatre play. Kot sat down with the Post's Lisa Cam to talk about his inspirations as an actor and fashion designer and the difficulties that emerging local artists and Hong Kong's entertainment industry currently face.
HKFP
28-07-2025
- HKFP
Performance artist calls out lawmakers for ‘homophobic slurs,' says LGBTQ community ‘not something to fear'
A Hong Kong performance artist has called lawmakers' discussion of the government's same-sex partnership bill 'homophobic,' saying that the LGBTQ community is not something people should fear. Holok Chen and an activist who asked not to be named staged a performance and spoke to reporters outside the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry in Central on Monday. Both were dressed as monsters, with Chen donning a wedding gown and the activist wearing a tuxedo. Chen said their costumes symbolised the way lawmakers had 'demonised' the LGBTQ community in their discussion of the government's proposed framework for recognising same-sex partnerships. 'It feels almost [as if] I'm talking to my father when I'm reading all those reports from the [Legislative] Council, how they use homophobic slurs… saying that we might harm children and women,' Chen told HKFP. Referring to their costumes, Chen added: 'I want to create a speculative future where monsters, even monsters of different taxonomy, can live, can love, can kiss and can enjoy their divine union.' The government's proposal is currently going through the Legislative Council (LegCo). Since an electoral overhaul in 2021 that required lawmakers to be 'patriots,' the council has been left without an opposition. However, all but one major political party in the Legislative Council has said that they oppose the bill, which proposes allowing couples who married or formed a union overseas to be recognised as a partnership in Hong Kong. Most parties say such a framework threatens traditional family values and could pave the way for the legalisation of same-sex marriage, something the government has denied. Earlier this month, lawmaker Holden Chow said in a LegCo meeting that the framework could encourage 'two fathers' and 'two mothers' to adopt children. 'How can we educate the next generation to uphold family values and the traditional institution of marriage between a man and a woman under such circumstances?' he said in Cantonese. Another lawmaker, Priscilla Leung, warned that the proposal would open 'a Pandora's box.' Chen staged a performance outside the LegCo building on Friday, wearing a rainbow-coloured cape and carrying a 'Pandora's box,' plastered with words like 'love and 'hope,' in an apparent protest against Leung's remark. Chen, who identifies as a non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, said they wanted to use the performance to 'recontextualise our existence: that we are not something that you have to fear, not something that you have to gatekeep.' A dozen police officers watched as the artist and the activist staged their performance, unfurling a white banner that said 'Queertopia.' The officers also asked the pair for their ID cards and cordoned them off from reporters with orange tape before the performance began. 'Toxic' The government unveiled its proposal earlier this month, three months before the deadline to establish a framework for recognising same-sex partnerships, following a top court ruling in 2023 that found the lack of such a mechanism unconstitutional. The case stemmed from a judicial review by pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham, who married his partner in New York in 2013 and challenged local authorities' lack of recognition of their union. The top court gave the government two years – until October 27 this year – to fulfil the obligation ordered by the court. Ahead of submitting the proposed framework to the Legislative Council earlier this month, the government did not hold any public consultations despite LGBTQ advocacy groups' efforts to reach out to the authorities. No public hearings, where members of the public present their views to officials in LegCo meetings, will be held. There is only a five-day window to send written submissions, which ends at 5pm on Tuesday. Chen said they had few expectations for the framework, which activists have criticised as being limited and offering only protection in the areas of medical issues and after-death arrangements. The artist criticised that the government had two years to work on the framework, but it did not consult the LGBTQ community in the process and only introduced the bill to the legislature in recent weeks. While heterosexual couples have a 'guaranteed house,' the framework offers same-sex couples only a 'tin board,' Chen said. '[The government says] You can build your own house, but I won't even provide a sofa or a place for you to stand on,' they added. 'There are many voices that want to even vote down this tin house.' Earlier on Monday, the Legislative Council's Bills Committee on the Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill completed its clause-by-clause review of the bill, with lawmakers asking officials questions on matters such as issuing registration certificates and how partnerships can be nullified. Chen said they had not paid too much attention to what lawmakers had been saying in the meetings, calling them 'toxic.' 'They do not take up space [in my head],' Chen said in Cantonese. 'Why should I give them space to harm me?' Online petition Chen called on LGBTQ supporters to join an online petition initiated by Sham, which invites people to send in written submissions using a template. The LegCo website, which publishes the written submissions, however, has not been updated since last week. Regina Ip, the only lawmaker on the bills committee who supports the framework, asked committee chair Brave Chan if all submissions received would be viewable online. Chan said yes, except for submissions for which anonymity was requested. Following the completion of the discussion in the committee on Monday, the bill will move to the council meeting for a debate, in which all 89 lawmakers will take part before voting. No date has been set yet for the debate. The Legislative Council will take a summer break in August before resuming in September.
