What to see and do in Hong Kong this January

Bryan Adams

Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams is stopping off in Hong Kong as part of the promotional tour for his 13th studio album, Get Up. This month’s concert will be one of the last dates on the marathon string of global gigs that Adams embarked on at the beginning of last year.

A multi-platinum award-winning recording artist, Adams has numbered among the world’s must-see performers since his hugely successful debut single, Let Me Take You Dancing, was released in 1979. He came to true superstardom, however, back in 1991 when one of his songs – (Everything I do) I Do It For You – topped the UK charts for a record-breaking 16 weeks. The song – the theme tune to the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – was also a global hit for the singer. He has collaborated with the likes of Tina Turner and a former Spice Girl.

Venue: AsiaWorld Expo, Chek Lap Kok, Lantau Island
Date: 14 January
Enquiries: 3606 8888
Website: www.bryanadams.com

Lantau Base Camp (LBC) Ladies Race

Get fit and help a good cause in the New Year as LBC hosts ladies-only 20km and 11km races in a bid to raise money for the Hong Kong Cancer Fund.

Venue: Mui Wo, Lantau Island
Date: 21 January
Enquiries: lantaubasecamp@gmail.com
Website: www.events.lantaubasecamp.com

8th International Chamber Music Festival

Returning for the eighth time, Hong Kong is hosting the International Chamber Music Festival, an annual delight for true music aficionados and the general public alike. This year – in something of a coup for the event – the artistic director is the esteemed violinist Cho-Liang Lin.

Offering a creative array of paid and free concerts, master classes, live rehearsals and talks, the event invariably attracts talented musicians and music lovers from across Asia and even well beyond. This year’s event will welcome Australian-born Brett Dean as the festival’s first ever composer-in-residence. As part of his role, Dean will host open lectures to discuss his work, as well as performing a number of his own compositions.

While all of the events are well worth attending, the grand opening night concert is the undoubted jewel in the crown. There’s also a family concert – The Emperor’s New Clothes – for those keen to nurture the younger aspiring musicians in the house.

Venue: Selected Hong Kong venues
Date: 19-25 January
Enquiries: 9545 6851
Website: www.pphk.org

Good Music with James C

In partnership with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Fringe Club promises an evening of music, song and sketches, including a number of semi-improvised acts.

Venue: Fringe Club
Date: 17 January
Enquiries: 2836 3336
Website: www.hksl.org

Metallica

For the first time, the metal legends of Metallica come to Hong Kong following their release of Hardwired…To Self Destruct, their latest album.

Venue: AsiaWorld Expo, Chek Lap Kok, Lantau Island
Date: 20 January
Enquiries: 3606 8888
Website: www.metallica.com

Field of Dreams

Winner of four Hong Kong Drama awards, Field of Dreams is a stunning musical that tells the touching story of a penniless man who makes it onto China’s Olympic football team.

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Date: 8-15 January
Enquiries: 103 5900
Website: www.hkrep.com

Hong Kong Composers Showcase

The Hong Kong Philharmonic is featuring new works by four emerging composers as part of its annual showcase, with the audience getting to choose their favourite. Admission is free.

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall
Date: 7 January
Enquiries: 2721 2030
Website: www.hkphil.org

Wang Chuan: Forms of Line

Lauded as one of the most significant figures in contemporary Chinese ink painting, Chinese-American artist Wang Chuan is the subject of a major retrospective this month. A specially curated exhibition at the Galerie du Monde will showcase pieces from several different periods of the artist’s life.

Aiming to chart the evolution of Chan’s style, the exhibition – Forms of Line – will explore the artist’s extensive back catalogue.

The highlights of the exhibition are three of his defining pieces – Jungle, Apparition and Apparition 2 – with their appearance already much anticipated in the city’s more artistic circles.

Ever modest, Chuan says of his oeuvre: “The perfect state in a painting cannot be reached through any brush techniques. The real technique for obtaining perfection has no form; therefore, it cannot be seen on paper.” This month, visitors will have the chance to come to their own conclusion.

Venue: Galerie du Monde, Central
Date: 6 January-4 February
Enquiries: 2525 0529
Website: www.galeriedumonde.com

New Writing Series: Roads to Chicken Pie

A surreal, subversive and thought-provoking play that explores the relationship between the consumer and the consumed.

Venue: 8/F Sheung Wan Civic Centre
Date: 14-23 January
Enquiries: 3103 5900
Website: www.hkrep.com

Lloyd and Friends

Fusion jazz fans can enjoy a night of music and drinks as a celebration of the release of Lloyd Yamid’s debut album, An Inspiration.

Venue: Fringe Club
Date: 6 January
Enquiries: 2521 7251
Website: www.hkfringeclub.com

Find out what’s on this December in Hong Kong

INK Asia 2016

The second iteration of the only expo devoted to contemporary ink art returns to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this month. A grand total of more than 50 art galleries and organisations – including the very finest examples from Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Singapore – will showcase some 1,000 works of modern and contemporary ink art at this year’s show – INK Asia 2016.

The event represents a unique collaboration of scholars, curators and galleries from across Asia, all united in presented a number of specially themed exhibitions, including Chinese Contemporary Calligraphy, Taiwan Pavilion and Ink+, with the latter featuring art works from across a variety of media, including painting, calligraphy, photography, prints, Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Date: 16-18 December (private preview and vernissage on 15 Dec)
Enquiries: 3107 0681
Website: www.inkasiahk.com

Wicked

This musical retelling of The Wizard of Oz, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, is set to Defy Gravity on a Hong Kong stage.

Venue: Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
Date: 8 December – 8 January
Enquiries: 2584 8500
Website: www.hkapa.edu

Hong Kong French Film Festival

Ah, the French. Nobody makes films quite like them. The absurdity, the farce, the sex, the high drama – and more plot twists than your average US Election. All in all, they certainly have a well-earned reputation for making rather engaging movies, something that is perfectly exemplified by this year’s superb selection of cinematic gems being presented as part of the Hong Kong French Film Festival.

A true highlight of this year’s event is Planetarium, a French-Belgium drama starring Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Zoolander) and Lily-Rose Depp – daughter of Johnny Depp – as a pair of psychic sisters in pre-WWII France. Directed by Rebecca Ziotowski, this sensual tale of intrigue debuted at the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews.

All-in-all, there’s 48 films to choose from at the three-week long festival. So, whether you just have a passing interest in foreign films or are an avid Francophile cinephile, there’s something here apt to tickle your fancy.

Venue: Selected Hong Kong cinemas
Date: Until 14 December
Tickets: Hong Kong City Hall and Hong Kong Film Archive
Website: www.hkfrenchfilmfestival.com/

DJ Snake

The French DJ behind top club hits like “Turn Down For What” and “Lean On” (in collaboration with Major Lazer and MØ) comes to Macau.

Venue: Club Civic, Level 2, The Shops at The Boulevard, City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau
Date: 7 December, 10 pm
Enquiries: +853 6638 4999
Website: www.cubic-cod.com

Hong Kong Story Corner

This is the first exhibition by Hong Kong illustrator Don Mak. It comprises a series of six illustrations, each depicts one particular post-1960’s period, with images of street corners and intersections representing time’s turning points in Hong Kong. Although the landscape, people and buildings change, each piece maintains similar themes, capturing the unique Hong Kong character and identity that has passed through generations.
The works for this exhibition were all illustrated in watercolour with digital modification, ultimately then rendered as etchings.

Venue: G/F, 14 St. Francis Street, Wan Chai
Date: 29 November – 15 December
Time: Tue to Sat 12:00-19:30; Sun & Public Holidays 12:00-19:00
Enquiries: 2529 3955
Website: www.oddoneout.hk

The Wonderful World of Disney on Ice

A magical performance on ice showcasing a full lineup of Disney characters, both classic and new, including Mickey and Goofy, Dory and Nemo, Anna and Elsa, and many more.

Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Dr, Wan Chai
Date: 8-11 December
Enquiries: 2525 7406
Website: www.hkticketing.com/events/WCTHEWO1216P

The Great European Carnival

A whirlwind of thrilling rides, carnival games, live local and international musical acts, comedy performers, an enormous outdoor ice rink and food from around the world.

Venue: Central Waterfront Event Space
Date: 16 December – 12 February
Enquiries: 2524 6433
Website: www.tgec.asia

Hong Kong Ballet: The Nutcracker

Featuring Russian composer Tchaikovsky’s magical score, The Nutcracker is the perfect festive family treat, complete with a cast of colourful characters, including the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara and the Rat King.

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Grand Theatre
Date: 16-25 December
Enquiries: Online submission
Website: www.hkballet.com

Longines International Jockeys’ Championship

This annual event is back again with a four-race opener, showcasing the best jockeys the city has to offer.

Venue: Happy Valley Racecourse, Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley
Date: 7 December
Enquiries: Online submission
Website: www.hkjc.com

A Master Class with Nina Gold

Presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in partnership with the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, this is a rare opportunity to spend an evening with Nina Gold, an award-winning British casting director. Over the course of her illustrious career, Nina has cast a variety of critically acclaimed television series and movies, including The King’s Speech, The Imitation Game and – most popular of all – Game of Thrones. This year, she was honoured with a BAFTA special award for her outstanding contribution to casting more than 100 television and film productions. Learn the intriguing secrets of casting for the big screen from a true master of the craft, as she candidly shares her insights for one night only.

Venue: Drama Theatre, HK Academy of Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wanchai
Date: 15 December, 6:30 pm
Enquiries: RSVP to events@bafta.org

Star Wars casting director to give masterclass, audition new actors

Do you love movies? Do you tell anyone who’ll listen that you’re a better actor than most people in Hollywood, even though you’ve never acted in your life? Well, here is your chance to find out how actors are cast in movies and learn what it takes to get the big break you truly deserve. Sort of!

Nina Gold, the casting director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Game of Thrones, will share her insights and audition new Chinese acting talent in December.

Nina has cast actors such as Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley in major films, and you could be next, but probably not.

The event will be hosted by The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to encourage cross-cultural learning and creative collaboration between the UK and China

BAFTA-winning casting director Nina will conduct auditions, live and taped, with selected students from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

The masterclass will be held at the Academy’s Drama Theatre, Wanchai campus on Thursday 15 December.

To RSVP, please send an email to events@bafta.org to reserve seats with your name and email address.

Tickets are allocated on first-come-first-served basis.

Date: Thursday 15 December 2016

Time: 18.30

Venue: Drama Theatre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Take a culinary journey through Central

With the constant stream of Christmas parties comes the constant stream of booze and food, which turns December into a month of overindulgence for a lot of people.

Escaping the chilly weather to gorge on food and drink as much alcohol as possible is the norm for this time of year. However, for the more daring among you, December also offers a culinary journey through some of Central’s best restaurants, with the “Chope’s Food on Foot Tour”.

For one night only, participants of the “Chope’s Food on Foot Tour” will gain access to one dish and/or signature cocktails/beers at over 10+ venues in Central, including the likes of Gaucho, Jinjuu, Porterhouse by Laris and Café Siam.

Guests can wander at their own speed between the participating restaurants from 6pm to 11pm on 7 December.

Tickets can be purchased through the Chope platform (available on iOS, Android and online), and redeemed on the day of the event from 6pm onwards at Bungalow.

Guests will receive a welcome signature cocktail and a selection of bites, complimentary shaves and temporary tattoos from Selvedge Grooming and plenty of goodies from both Selvedge Grooming and Yeechoo.

Venue: Central

Time/date: 6pm-11pm on Wednesday 7 December

Price: HK$350 (until Nov 30), $450 (until Dec 6), HK$500 (Door)

Hidden gems: Bonhams to put rare jewels under the hammer later this month

Bonhams, the privately owned British auctioneer, will put rare jewellery from renowned houses of Harry Winston and Cartier, and highly sought-after gems under the hammer on 30 November.

The Rare Jewels and Jadeite Auction will feature beautiful gems such as an 88-carat diamond (D/IF, Ex, Ex) single-stone ring, by Cartier and a pair of diamond (D/IF) pendent earrings, by Harry Winston.

One of the highlights of the auction is a rare 10.21-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, by Mouawad that will set you back a cool HK$6.8 million-8 million.

Kashmir sapphires were only mined in the late 19th century and they are deemed to be the king of all sapphires.

Graeme Thompson, Director of Jewellery for Bonhams Asia, spoke to Gafencu about his role at the auction house, the jewellery market in Asia and the upcoming auction, among many other things.

All of the items in the auction can be viewed from 26 November at Bonhams.

Venue: Bonhams Hong Kong Gallery, Suite 2001, One Pacific Place

Date: Wednesday 30 November, 2016

Time: 3:00pm

Explore Arts in the Park, Beertopia and more this November

Beertopia

Lightweights beware. With more than 500 varieties of beer from 20-plus countries on offer, Hong Kong’s largest craft beer festival makes it hard to resist that second or third – or sixth – flagon of ale. Returning for the fifth time, this year the beer selection on offer is said to be bigger than ever. While the bulk of its craft beers have been brewed in the US, Australia and Belgium, breweries from countries as far-flung as Lithuania, Lebanon and Wales are also represented. This year’s list includes 13 Hong Kong breweries – some 65 local beers. Overall, there will be more than 100 IPAs and more than 50 porters and stouts.

Last year’s event welcomed 3,000 beer drinkers and we imagine the nearby MTR stations were, shall we say, awash with colour later that evening. As the festival wears on and the empty bottles start stacking up, hungry beer enthusiasts will not have to resort to a late-night McDonald’s run as some two-dozen food vendors will be on site. There will also be live DJs throughout the day, an outdoor shisha garden, complete with relaxing bean bag chairs, as well as the event’s ever-popular range of beer games, including Giant Beer Pong, memorably played with garbage bins and volleyballs. As always attendees are advised to drink seriously… or should that have been sensibly? Too late to worry now.

Venue: Central Harbourfront
Date: 18-19 November
Enquiries: info@beertopiahk.com
Website: http://beertopiahk.com/

The Chinese Zodiac

The Taipei Philharmonic Choir, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus and local actors come together in this mixed-media concert by Taiwanese composer Chien Nan-Chang.

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Date: 11-12 November
Enquiries: 3185 1680
Website: http://www.hkco.org/en/Concerts/The-Chinese-Zodiac.html

Belgium Week in Hong Kong

Coinciding with the birthday of the king of Belgium on 15 November, the festival will feature food by a Michelin-starred Belgian guest chef, a photo exhibition by a Belgian photographer and other elements of the European country’s culture, fashion and music. Lumme. Can’t wait.

Venue: KEE Club, 32 Wellington Street, Central
Date: 12-19 November
Enquiries: sheila@belgiumhk.com
Website: http://www.belgiumhk.com/

Arts in the Park Mardi Gras 2016

Giant illuminated puppets, carnival art stalls and performances will headline this year’s event, themed 400 Years of Shakespeare.

Venue: Central Lawn, Victoria Park
Date: 12-13 November
Enquiries: 2214 0266
Website: http://www.hkyaf.com/

Concierto de Aranjuez by Xuefei Yang

Chinese classical guitarist Xuefei Yang will perform iconic pieces by such legendary composers as Gershwin, Bizet and Rodrigo.

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Date: 18-19 November, 8pm
Enquiries: 2734 2009
Website: http://www.hkphil.org

Superposition

This unique theatrical happening from artist Ryoji Ikeda features performers playing non-musical instruments and interacting with 21 video screens.

Venue: Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium, 1 Yuen Wo Road, Sha Tin
Date: 18-19 November
Enquiries: 2370 1044
Website: http://www.ryojiikeda.com/project/superposition/

Until the Lions

Bangladeshi choreographer Akram Khan reinterprets the classic poem, The Mahabharata, for a new audience.

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Grand Theatre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Date: 19-20 November
Enquiries: 3185 1680