Gweilo 金童子
A one-man show
Performed in both English & Cantonese
Synopsis
A story about a British family who are posted to live in colonial era Hong Kong, and how this foreign and eccentric city becomes their home.
Martin Booth, author of the original memoir, tells the true story of his unusual childhood spent in Hong Kong during the 1950s. He recalls the initial culture shock his parents faced when they docked into the chaotic streets of Tsim Tsa Tsui. The city acts as a rite of passage for young Martin to the point that he learns to speak Cantonese. Going against the wishes of his father to only speak English, Martin’s curiosity leads him to the darker corners of the city, including the infamous Kowloon Walled City.
The performance is around 70% in English and 30% in Cantonese, surtitles are projected in both languages.
“In a one-man performance of remarkable range... Sandt’s charm indeed rivals that of young Martin.”
“This is not just a story about an expat who once was in Hong Kong, but a collective memory for everyone who has lived in this city, local or not.”
“Gweilo 對觀眾的意義，不在純粹懷舊，更在於拉近我們感受城市多元的文化紋理，並叩問我們因何而愛。”
“Micah Sandt delivered a solo performance where he shifted between characters and languages with remarkable agility and competence, conveying affection without overweening nostalgia…Ultimately, Sandt’s multiple voices are a salutary reminder that the story of Hong Kong does not have a single narrator.”
International Tours
After the third successful rerun of Gweilo 2023, the production has begun to take the show on tour internationally. Our first destination was Paris, France at the Théâtre 13 Glacière. We are aiming to perform the show in cities with large Cantonese speak communities including London, New York, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Toronto to name a few places.
If you are a theatre and you’re interested in the show then please feel free to contact us directly here or by email info@pants.org.hk
The Production
Wu Hoi Fai 胡海輝
Director and co-writer
Artistic Director and Co-founder of Pants Theatre Production; Art From Panel (Festival) Member of Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Examiner of Hong Kong Arts Development Council and Adjudicator of Hong Kong School Drama Festival. Graduate of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (BA in English) and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (BFA in Drama – Directing); the Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London (MA in Advanced Theatre Practice – Dramaturgy); Recipient of the Yiqingzhai Foundation Arts Fellowship, the Asian Cultural Council in 2008, the Outstanding Young Director Award in 2001 Hong Kong Drama Award and the Award of the Secretary for Home Affairs’ Commendation Scheme in 2017.
Micah Sandt 孫麥凱
Performer and co-writer
Micah's multicultural background includes being born in Taiwan to French and Finnish parents, then growing up in Hong Kong where he learnt to speak both English and Cantonese. He performs internationally as an actor, singer, and pianist, as well as working as a composer and arranger for TV, film, and musicals. Recent performing credits including; his one-man show Gweilo with Pants Productions (Paris & Hong Kong), the musical Tabby McTat with ABA Productions (Singapore), and the immersive musical Last Night at Studio 54 as Elton John (Hong Kong). His recent compositions include; dance music for the TV series George & Mary (UK), and the new one-woman musical My Bubble and Me with Marsha Yuan (USA and Hong Kong). Click here for more infomation.
Pants Theatre Production 一條褲製作
Founded in 1995, Pants Theatre Production was restructured in 2011 with Hoi-fai Wu as Artistic Director. It was developed into a professional company advocating documentary theatre, an effective tool to turn meaningful materials into exciting theatrical works with artistic imagination. The company has created a number of remarkable theatre productions relating to various social issues. Recent critically acclaimed productions include The Laramie Project and its seguel: 10 Years Later, 1967, Sweet Mandarin, Yellow Face, Gweilo, Estate Agents, On the Record, and My Dad, My Mom, My Son, My Daughter, and 2047. In 2012, it started receiving the One Year Grant from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. And in July 2019, Pants was promoted to Three Year Grant status. Our work lies in theatre while we keep vigilant eye on our community and environment. www.pants.org.hk
