[2023.07.26] ANTHONY WONG FEELS LIKE "HANGING ONTO LIFE" FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS

Anthony Wong founded the Dionysus Contemporary Theater 10 years ago.  He dares not think about whether it would continue as it would depend on many elements

Yau Hawk Sau would work with Anthony Wong on ENIGMA VARIATIONS as a celebration of the theater company's 10th anniversary

Anthony Wong worked with Joey Leung on ENIGMA VARIATIONS 11 years ago and feels that he did not perform well enough, wasted the opportunity and the script.  

Anthony Wong earlier attended an autograph session at the Book Fair for his autobiography

Anthony Wong earlier dined with elder Lau Siu Ming and brothers like Sean Lau
courtesy of mingpao.com

Anthony Wong Chau Sun's Dionysus Contemporary Theater would celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. In September he would team with Yau Hawk Sau on the play ENIGMA VARIATIONS as a celebration project. Looking back at the past 10 years, Chau Sun had many sentiments. He said that he has not done much, nor did he have any great sense of achievement like he was hanging onto life. He did not dare to imagine whether the theater company would continue on, which would depend on elements like the market, the environment, and the audience. Some said that the original intention of founding the company was to repay the stage and to teach. Chau Sun said that he never had such a great ambition, he did it for himself. "I want to make money, I saw other people start theater companies so I did too. This is my major, of course I have fame and fortune from making movies and series, but theater ultimately is my dream and interest. The work I have done has given me a great sense of satisfaction, especially in the early days of the theater. In 2014 when (Hins) Cheung King Hin and I performed EQUUS that had many horse scenes, which are still memorable to me today; in 2015 I also had a lot of fun working with (Sandra) Ng Kwan Yu and Poon Chan Leung on GOD OF CARNAGE; in 2016 I worked with a group of young people (Alex) Lam Tak Shun, (Kate) Yeung Kei and Wai Law Sa (Rosa Maria Velasco) on A MID SUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. They worked very hard, which whipped me into great shape."

ENIGMA VARIATIONS was based on the French playwright Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt's play. The story began with reporter Erik Larsen visiting a Nobel Prize of Literature winner Abel Znorko on the island he lived alone on. The entire performance only had the two characters in a tug of war on stage. The same play had a run in Hong Kong in 2012, at the time Wong Chau Sun teamed up with Joey Leung Cho Hiu for a 18 show run at the Academy of Performing Arts. This time Chau Sun would team with Yau Hawk Sau for 25 shows.

Wong Chau Sun said that he would perform this play again because the script was simple enough and he wanted to do it. "Last time by chance I returned to the theater. At the time I didn't ask too much of myself, I only played it like a comedy. The lines are brutally funny, but it wasn't a pure comedy. I feel I didn't perform well enough, wasted the opportunity and the script. So I wanted to do it again, this time I definitely would work a little harder." As for choosing Yau Hawk Sau to be his co-star, Chau Sun had nothing but praise for him. "Earlier I have worked with him, the feeling was pretty comfortable. Then last year we had dinner and talked about it, I thought he was pretty suitable for this character. He is smart without being pretentious, although he has his own ideas he is very obedient, willing to communicate with others, pretty mature. If he isn't sure about something, the director Chan Suk Yee would teach him. I would also talk with him a little; he would take the initiative and ask, then ask us to give him a little to time to explore. He has a great attitude."

Earlier Chau Sun had dinner with Lau Siu Ming, Sean Lau Ching Wan, Cheung Tat Ming, Francis Ng Chun Yu, Dayo Wong Tze Wa and director Herman Yau Lai To. Some online suggested for them to team up with Nick Cheung Ka Fai on a movie, which would then be invincible because their previous film collaboration was the 1996 film BIG BULLET (CHUNG FUNG DUI: NO FOR GAI TAU). Chau Sun joked, "Tell people online to pay up, for them to invest on the movie then it would truly be invincible!" Speaking of the chance of this group making a movie, Chau Sun said, "The chance is very slim. (Because with all Best Actors the salaries would be too expensive?) I am not expensive, I am priceless. Other people's are so high then they have become priceless treasures, mine is so low that I have no price!"

Chau Sun recently released his first autobiography and invited the 91 year old Ming Sir to write the foreword. Chau Sun said that Ming Sir spoke very profoundly and behaved mischievously, but since they have known each other many years he would consider himself understanding what Ming Sir meant. "His foreword is about 'drama is my life, my life is drama'. He has taught me a lot of things. When we worked together on a series, when something unpleasant happened at the company he taught me how to resolved it. However the method was very daring. He taught me to put dry ice in a bag, then go to the negotiation and unzip the bag a little to release the smoke until it fills the entire room. Would you dare to do this?"

Started as an adult video actress, Erena So Hoi Lam earlier posted a photo with Wong Chau Sun and said that she would like to work with him. Chau Sun said, "I will wait until I have a movie to make! She makes more movies than me. (Did So Hoi Lam ask you to teach her acting?) No, only because of (Chapman) To Man Chak's program did we have the chance to dine together. If I am teaching a drama class, she can attend and I wouldn't mind."