Industrialisation and its discontents : on and on theatre workshop in Hong Kong

Abstract

This dissertation studies a phenomenon, known as chanyehua 產業化or in English industrialisation, which is underway in the drama field of Hong Kong. The term industrialisation refers to an attempt to transform the Hong Kong drama field into a moneymaking industry which boosts local GDP and job growth. While this economic reconceptualization of the social function of local dramas receives support from businessmen, the government and some scholars, it irritates certain drama troupes in Hong Kong and as a result, these drama troupes turn hostile against industrialisation. On and On Theatre Workshop—the local drama troupe which this dissertation studies—is one of these dissident drama troupes. The relationship between industrialisation and On and On Theatre Workshop is the subject matter into which this dissertation delves.

To dig deep into this subject matter, this dissertation analyses two drama productions produced by On and On Theatre Workshop—Hamletmaxhine and hamlet b.—which are closely related to the issue of industrialisation. In this dissertation’s analysis, both plays undertake two tasks. On the one hand, both plays oppose industrialisation by unveiling the drawbacks of industrialisation; on the other hand, both plays urge us to brood over whether the strategy of opposition is useful in tackling the problems caused by industrialisation. My reading of the plays suggests that opposition may not solve these problems, so even though industrialisation upsets certain local dramatists, these local dramatists may not find relief by inveighing against industrialisation. Hamletmaxhine and hamlet b. implicitly call for an alternative solution other than opposition to resolve the problems facing these dramatists. While the hammering of this alternative solution is outside of the scope of the present study, this dissertation propose the ontological reassessment of “little theatre”—redefining what “little theatre” means and does—is one possible direction to try.

The introduction and chapter 1 of this dissertation study what industrialisation means and how the term comes into being historically. Chapter 2 reads Hamletmaxhine and hamlet b. as two plays that spotlight the downsides of industrialisation. Chapter 3 rereads Hamletmaxhine and hamlet b. as two plays that question whether opposition is a useful strategy to free dramatists from their troubles.