As a classic play, The World's First Restaurant is renowned worldwide. This famous masterpiece by playwright He Jiping premiered in 1988 by the Beijing People's Art Theatre and has been a staple ever since, cherished along with Thunderstorm and Teahouse as treasures of Beijing Renyi. This year, Beijing audiences are in for a surprise as a Cantonese version of The World's First Restaurant is set to be Beijing's "opening drama of the year" in 2025. From January 3 to 5, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre will proudly present the Hong Kong version at the Beijing Tianqiao Art Center. Hong Kong Wen Wei Po interviewed renowned playwright He Jiping and the lead of the Hong Kong version, Best Actor of the Golden Horse Awards Tse Kwan Ho, to share the creative story behind this new version. ● Text: Hong Kong Wen Wei Po reporters Ma Jing, Zhang Baofeng Photos: Provided by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre
In 2022, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre first staged The World's First Restaurant in Cantonese, offering a novel perspective on a Beijing-flavored story. The production won Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor at the Chinese Theatre Gala. This year, it returns triumphantly with director Wong Chi Chiu and playwright He Jiping joining forces once again. Golden Horse Best Actor Tse Kwan Ho, the former chief actor of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, joins the cast again.
Before the Hong Kong performance, the Hong Kong version of The World's First Restaurant toured mainland China, visiting Shenzhen, Foshan, and Suzhou, and after the Beijing performance this weekend, it will proceed to Shanghai and finally return to Hong Kong in mid-January.
The Original Spirit Unchanged Promotes Cultural Exchange
From "rich Beijing flavor" to "authentic Hong Kong accent," the Cantonese adaptation of The World's First Restaurant brings both anticipation and some anxiety. This is partly due to the strong regional characteristics of the work, and also because the Renyi version is deeply rooted in audiences' hearts. However, He Jiping is confident, saying, "Not a word of the script has been changed because I want to keep its core and spirit unchanged, so I haven't considered the integration of Beijing and Hong Kong styles."
He Jiping said, The World's First Restaurant tells stories along Beijing's central axis, "but it also talks about Chinese culinary delicacies, everyday joys, the management of regular businesses, and reflects on life and fate. So it's not limited by the story's geographical nature but encompasses a universal spirit. I believe this is a crucial reason for its enduring popularity at home and abroad."
He Jiping made her name in Beijing early on but has worked in Hong Kong for many years, garnering acclaim for a series of works including Legend of the White Snake and The Warlords. He Jiping herself embodies the vibrant cultural exchange between Beijing and Hong Kong. On the topic of Hong Kong's effort to become a hub for international cultural and artistic exchange, He Jiping stated, "We need to promote this through specific projects and with excellent works like the fusion of 'Beijing flavor' and 'Hong Kong made' in The World's First Restaurant this time."
He Jiping expressed anticipation for deeper exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland literary and artistic circles in the future. She will also witness the premiere of the Cantonese version of The World's First Restaurant in Beijing and attentively feel the city audiences' feedback. She also revealed that she has created the script Su Dongpo for Yue opera artist Mao Weitao, which will debut to Hong Kong audiences in April, marking another active cultural exchange effort.
Tse Kwan Ho: Expressing the Unique Charm of Cantonese
The cast of the Cantonese version of The World's First Restaurant is very promising, with Best Actor of the Golden Horse Awards Tse Kwan Ho's joining as a notable highlight. Discussing his experience starring in this classic masterpiece, Tse Kwan Ho stated, "I first watched the original version in the early '90s and was impressed by the actors' prowess and the melodious sound of their Beijing dialect, even though I didn't fully understand the dialogue."
"Being able to participate in The World's First Restaurant this time, I feel both honored and challenged." Tse Kwan Ho said, "Using Cantonese to interpret a Beijing story is challenging, so I must find the unique charm of Cantonese. During rehearsals, I focused on the musicality of the language. I hope Beijing audiences will enjoy our new interpretation."
Another feature of the Hong Kong version of The World's First Restaurant is incorporating additional scenes between Lu Mengshi and Luo Ying (Yuchu). Tse Kwan Ho reflected, "Though a strong man, Lu Mengshi also experiences hesitation, confusion, and vulnerability. The additional scenes make the character more three-dimensional, also explaining his relationship with Luo Ying."
The Cultural Exchange Between Beijing and Hong Kong Continues, with the Cantonese Musical The Great Lawyer Expected to Visit Beijing in July
Discussing the support for the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre's performance of The World's First Restaurant in Beijing, Yuen Wai Yin, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Office in Beijing, said, "In recent years, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre has performed in Beijing, though mainly in smaller venues. This time, with a dream team of playwright He Jiping, director Wong Chi Chiu, and lead actor Tse Kwan Ho, we sincerely hope to showcase the charm of Cantonese to mainland friends, making it a good opportunity for Beijing-Hong Kong cultural exchange."
Recently, the National Arts Fund announced its 2025 grant list, with 12 projects from Hong Kong selected, including the Cantonese musical The Great Lawyer, co-produced by the West Kowloon Cultural District and the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre. Yuen Wai Yin explained, "The Great Lawyer is notable for its innovative elements, combining music, dance, and drama, and we hope to perform it in Beijing by July."
"The Great Lawyer includes several innovative elements, offering mainland audiences a unique experience." Yuen Wai Yin said, "The support of the National Arts Fund for the Hong Kong cultural sector is greatly appreciated, providing more opportunities for Hong Kong troupes to perform and exchange in the mainland and elevating Hong Kong's performance quality."
Launching the "Kite Project" to Discover Outstanding Chinese Scripts
Hong Kong Repertory Theatre producer Levi Yau stated that this performance is unique "because The World's First Restaurant was written by He Jiping in the 1980s, and now we can reinterpret it with a new Cantonese version. We hope to bring this new version to Beijing audiences, who are already familiar with the original version, but we believe the Cantonese version will bring surprises."
The script is the soul of drama. Levi Yau introduced that the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre has always valued nurturing playwright talent. Since the last theatre season, they launched the "Kite Project," with the goal, as stated in the theatre's promotional tagline, "to let text soar, pulling countless golden threads, igniting a renaissance of original scripts." This season's theme is "Deciphering Life's Code," continuing to collect original scripts written in Chinese. So far, 8 works have been selected from nearly 100 submissions, with plans for the first public readings in Hong Kong in the first half of 2025. "For us to develop scripts, we need more excellent Chinese scripts and to cultivate more scriptwriters."