In terms of nurturing young actors and Cantonese opera innovation, what are your personal views?

The current development of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong is still pretty much entrenched in the system and performance format from the past. Not only that it is difficult to attract new audiences, the scope for actors to learn and progress is also relatively limited. If we want to carry on with a traditional art, we need to practice Creative Inheritance, that is to say actors should not merely imitate the acting and singing style of the veterans, but to assimilate the essences of their art and integrate them with their own personal style. Also, the creative team must not limit themselves to restaging traditional plays or the classics only, they need to explore more subject matters, to create new Cantonese opera works. Let's take Pavilion of a Hundred Flowers as example, although it is a signature play of Tong Tik-sang, our production is very much different from the original. We have revised the music, including the tunes and the songs according to the development of the story; even our costumes are specially designed according to the particularities of the characters. I am looking at the development of Cantonese opera from the perspective of modern theatre, I hope that through the collaboration of the director, the playwright, actors as well as the crew onstage and backstage, we can make the work even more flavourful as a theatre piece, to enhance the artistic as well as entertainment value of the work.