Calling for Consciousness: a Theatrical Architecture in between the Formal and Incidental Sequences

CALLING FOR CONSCIOUSNESS

A T heatrical Architecture in between the Formal and Incidental Sequences

\CHAN On Ki

\A dvis ed by Patrick HWANG

2018.09.11 - 2019.04.27

CALLING FOR CONSCIOUSNESS:

A THEATRICAL ARCHITECTURE IN BETWEEN THE FORMAL AND INCIDENTAL SEQUENCES by CHAN, On Ki Supervised by: Mr. Patrick HWANG

A thesis submitted to the School of Architecture, CUHK in partial fulfllment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture School of Architecture

The Chinese University of Hong Kong May 2019

CONTENT

Abstract

Acknowledgement

Credits

Glossary

Introduction

I. Inadequate Performance Spaces

II. Rise in Informal Perfomance Spaces

III. Vismopheric Experiment: In Search of Utopia–The Self-Initated Black Box Experiment

IV. Beyond the Quantitative Issue

Research

I. Theatre and Theatre Audiences

II. Consciousness

III. 1984 by Circumstances

Argumentation

The Site

I. Site Selection: Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building When the Formal meets the Informal

II. History of Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building

From the Market to the Pioneer Public Building

III. Detail Study of Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building

The Downtown Athletic Club

8 10 12 14 16 18 20 24 27 41 51 76 82 84 92

The Issue

I. Urban Context

The Isolated Municipal Services Building

II. Urban Context

The Fading Market

III. Building Design

The Disconnected Ground

IV. Material Design

The Concealed Envelop

Speculative

The Design

The Presentation Conclusion Refection Bibliography

of Ima ges

ABSTRACT

Theatre architecture enriches theatre experience and it is more than a frame to a picture - nonetheless, how theatre architecture acts to enrich theatre experience has been barely discussed. Indeed, theatre nowadays as a form of art is considerably challenged but at the same time inspired by other media such as the rising use of electronic stimulation. The over-lapping and mutualframing between various art forms result in the further blurring of the boundary of various art forms, and this does not only challenge designers and artists in the feld but also the audience in terms of how viewing experience varies within different media types.

The subjectivity, the physicality and spontaneity are unique and irreplaceable in comparison with other performing art form such as flm and television. Live experience - What is the meaning of live to us? “But how often does a spectator touch an actor in the theatre? Many spectators, perhaps most, recoil from the possibility that actors might touch them. In truth it’s not actual touching of or by spectators that is notable about live performance, but only the possibility that it can occur.”[1] The diffculties in differentiating between theatre and various performing art forms may have already implied that a kind of consciousness is lacking for many people nowadays – we forget the possibilities that could happen in theatre, or even beyond. A theatre audience is a physical presence and is vested with greater freedom. They are parts of the performance who take up physical space and theoretically they regulate the performance as audience is an indispensable component of theatre.

The origin of this thesis comes from the one-year self-initiated Black Box theatre “Vismopheric Experiment: In Search of Utopia” in Theatre Horizon, an adapted theatre in an old tenement building (Tong Lau). The complexity and richness in the context of the informal theatres acts to drive to refection on the role of “theatre architecture” nowadays. The future potential of the

building typology (Theatre in the Municipal Services Building) is also speculated. This thesis aims to design a public theatre architecture. Theatre as an immediate (live) experience is not “immediate” – it is a seed that can induce changes in individuals on how one perceives. Theatre architecture should also serve as a public space that fosters fow of emotion and intelligent communication even for non-theatre-goers.

1 Kennedy, Dennis K. The Spectator and the Spectacle: Audiences in Modernity and Postmodernity., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

KEYWORDS:

Theatre, Consciousness, Municipal, Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, Formal, Incidental

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to frst thank for my thesis supervisor, Mr. Patrick Hwang of the School of Architecture in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I would not have been that determined in taking up the academic year leave in taking up a task as a producer of a public performance that I indeed have no idea of, with the whole team I have not ever known before the production. Nor I believe if he is not my supervisor, I would not devote myself into an architectural thesis project that parallel with my personal aspiration and emotion. Thanks for the patience, freedom and insights given in the whole year. “Life is all about twists and turns, enjoy those moments.”, and I am so glad for I have met a teacher in my life.

I would like to thank for the past tutors I ever met, no matter is a depressing comment or an inspiring one, they shape. I would not forget Prof. Doreen Liu for her passion towards the career – this is the frst semester I truly fnd designers could deliver an essence to architecture. I also would like to thank Prof Hendrik Tieban for all the kindness and knowledge in researching, I frst know him beyond the School, he is a professor who brings his passion and insights grounded to the community.

I would like to thank the team in “Vismopheric Experiment: In Search of Utopia”, especially Merry Chow my co-Producer who is true and reliable – I have already given up after the failure of “Slowgirl” Production. Life is often strange and indeed when one door closes, another opens. I guess what I have come across is far more exciting than I have ever wondered. I am looking forwards to the 2.0 version of the production.

I would also thank for my friends, especially those in Master Year 1, Derrick Leong, Winnie Tam, Jasmine Yue and Michelle Lau. It is such a wonderful

year, with genuine friendship and growth together. I would like to thank Mandy Wong, for giving me confdence and support in these journeys. I will not have the courage to pick on another production all over again without her, after the frst painful failure. I would also like to thank Ivan Tam and England Tsui, who always believe in me even when I hesitate whether I should continue my graduate education, and their fondness and thoughts towards architecture often inspire me.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, for the unconditional love and support. I would not have forgotten what my mom said to me when I hesitate on whether taking an academic leave. They make me a better person. “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a diffcult one.”

I believe this thesis will serve as a frozen footage at the age of 25. The design demonstrated here is sure not perfect nor the end. Yet, we are still young and it is always a blessing to be still walking.

CREDITS

Production Help during Term 1

Name Scope of production assistance

Winnie TAM Repairing of conceptual installations

Mandy WONG Set-up and Pin-up for Review 3

Production Help during Term 2

Name Scope of production assistance

Derrick LEONG 1:300 Design Model

Vivian LEE 1:300 Design Model

Winnie TAM Wire Add-On (Escalator/ Human)

Mandy WONG TV Logistic, Screen Operation, Pin-up

Michelle LAU Pin-up HO Yuen Ling Pin-up

I would also especially highlight the help of the following in the past few years, for the design advice or emotion support -

Ivan TAM, England TSUI, Sophia AU, Jasmine YUE, Ashley CHIU, Sunnie NG, Cherry HONG, Christina TSE, Brendan YIU, Chloe CHOW, Gwendoline LAM, Siushan CHENG, Jasmine POON, Dorothy NGAN, Dawn CHAN, Emma CHAN, Merry CHOW and Rachelle AO IEONG.

GLOSSARY

Audience (Noun.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// [group of people] the group of people together in one place to watch or listen to a play, flm, someone speaking, etc.

Consciousness (Noun.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// [noticing] the fact of noticing the existence of something

// [understanding] the state of understanding and realizing something

// [being awake] the state of being awake, aware of what is around you, and able to think:

Corporeal (Adjective.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// physical; relating to the body

Experimental (Adjective.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// (of a new invention or product) based on untested ideas or techniques and not yet established or fnalized.

// (of art or an artistic technique) involving a radically new and innovative style.

// [archaic] Based on experience as opposed to authority or conjecture.

Formal (Adjective.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// Done in accordance with convention or etiquette; suitable for or constituting an offcial or important occasion

// Offcially sanctioned or recognized.

// Having a conventionally recognized form, structure, or set of rules.

Informal (Adjective.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// Having a relaxed, friendly, or unoffcial style, manner, or nature.

// (of dress) casual; suitable for everyday wear.

// (of economic activity) carried on by self-employed or independent people on a small scale, especially unoffcially or illegally.

Live (Adjective.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// Relating to a musical performance given in concert, not on a recording..

// As or at an actual event of performance.

Municipal (Adjective.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// Relating to a town or district or its governing body.

Municipal Service (Phrase.)

[City Politics, The Political Economy of Urban America]

// Basic services that residents of a city expect the city government to provide in exchange for the taxes which citizens paytc.

Orthodox (Adjective.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// (of beliefs, ideas, or activities) considered traditional, normal, and acceptable by most people

// (of religious people) having more traditional beliefs than other people in the same religious group

Presence (Noun.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// the fact that someone or something is in a place:

// a feeling that someone is still in a place although they are not there or are dead:

Theatre (Noun.) [Oxford Dictionary]

// [building/room] a building, room, or outside structure with rows of seats, each row usually higher than the one in front, from which people can watch a performance or other activity.

INTRODUCTION

I. CONDITION IN HONG KONG: INADEQUATE PERFORMANCE SPACES

“I realise that this cannot be done without proper venues for world-class events. e Government is committed to providing more support in this area, and as a catalyst for upgrading our image as Asia’s entertainment capital we are planning for a new, state-of-the-art performance venue on the West Kowloon reclamation. We will further develop proposals for other major facilities which will be both unique attractions in themselves as well as venues for cultural, entertainment or sporting events, including a new sports stadium, a new centre for water-sports and a multi-media theme park.”

– Tung Chee-hwa [2]

“

e West Kowloon Cultural District will be developed into one of the world’s largest cultural quarters, blending art, education and public space.”

– West Kowloon Cultural District [3]

Inadequate performance spaces in Hong Kong is by no means a startling news. Since the conceptual idea of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) was purposed by former Chief Executive, Tung Chee-hwa in “The Chief Executive’s 1998 Policy Address”, to the materializing development –remarkably with the completion of several Phase I projects including the M+ Pavilion and the Xiqu Centre; issues on cultural spaces and relevant policies brought out by the WKCD has been discussed and debated frequently by

culturists and scores of parties in Hong Kong. The increment of growth in public awareness and knowledge towards the performing arts industry has been demonstrated in the decades. The broadening of the public horizons on the cultural condition is undoubtedly one beneft resulted from the large-scale development of WKCD. The presence of theatre and cultural architectures in a massive scale and symbolic gesture manifestly leaves an iconic image to the public and at the same time elevate the city status to an international level – the formal performance spaces welcome and open more chances for exchange of inspiration from different nations.

However, despite the importance and progressive transformation driven by the establishment of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the theatre and performance space in the West Kowloon Cultural Districts are targeting a large audience size for world-class events (it was an idea two decades ago) – and so how about the lack of performance spaces at a smaller scale nowadays, which aims to serve for the local public at a community level? Culture could be enriched by fows of exchanges and impacts through international impact, and a performance space in a large scale could accommodate larger crowds to convey arts into culture through the mass spread-out.[4] Nonetheless culture should never be detached from the life of locals, the City should allow the spaces for the bottom-up creations.

2 Hong Kong SAR. Daily Information Bulletin. “1998 Policy Address by Chief Executive”, HK: Hong Kong SAR, 1998. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. https://www. info.gov.hk/gia/general/199810/07/cepa.htm.

3 West Kowloon Cultural District. “West Kowloon Cultural District - The District Overview”. Last modifed 2018. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. https://www. westkowloon.hk/en/the-district.

4 國際演藝評論家協會（香港分會）. “香港戲劇資料庫暨口述歷史計劃（第一期）：潘 惠森 錄音訪問（十一）活化「戲劇匯演」的可能.” 口述歷史——潘惠森. Video File. Jun 5, 2017. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. http://www.drama-archive.hk/?a=doc&id=101175.

II. CONDITION IN HONG KONG: RISE IN INFORMAL PERFORMANCE SPACES

Examining the history of performance venues in Hong Kong, the Government has been building cultural venues since 1962, with a new design of Hong Kong City Hall in replacing the old City Hall which was crowdfunded and set up by the General Public in 1896. Since then, notably after the 1967 riot, Governor Sir Murray MacLehose fostered the births of numerous important cultural venues, from levering the realization of Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong Coliseum and regional Town Halls including Sha Tin Town Hall and Tsuen Wan Town hall; to restructuring Urban Council to have the independent authority to nurture the cultural and artistic affairs. Nonetheless, the Government has been non-active in expanding the theatres space since the last Century, peculiarly those at a regional and community scale. Ko Shan Theatre is one of the most recent theatre built by the Government, nonetheless it is not a new performing venue as it serves as a replacement of the old Ko Shan Theatre in the same community.

The performance venues available in Hong Kong that is formal (associated with offcial license for public performance that are in compliance with safety regulations) could be understood in three categories; theatrical spaces (including cultural activities hall) at a small size with audience below 300 that aims for Black Box performance theatre at a middle size with audience ranging from 300 to 500 audience, and theatres will catering more than 1000 audiences or auditorium that can be used as theatrical performance occasionally. While in between these 25 performance venues there is a total of 551 theatre programs and 2554 performances in 2016-2017, serving 702,000 audiences within.[5] To

initiate a theatre production, the feasibility of performance venue is often a primary concern.

The lack of accessible formal performance spaces at a smaller size has resulted to the blossom of informal theatre in Hong Kong. It is ubiquitous for artists to build their own theatre in industrial buildings, which allows them to develop their own performance styles with autonomy as well as to develop the possibilities of site-specifc artistic solution.[6] The demand to ask for the revitalization of industrial buildings and historic spaces is often raised. Besides, environmental theatre which does not necessarily require a formal theatre space has been introduced these days. Nonetheless, if theatre does not require a purpose-built theatre, then is theatre architecture still necessary?

5 Hong Kong Arts Development Council “Annual Arts Survey Result Dashboard – 2016/17 Performing Arts.”. Last modifed 2018. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. http://www.hkadc.org.hk/?p=24973&lang=en.

6 “有空間_黑盒．創意劇場；有笑聲_玩轉＜Dali Atomicus＞；說故事_視覺藝術

家 – 唐景森” ，夏桂昌，accessed Dec 18, 2018. Video File. Jun 5, 2017. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. http://www.rthk.hk/tv/dtt31/programme/adcweekly_artspiration/ episode/291616?lang=en.

III. VISMOPHERIC EXPERIMENT: IN SEARCH OF UTOPIA

– The Self- Initiated Black Box Experiment

During the Academic Year in 2017-18, an academic leave is taken to realize a self-initiated experimental Black Box performance. It was granted by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council with the Emerging Artists Grant and Venue Subsidy Scheme as the team TBA Production. I served as the chairperson of the team and the co-producer of the show. In order to fulfl the criteria of the Venue Subsidy Scheme to receive the grant, the team from the frst day has been targeting the formal performance spaces (please refer to Section II). Formal theatre has its own advantages with the granting feasibility as well as the safety reason and regulations bounded by the Buildings Ordinance.

Notwithstanding our tendencies in search of a formal theatre spaces, we fnd it administratively problematic to implement our theatrical experiments. The frst is the diffculties in having the performance space. We have been applying several performance venues (aiming for the performance in May to June in acquiring the funds) since October yet in March we still do not receive any news from the LCSD. This places us at a severe condition in fnding actors to reserve the time (around 3 months) for the production. The private yet formal venues are all occupied for respective reasons. The McAulay Studio in Hong Kong Arts Centre and Onandon Theatre in the Ox Cattle Depot are closed for application for their own anniversary celebrative events. The Fringe Club and the Jockey Club Black Box Theatre are both rent by other theatre bodies year ago. The Y-Studio in Y-Square is one of the most expensive theatre which is never a desire venue for the young theatre

bodies; the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Black Box in the Sheung Wan Theatre has a different commission systems in counting the rent which do not serve the theatre bodies with administrative manpower (The fees of renting HKREP Black Box includes not only the venue fees but the promotion and administrative support by HKREP). Theatres belongs to the university institutions do not allow commercial performance or only could be rented at off-campus time.

Meanwhile, Vismopheric is a new term created by the team, combining the words Visual and Atmospheric in attempting to explain our belief in the experiment. In local drama practices, a performance usually starts with a well-written play, whereas the director will oversee everything to assure the dramatic quality. Stage designers (Set designers, light designers and sound designers) will more-or-less acting as a supplementary role to provide their professional services to actualize the needs of the directors. Nevertheless, designers sometimes will have their own imagination towards the play to present a better atmosphere with the emphasis on the overall visual impression, while usually they will surrender to the easiest solution to enhance the acting sequences and movements logically with insuffcient time and social status. In the experiment, a longer time and space is allowed so the designers’ talents could also contribute to the theatrical quality. They could work tightly with director and actors to mend the usually more detached relationship in between. Hence, a venue theatre that could be rented for a long time is a preferable choice for a production to ferment.

Thus, after considerations of both the administrative and design concerns, the Black Box theatre production is decided to be realized in Theatre Horizon (天邊外自由劇場), an adapted bottom up theatre in an old tenement building (Tong Lau) in Tai Kok Tsui. We have rent the theatrical spaces for a month (from Jun 1, 2018 – July 2, 2018) Theatre Horizon is a performance space that run by Theatre Horizon (天邊外劇場), a professional theatre bodies that run by Chan Chu Hei and Julia Mok, two respectable and well recognized artists (Chan is the winner of Hong Kong’s Artist of the Year (Theatre) in 2017). They do not only produce numerous awarded theatre productions; they are two who initiate Hong Kong People’s Fringe Festival who attempt to bring opportunities for young artists and at the same time to discover new performance spaces. The theatre experiment is performed in two consecutive weekends, with a total of 10 shows recording around 400 audiences (ranging from 20 people to 65 people per show), and several attempts are made which benefts from the informal theatrical space.

First, this production should be one of the very frst production involving the designers from the conceptual stages to the fnal stage. Second, this production is one of the very few productions that have all the set made in Hong Kong and the exact performance venue, giving nowadays most theatre sets are constructed in Mainland. The wall is painted for the projection and CCTV is mounted in the ceiling to function inside the performance. Holes are drilled, and everything is fnely tuned and modifed directly in the space for the performance which are almost impossible in formal performance venue. Lastly, it is the community engagement and interaction of where the theatre is located – we spent almost a full month there from 12:00pm to 11:30 pm, we purchased the daily necessities such as the toilet papers and cleaning equipment from the store nearby, and we ordered our meals from restaurants

nearby there almost every day, with the waitress sending us food to down below of our theatrical spaces, and most unusually, with all the constructive material (i.e. wood and oil paint) bought in the community. Almost every street has our stories in between. All these would not have happened in a formal theatre.

Besides, one refection for the experiment is the understanding on the art of theatre – usually to an audience, theatre is most likely identical to the stage (the performance), however, theatre is a process. It involves the conceptual stage, it involves the administrative stage, and it involves the afterthoughts and gathers of emotional and intellectual exchanges, it is more than the stage – it is a live archive.

IV. CONDITION IN HONG KONG: BEYOND THE QUANTITATIVE ISSUE

“

e problems are beyond the quantity, but also the variety and quality. For instance, Hong Kong Cultural Centre has been built over 20 years from 1989, but due to the lack of performance spaces, this is impossible for the closing of the Cultural Centre for an improvement in hardware.”

– Ms. Tisa HO (Executive Director, Hong Kong Arts Festival) [7]

“

e cultural policies are based on the production – and yet, the so-called “production as basis only referred to the buy-and-sell process, but neglecting the whole process of production, including the artistic creation and the rehearsal, administrative and archive process. e detachment between the performance venue (the stage) and the spaces beyond has reduced the exibility in between production and artistic creation, and at the same time increasing the cost of the theatre bodies”

– Dr CHENG Wai Pang, Damian 小西 (Culturist, Lecturer in Chinese University of Hong Kong) [8]

To delve into the profound issues concerning the performance venues in Hong Kong, similar refections and criticisms are also made from various positions of theatre workers, no matter as an administrative offcer or cultural criticizer. The dilemma on the performance spaces are far more than the

quantitative issues. To increase the quantities of formal theatrical venues are by no means be solved simply by architects, these involves the city planning level. However, the quality of the theatrical spaces is incumbent upon the architects. What is theatre, and what is the capacity of formal theatre architecture to deliver the essence of theatre? During the whole of Vismopheric experiment I realize the blossom of informal theatres does not solely result because of inadequate performance venues, it is in fact, the potential of the present theatrical architectural design is not fully exploited.

This thesis, therefore, is an attempt to ferret out what is theatre as an art, and what is theatre as a space. Informal theatres could nurture the growth of the performing arts industry, and to thrive on the architectural potentials towards the formal theatres. Their existence itself acts as a strong argument to the formal theatres and in the 21st Century, it is time for architectural designers to reimagine the capacity of formal theatre architecture to deliver the essence of theatre nowadays, if we are meant to believe in the presence of theatrical architectures. Moreover, in response to the current demands on the smaller size to middle size theatres, this thesis aims to focus on the theatres that serves at a community instead of international level.

7 Original Text in Chinese –”時事議題﹕香港藝術發展 四大” MingPao Daily, “明 報加東網”, Apr 30, 2015. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. http://www.mingpaocanada.com/ tor/htm/News/20150430/HK-gfh1_er_r.htm

8 Original Text in Chinese –”時事議題﹕香港藝術發展

” MingPao Daily, “明 報加東網”, Apr 30, 2015. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. http://www.mingpaocanada.com/ tor/htm/News/20150430/HK-gfh1_er_r.htm

Research I

Theatre and Theatre Audiences.

The question “What is theatre” could hardly detached from the question “What is theatre audience”. As Brook (1968) emblematic defnition of “theatre” – “As one person walks across an empty space, another watches – all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged”, the audience, the one who watches make theatre happens. Nevertheless, does it simply refer to an audience that goes to the theatre? Spatially, theatre audience is a three-dimensional body and appears usually as a group of three-dimensional bodies that takes up space. Economically, the consumer behaviors of theatre audience sustain the growth of the theatre and prevent this form of art to decay. Philosophically, the audience regulates the performance and theatre different in the necessity of presence of the audience. Theatre audience carries a role inside theatre is part of the essence of the performances. We know little about theatre audience, yet it is important to have a way to defne them if they serve as important contributors and users in theatrical architectures.

In this section, the goal of the research is to clarify or even redefne the term ‘theatre’ and ‘theatre audience’ in providing the prerequisite and premises for the thesis to be justifed and measured in an architectural discipline. Dictionaries and theories are well examined as an overview and support for the choice of defnition and perspective towards theatre and theatre audience. The two words are multi-dimensional and with terminological complexity –thus attempts are not to have theoretical deductions to give out a scientifc or revolutionary defnition toward. It simply hopes to suggest understanding theatre audience could bring in new insights for us to work architecturally to strengthen and emphasis their theatre experience, thus contributing to the development of theatrical architectures.

What is Theatre?

“Reduced to the simplest common denominator, theatre, or more precisely a theatrical event, consists of a simultaneous and mutually conditioning act of playing and watching by performers and spectators gathered together in a common space.”

–Christopher Balme, Leverhulme Visiting Professor in Theatre, Chair of Theatre Studies at LMU Munich [9]

9 Balme, Christopher B. “Introduction: Theatre and Theatre Studies.” Introduction. In The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies, 1–14. Cambridge Introductions to Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511817021.002

i) Theatre

The term ‘theatre’ originates from the Greek word theatron (a place for looking). The concept of ‘theatre’ is terminologically complex [10] and studies towards could be multi-dimensional – despite of numerous possibilities, here I subjectively read theatre in three aspects,, theatre as a seeing place, theatre as an activity and theatre as an art form, with taking the defnition of theatre as the theatrical space, primarily a social event (theatre-going) that allows human interactions, and an art form that is unique because of the subjectivity, physicality and immediacy lies within.

10 Balme, Christopher B. “Introduction: Theatre and Theatre Studies.” Introduction. In The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies, 1–14. Cambridge Introductions to Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511817021.002

(right) Fig. 1

Theatr on, the seating area of the Greek theatre

ii) Theatre as a Seeing Place

Theatre as a seeing place could be frst confronted as the Greek theatres two-thousand years ago. A well analysis of the history of the traditional performance space could be referred to David Wiles’s A Short History of Western Performance Space (2003) in theoretical and historical perspective or the book by Richard and Helen Leacroft, Theatre and Playhouse: An Illustrated Survey of Theatre Building from Ancient Greece to the Present Day (1984)”. The performance spaces have undergone signifcant changes, from an understanding most notably by Roland Barthes as a space of savoured by a spectator hidden in the shadow [11] to today that the more intimate and interactive relationship is examined between the spectators and the stage. [12] I would like to take reference of the defnitions purposed by G Gay McAuley’s Space in Performance: Making Meaning in the Theatre (1999) – to distinguish theatre spaces in four aspects – the theatrical space, the scenic space (or stage space), the place or space of performance and the dramatic space, and identifying and taking the theatrical space as the architectural conditions of theatre (usually a building encompasses performance and spectator spaces) and the place or space of performance is often referring to a wider civic scale in a urban context level, while the scenic space and the dramatic space lies in other disciplines which will not be covered in this thesis.

11 Balme, Christopher B. “Spaces and Places.” Chapter. In The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies, 47–62. Cambridge Introductions to Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511817021.002

12 Ibid. (right) Fig. 2 Envir onmental theatre “1984” in the Lake Shaw Festival, where the buliding skin is adopted to provide theatrical effect to convey the City into a theatre.

iii) Theatre as an Activity

Theatre as an activity could be dated back to the Ancient Greek, whereas theatre was found in Great Dionysia, (also called City Dionysia), an ancient Greek festival in which different genres of theatres were performed and completed for the best play to celebrate in the name of Dionysus, the god of wine. The festivals were attended by all Athenian citizens and for the poet and players who won in the festivals would earn a great chance to game fame and raise social status. In the East, the rise of theatre was also as a form of religious or festive activity. Theatre was most common in the banquet and religious worshipping. The people at that time believe theatre is a formal way to communicate with the gods above. Soon then theatre become a social event. People dress up formally and for the more wealthy and powerful audience, they could take up the balcony seat which portrayed themselves as a performer as well to show off their new fashions.

Nowadays people no longer enter the theatre because of the customs, nor for the degree as a social event has been decreased. People won’t enter the theatre simply for show off their wealth and start to pay closer attention to the play or actors. However, this also leads to a consequence that the popularity of theatre has been decreased and is no longer a mainstream of entertainment. Theatre has become more private and focus on personal artistic pursuit and its role in the public as a social activity has been diminished.

(right) Fig. 3

Detail f rom a painting of Queen Elizabeth at the Globe in 1840s.

iv) Theatre as an Art Form

When asking the question of how theatre is differentiated from various performing art forms such as flm and television, the subjectivity [14] (freedom in decoding), the physicality (corporeal [15] presence) and immediacy [16] (liveness and interactivity) inside the theatre has come to mind.

For the subjectivity, theatre is often related to semiotics and relevant studies have been done. Theatre involves signifers and transmitters to allow the audience to act as a receptor to perceive. I do not mean to deny the semiotics present in flm or television – but theatre allows a higher extent of subjectivity. Film and television are all framed with a certain scale – if the shot has been taking angles on the actors’ eyes you could only have the freedom to whether paying attention to the screen or not, but not the subjectivity equipped in theatres that you could always only focus on the set inside the play even the actors are there acting.

For the physicality, the frst concerning I would like to draw it towards as an art form through the theoretical tendencies – Brecht’s detachment and Grotowski’s self-renunciation. Body is one of the most powerful acting devices in both tendencies, with the ‘detachment’ school aiming to reduce on the ‘emotional’ association to stress on demonstrating social relationship, while the ‘self-renunciation’ belief defning acting itself is never isolated from the communicative process with the audience. Furthermore, the human body is closely linked to the cultural location. Body technique is argued by French ethnologist Marcel Mauss to be socially or culturally mattered. For instance, how one walks, how one sits, are often correlated to the cultural and geological conditions. Therefore, the physicality of the theatre for no matter the performers nor the audience makes theatre unique. It is more likely to be culturally specifc.

Another most forthright interpretation of physicality to illustrate how theatre varied with other art forms is on the spatial dimension of the theatrical spaces – the fact that theatre audience and the performers shared the same space. I would like to address Bertolt Brecht’s statement in Arbeitsjournal “In theatre, the audience regulates the performance. ” Theatre could not happen without its audience [17]. The way of how the performers move and communicate will alter with the orientation of the audience, brining in the immediacy in theatre with the fexibility and adaptability in between the performers and audience.

14 “Subjectivity.” In Oxford Dictionaries. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2018. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/defnition/ subjectivity.

15 “Corporeal.” In Oxford Dictionaries. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2018. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/defnition/corporeal.

16 “Immediacy.” In Oxford Dictionaries. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2018. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/defnition/immediacy.

17 “Audience.” In Oxford Dictionaries. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2018. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/defnition/Audience.

v) Theatre Audiences in Nowadays

It is interesting so far when I interview my friends how they perceive their thoughts as an audience towards theatre and flm in depth. For people who occasionally attend the theatre will say it is different, while to people do not show interest in theatre will regard both as a passive experience – they can tell the difference in their form of presentation, for there are real actors showing on stage, and they are live. However, the meaning of live – in the society of spectacles – in term of viewing experience, I doubt do that really mean. Watching a flm or a theatre in cinema, is something on living but not having.

What is the meaning of live to us? I would like to reference to Kennedy’s lines in The Spectator and the Spectacle: Audiences in Modernity and Postmodernity (2009) –“Although the camera stimulates intimacy with the characters, it also keeps us ‘safe from them’ so that we are permitted ‘to watch without risk’; denied the public dimension of Shakespeare’s work, we are prevented ‘from playing our part’. But how often does a spectator touch an actor in the theatre? Many spectators, perhaps most, recoil from the possibility that actors might touch them. In truth it’s not actual touching of or by spectators that is notable about live performance, but only the possibility that it can occur.” What may further heighten the uniqueness of a live theatre performance is the possibilities underlying behind. This is perhaps a kind of consciousness that is lacking nowadays – we forget the possibility that could happen in theatre. If theatre audience is conscious, the live experience (immediacy) could also be enhanced, the ambiguity of theatre audience facing could be further clarifed.

The THEATRE exists when you are watching.

A THEATRE AUDIENCE exists when he( she ) is conscious on his( her ) watching.

II Consciousness.

This section is a result of Section I, for consciousness is the findings in highlighting the values of theatre audience as well as the element to captivating the essence of the theatre art. The term ‘Consciousness’ will be study through different perspectives. Definition of ‘consciousness’ will be interpreted and carried through the whole research and design project. Case study is also examined, and installations are made to demonstrate the possibilities that consciousness could enhance the theatrical interaction.

What is Consciousness?

Consciousness (Noun.) [Cambridge Dictionary] [18]

// [noticing] the fact of noticing the existence of something // [understanding] the state of understanding and realizing something

// [being awake] the state of being awake, aware of what is around you, and able to think:

18 “Consciousness.” In Cambridge Dictionaries. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2019. Accessed May 10, 2019. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ dictionary/english/consciousness?q=Consciousness

In Cambridge Dictionaries, the word “Consciousness (Noun.)” is identifed as three verbs, noticing, understanding and being awake. Despite the direct interpretation of the word is clearly illustrated in the dictionary, “Consciousness” as a subject instead of a word has by no means reached a universal consensus. For instance, the study towards “consciousness” with a philosophical approach could vary a lot from the neuro-science approach. From the previous section on research of theatre and theatre audience, the consciousness I would like to address on is closely relevant to the work of Bernard Lonergan and Marshall McLuhan, which matches and elaborates well on the dictionary defntions.

i) Different levels of Consciousness

In Lonergan’s Insight: A Study of Human Understanding, (1957) consciousness could be classifed in at least three successive level as empirical consciousness, intellectual consciousness and rational consciousness. They are respectively referring as the level of experiencing, understanding and judging. Without the level of experiencing (such as sensing, feeling and perceiving) will not progress to the successive level of consciousness – intellectual consciousness, while without the level of understanding (such as inquiring, understanding and conceiving) will not result in the higher degree of consciousness – rational consciousness. If our ultimate goals to gather afterthoughts from audience and enhance emotional and intellectual exchanges as a live archive, the three stages of consciousness must be attained successively. It corresponds well with the noticing, understanding and being awake on the dictionary’s defnition.

ii) Architectures as the medium

“

e medium is the message” is the famous quote of Marshall McLuhan, the father of modern media. He suggests the characteristics of the medium itself should be study instead of the content. In Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964), McLuhan described the medium with the example of “light bulb” and “Cubism”, which for the former the light bulb does not carry any content, but it creates and provides an environment for its mere presence, especially during nighttime in darkness for social behaviors to take place. While for the latter cubism serves as a type of medium which successfully delivers an “instant sensory awareness of the whole.” Thus, he further purposed the reconceptualization of the relationship between the medium and human being involved a complex inter-personal dynamic between the body and the world. [19] His studies in a way provide an insight for us to read the relationship between theatrical architectures and consciousness. A ‘medium’ is any manmade device by means of which human beings ‘extend’ their senses and nerves which a ect their (empirical) consciousness, [20] (McLuhan later readdressed the consciousness he is referring is empirical consciousness after the read on Lonergan’s work [21]) and architecture is conclusively laying inside McLuhan’s defnition of a medium, thus the nature of architecture should carry the unique inter-personal dynamic to affect human beings’ consciousness on how theatre audience percept. It serves as a factor to alter the perception of theatre audience, thus enhancing the conceptualization to take place to allow higher intellectual exchanges to occur.

19 Balme, Christopher B. “Theatre and Media.” Chapter. In The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies, 195-208. Cambridge Introductions to Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511817021.014.

20 McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man., Reprint edition. Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1994.

21 McLuhan, Marshall. Letters of Marshall McLuhan., edited by McLuhan, Corrine., Molinaro, Matie. and Toye, William. 1st edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987

Consciousness.

Consciousness consists of all those states of feeling or sentience or awareness.

Animal Consciousness.

Animal consciousness, or animal awareness, is the quality or state of self-awareness within an animal, or of being aware of an external object or something within itself.

"We

Artificial Consciousness.

Artificial consciousness (AC), also known as machine consciousness (MC) or synthetic consciousness is a field related to artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics.

Human Consciousness.

Human consciousness has been defined as awareness, sentience, a person's ability to experience and feel.

INSIGHT: A STUDY OF HUMAN UNDERSTANDING

Empirical Consciousness. All learning begins in empirical consciousness when people pay attention to sensory data and the data of feelings and imagination. Lonergan sums up the proper orientation of empirical consciousness in the precept

Be Attentive. Be Intelligent.

THE LEVEL OF EXPERIENCING

sensing, feeling, perceiving....

BE INATTENTIVEFailure to attend to the processes of empirical consciousness

Intellectual Consciousness.

Intelligent consciousness is oriented toward conceptualization and interpretation of the data of empirical consciousness. Lonergan’s precept for intelligent consciousness is Be Intelligent by carefully considering alternative explanations of data/situations.

THE LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING

inquiring, understanding, conceiving...

Coma, Michael Crichton, 1978.

Subconscious. The part of your mind that notices and remembers information when you are not actively trying to do so, and influences your behaviour even though you do not realize it.

Mulholland Drive, David Lynch, 2001

Self-consciousness.

A third and yet more demanding sense might define conscious creatures as those that are not only aware but also aware that they are aware, thus treating creature consciousness as a form of self-consciousness (Carruthers 2000).

INATTENTIVEto the processes of empirical consciousness

OVERSIGHTS, which in turn require subsequent corrective action.

Consciousness. toward of the data of precept for Intelligent by explanations of UNDERSTANDING conceiving...

BE STUPIDFailure to consider alternative interpretations or conceptualizations

Be Resonable.

Rational Consciousness.

Rational consciousness is oriented toward predication (the expression of a reasonable judgement) about what is the best explanation/interpretation. Up to the point where a carefully considered judgement is posited, one’s concept or idea is considered simply a hunch or an hypothesis about what is the case. Lonergan’s precept for rational consciousness is Be Reasonable, in the claims we make.

THE LEVEL OF JUDGING

reflecting, marshalling and weighing the evidence, passing judgment on the truth or falsity, or the certainty or probability, of a statement...

ILL-CONCEIVED OR INCOMPLETE INTERPRETATIONS, which will call for later correction, or worse, leave the individual immersed in his or her biases.

BE SILLYFailure to be reasonable in our predications leads to over- or understating things

MISJUDGEMENT, which calls for objection and correction later on

(above) Fig. 4

States of Consciousness: Empirical, Intellectual and Rational

iii) Case Study: Slow House by Diller + Scofdio

Slow house by Diller + Scofdio is one of the architectural precedents in raising empirical consciousness through the presence of architecture. It serves as a man-made device in rea-activating the docile body of human beings. [22] The architects adopt strategies from 1. Challenging the form and representation of the usual house, 2. Disrupting the unconscious through mediated images and 3. Linking the body movement to the environment in order to unlock different views. These architectural design raises consciousness of the resident on what is a vacation or the purpose of a vacation house, which suggests the theatrical architectures to be designed should achieve similar aspirations.

22 Bremner, Alex. “Re-Activating the Docile Body: A Critical (Re)View of Deiller and Scofdio’s Slow House” Architectural Theory Review Vol 5, no.1 (2000): 104-122. Doi: 10.1080/13264820009478391

(above) Fig. 5, Fig. 6 Slow House by Diller + Scofidio. The disruption of the unconsciousness.

iv) Installation that develops from the idea of Slow House

Installations based on the strategies used by Slow House 2 and 3 (in last paragraph) is experimented. A projector is set up to livestream the view of the view of the phone, while the phone is livestreaming the view of the objects in front. The audience will have encountered the parallel vision of both two screens representation as well as the real objects, which attempts to waken the audience to the ‘incorporated’ perception of tele-visual experience of both the images and the objects. The experiment is tested in between small groups of individual and obviously interaction is enhanced once the audience acknowledged that they are parts of the images. Movements are made to witness the direct engagement and changes with the screen movement. Here reassured the assumption on that if consciousness of the spectator is raised, active engagement and interaction will also be encouraged.

(above) Fig. 7

The Modification and Representation of Slow House in School of Architecture, CUHK

Research III

1984 by Circumstances

This section is an approach to draw back the attention towards the study of the theatrical spaces, with the strategy on exploring the theatre performances that developed from “ 1984 ” (1949) of George Orwell. The reason for the study towards the 1984-related theatres are twofold. First is the linkage towards Vismopheric Experiment (please refer to Introduction Section III), the experimental Black Box is adapted from 1984 of George Orwell, for the indispensableness of existing atmosphere and essence in the novel. While the alternative reason is the consciousness the novel aims to raise, in responding to the social and political situation wherever the reader is in. This suggests the consciousness could be highly associated inside the theatre performances, and in this section, the context, the relationship between spectators, the front house the Backstage and the façade of the theatrical architectures will be study in mean of typology.

(right) Fig. 8

Book Cover, 1984 by George Orwell

Consciousness in 1984 by Circumstances

“Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.”

(right) Fig. 9 Mapping of “1984” Theatres

The Universal “1984” Mapping the Theatres with “1984”

1. 1976 Oct 17 Crotia Zagreb Teatar &TD 224 Seats

4. 2013 Sept 13 - Nov 16

2. 1987 Jul 22 - Aug 1

United States New York City The Joyce Theatre 472 Seats

3. 2011 Mar 24 to Apr 3 Canada Vancouver The CULTCH 200 Seat

5. 2015 Sept 5 to 12

6. 2017 Jun 28 to Jul 22

United Kingdom Nottingham Nottingham Playhouse 756 seats

United Kingdom Leeds Leeds Playhouse Quarry Theatre 750 Seats

Austalia, Sydney Roslyn Packer Theatre 896 Seats 7. 2017 Aug 4 to 13

8. 2017 Dec 29 to 31

9. 2018 Apr 12 to May 13

Australia Perth His Majesty’s Theatre 1263 Seats

Taiwan Taipei Wellspring Theater 336 Seats

Japan Tokyo New National Theatre, Tokyo 326 Seats 10. 2018 Apr 26 to 29

Singapore Esplanade Theatre, 1950 Seats

11. 2018 Jun 22 to Jul 1 Hong Kong Theatre Horizon 60 seats

12. 2018 Oct 17 to Nov 25

Spain Madrid Teatre Galileo 347 seats

The “1984” by Circumstances Place, Time & Scale of Performance

The “1984” by Circumstances Poster

The Mask Interior

Theatre &TD (Teatar & TD)

Address: Savska cesta 25, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

Architect: Dantea Petronija

Year of Open: 1937

The Joyce Theatre

Address: 175 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA

Architect: Simon Zelnik, later renovation by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer

Year of Open: Built in 1942, opening of Joyce Theatre in 1982

The Cultch

Address: 1895 Venables St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H6, Canada

Architect: Takahigo Yanagisawa

Year: 1909 built as the Grandview Methodist Church, 1973 re-named as Vancouver East Cultural Centre (The Cultch)

Nottingham Playhouse

Address: Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF, the United Kingdom

Architect: Peter Moro

Year of opening: 1963

Leeds Playhouse Quarry Theatre (West Yorkshire Playhouse)

Address: Playhouse Square, Leeds LS2 7UP, the United Kingdom

Architect: The Appleton Partnership architects

Year of opening: 1970

Roslyn Packer Theatre

Address: 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay NSW 2000, Australia

Architect: Andrew Andersons

Year of opening: 2004

His Majesty’s Theatre

Address: 825 Hay St, Perth WA 6000, Australia

Architect: William G. Wolfe

Year of opening: 1904

Wellspring Theater

Address: 10F, Shui Yuan Building, Zhongzheng, Taipei, Taiwan

Year of opening: 1953

Architect: Taiwan Government

New National Theatre, Tokyo

Address: 1 Chome-1-1 Honmachi, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0071, Japan Architect: Takahiko Yanagisawa Year of opening: 1997

Esplanade Theatre

Address: 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore 038981

Architect: DP Architects (DPA) of Singapore and the London-based Michael Wilford & Partners Year of opening: 2002

Theatre Horizon

Address: 2/F, 71-73 Bedford Rd, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Year of establishment: 2006

Architect: Unknown

Teatro Galileo

Address: Calle Galileo, 39 28015

Year of opening: 1898

Architect: Julio Martínez-Zapata Rodríguez

Theatre Location

One theatre per complex // Multiple theatres per complex

End Stage

Thrust Stage

Flexibility and Adaptations

ARGUMENTATION

The thesis is titled “Calling for Consciousness: A Theatrical Architecture in Between the Formal and Incidental Sequences” – while here in the essay is structured to elaborate on the argumentations lie between the topic.

In Introduction, issues of performance venues in Hong Kong is discussed. The quantitative issues is season for the blossom of informal theatres is profound than simply the inadequate quantities of performance spaces with the support of the Vismopheric Experiment – the freedom, the intimacy between the theatrical spaces and designers and community engagement all are lacking inside formal theatres today. Theatres from a Black Box size to a middle size will be emphasised.

In Phase I of Research, the defnition of theatre and the ideal theatre audience is stated, giving the framework in the feasibility of the thesis to be measured in architectural disciplines. Theatre is a place for seeing and here is referred to the theatrical spaces, which encompasses performance and spectator spaces, the common space that allows the “simultaneous and mutually conditioning act of playing and watching to occur”. The social and artistic aspect is also addressed. The fndings also suggest a certain consciousness is lacking for theatre audience, which if the consciousness could be raised, theatre audience could enjoy more theatrical excitement and a deeper extent of intellectual exchange.

In Phase II of Research, consciousness is further broken down into three successive level, suggesting theatrical architecture itself is a medium thus should serve as one element contributing to the empirical consciousness, which if the cultural conditions of theatrical architectures are altered with different architectural strategies, the empirical consciousness of human beings will be affected, thus the chance for unlocking the intellectual and rational consciousness could be raised.

In Phase III of Research, researches on the 12 theatres are study and analysed in several aspect. This suggest if the incidental sequences are well enhanced in architectures, the capacity of theatrical architecture of calling for consciousness could be extended, despite the formal presence.

The defnition of theatre is not only a place for theatre activities to happen, but a place for people to see the theatre, a device for the theatre to happen. Theatre could be everywhere if consciousness is raised. Thus, the architecture itself should also act like a theatre to enrich the theatre experience, with its site setting, programmatic arrangement and facade.

In Hong Kong, the attitude towards a new theatre spaces is always either to build a grand platform like those in West Kowloon which the targets are more of the arts elite from all over the world, or to revitalize the abandon factories or industrial buildings to settle the arts industry. Yet these two are either elevating theatre as a sacred art or detaching theatre on the fringe of the society as a sub-culture. When we tempt to promote theatre and bring theatre into everyday life, theatre architectures should never go into the two extremes. The theatre architecture should integrate and blend into the daily community. Especially this is Hong Kong, which we are living in a super dense urban context and that is in a way, rather theatrical itself. Architectures should take into the theatrical elements in the sites to act as a theatre. Theatre should come into life of a layman and let the real and virtual co-exist to form its own tension, just as if the nature of theatre itself. Thus, the choice of site is narrowed down to existing formal theatre, to continue the exploration on “How can the Formal stay experimental?” in the scope of architecture discipline.

The Site.

Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building

(right) Fig. 10

Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, across the Bonham Strand

I. SITE SELECTION

SHEUNG WAN MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING

- When the Formal meets the Informal

While analysing the present formal theatres, only two of them are run by theatre artists who also frequently used the theatre space. Other are run by the Leisure Cultural Services Department (LCSD), or the privately-owned art administrative bodies. One is an 80-audience allowed reinvented spaces in the Ox Cattle Artist Depot (a historical monument) that run by Onandon, while one is the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKREP) Black Box that located in the Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, accommodating 150-200 audiences, in where we could also fnd Sheung Wan Theatre (formal venue that run by LCSD). The co-existence of the two theatre types in the same building demonstrates a very interesting tension. Moreover, a closer look towards Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building is also more preferred for historically the HKREP Black Box is the self-initiated as well as the frst Black Box theatre in Hong Kong.

(right) Fig. 11, Fig. 12

The first drama (a combination of two short plays) in HKREP Black Box in 1989

II. HISTORY OF SHEUNG WAN MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING

- From the Market to the Pioneer

Public Building

The site has been used as market for over a century since 1844, beginning as an outdoor market. The earliest market building, South Block of Western Market, was established in 1858. The market building was expanded in 1913 and again in 1939 to accommodate growing population with more stalls and better environment. In 1983, the government announced to demolish the market and its surrounding buildings in order to develop the MTR Hong Kong Line, while the Western Block of Western Market (now known as the declared monument Western Market) was preserved. The market was then planned and developed as the present Sheung Wan Municipal Service Building (SWMSB) with various function to serve the community. The SWMSB had its grand opening in 19 December, 1989.

As a comprehensive complex with a wide range of facilities, including a theatre, and barrier-free design in 1990s, the SWMSB had received public acclamation.

(right) Fig. 13 Sheung Wan Market (South Block), The former of SWMSB

News Archive on Sheung Wan Market

The Market that serves over the Century

News Archive on Sheung Wan Market

The Market that serves over the Century

News Archive on SWMSB

SWMSB, the onc Awarded and Prestigious Public Building

News Archive on SWMSB

SWMSB, the onc Awarded and Prestigious Public Building

Fig. 14

Ariel View of Sheung Wan in 1981

Fig. 15

Ariel View of Sheung Wan in 2016

III. DETAIL BUILDING STUDY OF SHEUNG WAN MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING

- The Downtown Athletic Club

Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building is one example of Municipal Services Buildings in Hong Kong, a unique building type born out of the confned urban context in Hong Kong. Due to the historic political structures in Hong Kong in the 70s, whereas the Urban Council is an independent organization to administrate the relevant leisure cultural development as well as the hygienic and health development. Thus, this resulted in an interesting combination of programmic structure sharing the multi-stories building.

The MSB typically consists of a broad range of community-oriented programs and provides its constituents with work opportunities, intellectual growth and leisure activities. The SWMSB consists of 13 foors, with B/F to 1/F as the wet market, 2/F as the food court, 3/F as the refugee foor, 4/F as the art offces and rehearsal rental spaces, 5/F as the lecture hall and theatre, 6/F as the exhibition hall, 7/F as the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Rehearsal space, 8/F of the HK Dance and Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Black Box, 9/F to 10/F as the government offce space, and 11/F to the 12/F as the Sports Centre and the 13/F as the government offce for the sports affairs. The circulation is designed mainly in three ways, for the fow towards the market, the sports ground and the theatre (Sheung Wan Theatre).

(right) Fig. 16 Programmes & Circulation of Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building

The Downtown Athletic Club

Basement (+01.50 m)

Program: Carpark/ Storage/ M&E

Ground Floor (+06.25 m)

Program: Market/ Refuse Collection Point

Program: Market

1st Floor (+11.25 m)

Program: Food Court

Program: Refugee Floor

3rd Floor (+21.75 m)

4th Floor (+26.65 m)

+26.65

Program: Theatre (Back of House) Rehearsal Room/ Theatre Offces

Program: Theatre/ Lecture Hall

Program: Theatre (Fly Tower)/ Exhibition

Program: HK Chinese Orchestra/ Rehearsal & Activity Room

7th Floor (+41.50 m)

Program: HKREP BlackBox/ HK Dance Offce

8th Floor (+47.75 m)

9th Floor (+53.90 m)

Program: Municipal (Archive Storage

Program: Municipal (FEHD & LCSD)

11th Floor (+64.15 m)

Program: Municipal (Archive & Storage)

12th Floor (+70.15 m)

Program: Municipal (FEHD & LCSD)

13rd Floor (+76.15 m)

Program: Municipal (LCSD)

Program: M&E

Roof Floor (+81.15 m)

The Issue. Urban, Building & Material

(right) Fig. 17

Sheung Wan as Context

I. URBAN CONTEXT

The Isolated Municipal Services Building

Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building (SWMSB) is located in the main streets of Sheung Wan, facing the Bonham Strand, Morrison Street and Queen’s Road Central, with a well-developed transportation system throughout the decades- the HK-Macau Ferry Terminal, the Central Elevated Walkway System that linked to both the Mid-levels and Central, the Tram Terminal and the Mass Transit Railway System (Sheung Wan MTR Station) are all within a 15 mins walk from the SWMSB. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old municipal services building is lost in dialogue with the surroundings and stay isolated in the community, as if it was just one of the many private offces in Sheung Wan. Besides, the Sheung Wan Cultural Square is a relatively newly formed public square after the relocation of the public latrine in the early 90s and expansion of size in 2005. (Fig. 19) The incoherency between the public building and the public square remains an issue that could be tackled.

1990 1995 2005

The comprehensive transportation network in Sheung Wan (above) Fig. 19 Mapping of Sheung Wan Cultural Square in 1990, 1995, and 2005

II. URBAN CONTEXT

The Fading Market

The demand for market has been ceasing, particularly for Sheung Wan. The district has been transforming from one of the most high dense residential neighborhood in Hong Kong to nowady only 14000 population according to the 2011 Hong Kong Census. In addition, the rise of supermarket has considerably challenged the position of market. Compared with conventional market, supermarket has neater environment and longer operation hours, which is more appealing to the customers and challenge nowaday role of market. The growing public awareness on hygiene also hinder the sales of market. The demand of fresh poultry has been soon replaced by frozen meat. Moreover, there is a clear decline in the market industry, there are always empty stalls in a wet market or stalls that been rented as a storage.

(left) Fig. 20

Photos inside the Sheung Wan Market

(above) Fig. 21

Change in Population in Sheung Wan

III. BUILDING DESIGN

The Disconnected Ground

For a public building, it is usually user-friendly with well-designed barrierfree access. Though Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building is one of the pioneer modernized building in the late 80s to design with ramps and lifts to faciliate the access of the disabled, the access is never direct. It is found that in order to access to for the Ground Floor Market, one can only approach the Market through staircases, or through the lift facing the Bonham Strand. The ground has been privatilized unless for the Market users who are with a clear goal to access to the Market.

Moreover, the circulation for the four cores are specifc in the usage (two for the market, one for the municipal and one for the cultural centre) with little connection in between the foors. The staircase is often blocked for circulation for the privacy in between foors. This leaves little chance for a Flâneur to encounter this vital yet hidden Downtown Atheletic Club.

(right) Fig. 22

The Disconnected Ground, an analysis of the ground floor circulation

Fig. 23

The entry facing Queen’s Road Central

Fig. 24

The entry facing Bonham Strand

IV. MATERIAL DESIGN

The Concealed Envelop

The exterior of Sheung Wan Municipal Services Buildings is a fnish of beige concrete, highlighting the four cores. The building itself is not symmetrical, nor with foors of same height. However, with the highlighting of the four cores, and the prefabrication facade in a very ordered manner, homogeneity remains and fails to draw the attention to imaginate on the potentials of the public building. The hidden vitality should be released.

(above) Fig. 25

Facade facing the Queen’s Road Central.

(right) Fig. 26

Homogeneity: partial elevation on the facade units.

SPECULATIVE

From different phrases in the research, Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building is selected for the building site of the thesis. This is a result for the size of theatres (ranging from Black Box to middle theatre size, 150-480) , the diversity in the autotomy of theatre venues, and the complexity found in the Municipal services Building. The design attempted to reinvent the possibility of the program and enhance the spatial quality from the existing building.

In semester one, a speculative is designed with the idea of redesigning the Basement level to the 8/F where the HKREP Black Box situates. The program is structured and redistributed in different foors based on an idea of a public loop which could witness the procedure of creating a theatre production. As usually what we see in theatre is actually the end products of the long creation and profound administrative progress, which is often theatrical in nature. The idea on combining these production progress with everyday program is purposed to let the theatre blend into the community. For instance, the rehersal of the theatre performance could happen in the sports centre dancing room and the pre-rehersal warm-up exercise could open to the public, as if a public exercise classes. Theatres could beneft the everyday and the everyday crowd could help nurture the growth in audiences.

(right) Fig.27

Speculative

What If?

Conception & Perception What If?

Program Redistribution

Speculative Concept

The Design. 2019.04.27

\01 Experiment

The project begins with the one-year self-initiated Black Box experiment. My team has received a grant from the Arts Development Council at the beginning and by accidents. I have taken a year of academic leave to be in the producer role of the performance. The show is on “1984”, a specifc political genre which requested a different atmosphere. Thus, we fnally present our experiment “In Search of Utopia” in Theatre Horizon, an adapted old tenement building in Tai Kok Tsui, a Tong Lau

\02 Is Theatre Architecture Necessary?

It was on the 2nd foor. When audiences came, they would have passed through people in the community, perhaps the muscular men who were working, or the old man who lived on the sub-divided units on the 3rd or 4th foor… The theatre experiment carried out smoothly and the site context in the informal theatre enriches the experiment. But, if theatre could happen in a Tong Lau, is theatre architecture still necessary?

Is eatre Architecture Necessary ?

\03 What is Theatre?

“As one person walks across an empty space, another watches – all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged”

– Peter Brook

The THEATRE exists when one is watching.

A THEATRE AUDIENCE exists when one is conscious on his(her) watching.

Installations on consciousness

\04 “1984” by Circumstances

“Orthodox is unconsciousness”. George Orwell’s “1984” is a play that is raising consciousness (experimental). Together with Theatre Horizon which “In Search of Utopia is performed”, 12 theatres with “1984 production” were studied with the question - “How could the Formal stay experimental?”

eatre to Context, or Context to eatre ?

The Presentation. 2019.04.27

(above) Fig. 28

Presentation Panels on the Final Review, Apr 27

(right) Fig. 29

1:300 model on the final design

CONCLUSION

When we (often the architects ) discussed about theatre, we always simply refer it to theatrical spaces, the West Kowloon district, the Xiqu centre, the industrial and informal Blackbox... Nonetheless, in this thesis, from the attempt in searching for the answer of “What is theatre?” – theatre could be minimally understood as simply an act of watching and being watched, if with the consciousness on watching. Theatre is not only referring to the border of the formal, theatre is everywhere and borderless. A street could be a theatre, a market could be a theatre and the architecture is a theatre. Given on the basis with the presence of the formal theatre, architectural strategies could imply to call for the watching with consciousness in between the incidental sequences. Architecture could contribute to the theatre experience and it itself should act as a theatre through the calling for consciousness.

(right) Fig. 30

Different perspective under different consciousness.

\PERSPECTIVE.

The more you are conscious of, the more you can see .

REFLECTION

Despite starting the question with “What is Theatre?”, I guess there always lie another genuine question on “What is Architecture”. Being raised and educated in Hong Kong for 25 years, I have been seeing the things went crazy, from dwelling is a fundamental basis for a human being, to nowadays a luxury - from public spaces belongs to everyone, to nowadays the commercialized and air-conditioned spaces become the majority. Not-to-mention the rising technology and alienation amongst people, mediated images are everywhere and we in fact, have stepped into the society of spectacle. Then, what is the role of architecture and what is architecture? In the 7-year of architectural education, when we are presenting our concepts and our “beautifully-made” drawings, we always made a lot of great claims to believe in some architectural intervention could bring to some great results - “cutting the voids to enhance visual connection”, “increase the transparency so as to welcome people” ... However, how often do we sincerely believe in what we say?

I frst watched the theatre in Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building when I was 17 - that is the frst time I ever watch a theatre with my own desire, and I watched my frst Black Box in the HKREP Blackbox in my year 1. (Before that I never realized the Black Box is here with the formal Sheung Wan Theatre .) And that is a very memorable theatre – it moved me deeply with the issues on the power of being watched. Though nowadays watching and being watched could be rather negative, with all the cyber bullying or discrimination, yet we should never forget a sincere watching is always beautiful. We are all little, but we would be big if we are being watched, understood and appreciated. Thus, I believe in theatre and I believe in the power of watching (with consciousness ). I still feel uncertain for “What is architecture”, however I am glad for getting closer to it. There is so much more we could do and perhaps, just a little move could make the world a little bit nicer. If you read till this line, Thank you. Thank you for being a heartfelt audience for this thesis journey.

\THEATRE.

Theatre is everywhere and I believe in theatre.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A book

Balme, Christopher B. The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Barba, Eugenio and Savarese, Nicola. A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The Secret Art of the Performer. London: Routledge, 1991.

Blau, Herbert. The Audience. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990.

Brook, Peter. The Empty Space. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Diller, Elizabeth, et al. Flesh: Architectural Probes. Princeton Architectural Press, 1994.

Grotowski, Jerzy. Towards a Poor Theatre. London: Methuen, 1969.

Kennedy, Dennis K. The Spectator and the Spectacle: Audiences in Modernity and Postmodernity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Lonergan, Bernard. Insight: A Study of Human Understanding., ffth edition. Toronto: The University of Toronto Press, 2005.

Mackintosh, Iain. Architecture, Actor and Audience. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group, 1993.

McAuley, Gay. Space in Performance: Making Meaning in the Theatre. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, 1999.

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man., Reprint edition. Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1994.

Orwell, George. Nineteen eighty-four. London, United Kingdom: Penguin Books, 2008.

Wiles, David. A Short History of Western Performance Space. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 林克歡. 戲劇香港, 香港戲劇. 香港: 牛津大學出版社, 2007. 陳健杉. 40 對談：香港話劇團發展印記. 香港: 香港話劇團有限公司, 2017.

An edited book

Brecht, Bertolt. Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic, tr. and ed. John Willett. London: Methuen, 1964

McLuhan, Marshall. Letters of Marshall McLuhan., tr. and ed. McLuhan, Corrine., Molinaro, Matie. and Toye, William. 1st edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987. 朱琼愛(編). 沙磚上：實驗‧組合‧時代. 香港: 國際演藝評論家協會, 2011.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Encyclopedia or Dictionary

Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/

“Consciousness.” In Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. CA: Stanford University, 2018. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. https://plato.stanford.edu/ entries/consciousness/

An article in a journal

Bremner, Alex. “Re-Activating the Docile Body: A Critical (Re)View of Diller and Scofdio’s Slow House,” Architectural Theory Review 5, no.1 (2000): 104-122. Doi: 10.1080/13264820009478391

Mauss, Marcel. “Techniques of the Body”, Economy and Society 2, no.1 (1973): 70–88 Newspaper

”, Apr 30, 2015. Accessed Dec 19, 2018. http://www.mingpaocanada.com/tor/ htm/News/20150430/HK-gfh1_er_r.htm/

| 20180501”, May 1, 2018. Accessed Dec 21, 2018. https://hk.lifestyle.appledaily.com/lifestyle/

special/daily/article/20180501/20377663/

列淑華. “【2D 動畫】 香港層層疊式市政大廈世界罕見　體育館點解擺高

層？ Apple Daily, “蘋果日報 | 果籽 | 專題 | 20180501”, May 1, 2018. Accessed Dec 21, 2018. https://hk.lifestyle.appledaily.com/lifestyle/ special/daily/article/20180501/20377655/

Chu, Mona. “A Journey Backwards: In Search of Utopia beyond 1984,” MingPao Daily, June 11, 2018 Online video

國際演藝評論家協會（香港分會）. “香港戲劇資料庫暨口述歷史計劃（ 第一期）：潘惠森 錄音訪問（十一）活化「戲劇匯演」的可能.” 口述歷 史——潘惠森. Video File. Jun 5, 2017. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. http:// www.drama-archive.hk/?a=doc&id=101175. “有空間_黑盒．創意劇場；有笑聲_玩轉＜Dali Atomicus＞；說故事_視覺藝 術家 – 唐景森” ，夏桂昌，accessed Dec 18, 2018. Video File. Jun 5, 2017. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. http://www.rthk.hk/tv/dtt31/ programme/adcweekly_artspiration/episode/291616?lang=en.

Internet source

Hong Kong Arts Development Council “Annual Arts Survey Result

Dashboard – 2016/17 Performing Arts.”. Annual Arts Survey Result

Dashboard – 2016/17 Performing Arts | Hong Kong Arts Development

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Council. Last modifed 2018. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. http://www. hkadc.org.hk/?p=24973&lang=en.

Hong Kong Arts Development Council “ Overview of Cultural Venues Available for Hiring in Hong Kong,”. Overview of Cultural Venues Available for Hiring in Hong Kong | Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Last modifed 2018. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. http://www. hkadc.org.hk/?p=9216&lang=en.

Hong Kong SAR. Daily Information Bulletin. “1998 Policy Address by Chief Executive”, HK: Hong Kong SAR, 1998. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/199810/07/cepa.htm.

West Kowloon Cultural District. “West Kowloon Cultural District “. West Kowloon Cultural District - The District Overview. Last modifed 2018. Accessed Dec 18, 2018. https://www.westkowloon`.hk/en/.

“《In Search of Utopia》：與香港對話的強烈慾望.”Last modifed 2018. Accessed May 12, 2019. http://www.iatc.com.hk/ doc/105661 立場新聞. “估計師，還是設計師？ — 名著 1984 的新劇場嘗試 | 程沛 | 立場新聞. “《估計師，還是設計師？ — 名著 1984 的新劇場嘗試”Last modifed 2018. Accessed May 12, 2019. http://www.iatc.com.hk/ doc/105661

LIST OF IMAGES

Fig. 1: Theatr on, the seating area of the Greek theatre Studio L, “Visit Ancient Epidaurus Theater”, 2018, https://www.photographybystudiol.com/wp-content/ uploads/2018/07/Epidaurus-Greece-black-and-white-fne-artphotography-by-Studio-L-photographer-Laura-Schneider-_1989-1. jpg

Fig. 2: Mercer, Joanna. “Watching Big Brother: Orwell’s 1984 at Niagara-on-the-Lake”, Theater. 16, no.2, May 01, 1984

Fig. 3: Detail from a painting of Queen Elizabeth at the Globe in 1840s.. Photo of Detail from a painting of Queen Elizabeth at the Globe, David Scott, 1840. Museum no. S.511-198. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Fig. 4: States of Consciousness: Empirical, Intellectual and Rational

Fig. 5, Fig. 6: Slow House by Diller + Scofdio. The disruption of the unconsciousness. Diller + Scofdio, “Slow House.”, 1991, https://cdn.sanity.io/images/q2tdbkqz/production/ u3cdZBCpfS63J3OzXZyHREHG-4048x2705. jpg?w=1500&ft=max&q=90

Fig. 7: The Modifcation and Representation of Slow House in School of Architecture, CUHK

Fig. 8: Book Cover of 1984 by George Orwell, https://cdn2.penguin.com.au/covers/400/9780141036144.jpg

Fig. 9: Mapping of “1984” Theatres

LIST OF IMAGES

Fig. 10: Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, across the Bonham Strand

Fig. 11, Fig. 12: The frst drama (a combination of two short plays) in HKREP Black Box in 1989

Fig. 13: Sheung Wan Market (South Block), The former of SWMSB

Fig. 14: Ariel View of Sheung Wan in 1981 by the Survey and Mapping Offce of the Lands Department.

Fig. 15: Ariel View of Sheung Wan in 2016 by the Survey and Mapping Offce of the Lands Department.

Fig. 16: Programmes & Circulation of Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building

Fig. 17: Sheung Wan as Context

Fig. 18: The comprehensive transportation network in Sheung Wan

Fig. 19: Mapping of Sheung Wan Cultural Square in 1990, 1995, and 2005

Fig. 20: Photos inside the Sheung Wan Market

Fig. 21: Change in Population in Sheung Wan

Fig. 22: The Disconnected Ground, an analysis of the ground foor circulation

Fig. 23: The entry facing Queen’s Road Central

Fig. 24: The entry facing Bonham Strand

Fig. 25: Facade facing the Queen’s Road Central.

Fig. 26: Homogeneity: partial elevation on the facade units

Fig. 27: Speculative

Fig. 28: Presentation Panels on the Final Review, Apr 27

Fig. 29: 1:300 model on the fnal design

Fig. 30: Different perspective under different consciousness.

Note: all site photos, diagrams, drawings and images are by author unless otherwise noted

Appendix.

Vismopheric Experiment – “In Search of Utopia”

The Experiment New Coverage

最新嘗試有年輕團隊以 George Orwell 名著 1984 為藍本的創作 In Search of Utopia。 原著講述主角 Winson 在國民被嚴密監控的環境下，與女同事 Julia 私下相戀被揭發、 批鬥的故事，幕幕驚心。我想像，年輕團隊要呈現如此情節，大概如臨大敵。 劇場「估計師」的限制

買來的木方、材料，一邊比劃，一邊爭論如何搭建舞台背景。談到興起，手上的設計

show 在即，旁觀者替團隊捏一把汗，設計師們卻一臉自得。

由設計師提出佈景建議，經導演採納後送往製作公司製作。因此，導演見演員圍讀劇 本的時候，佈景基本上已經不能改了。只是，如果演員連劇本也沒有讀，導演連演員 也還沒有見，我們憑什麼決定怎樣的設計才算好？唯有靠估。所以，我們是估計師多 於設計師啊。」他們無奈地說。 資金、時間、空間 － 三缺三 「歸根究底，本港劇場界資金、時間、空間都沒有。設計師一人份做幾份工，自然沒

分開來開會，也最省時方便。開 show 前三天，把佈景裝置好，讓演員在現場再排排 戲就好了。」他們繼續說。早前，有申請藝術發展局戲劇基金的團體說，基金上限為

五萬元。以一部戲最少有三位演員，排練／準備時間為三個月計算，五萬元，差不多 是要演員不收錢排練、設計師超低價創作、製作費用出奇地低，才能勉強成事的價 錢。在市價被扭曲的情況下，大家確實沒有時間把細節力盡完美。

「由於所謂的團隊交流少，每個人更注重用最多的資源、時間，把自己的部分做好。 說來諷刺，我們很少把劇場創作看成一個整體的事情。事實上，學院訓練我們的時 候，也是把各個部分分門別類來教，很少關心創作作為一個整體的呈現。」 當然，如果把劇場創作看成一個 event ，做完就好，那麼把其中每個分工切割開來， 無可厚非。然而，創作本身並非必然，更非必須，捱更抵夜費煞思量，本應出於對事

排戲時無法擺放模擬佈景，演員只能憑空想像，或者找其他東西代替道具，鬧出不少 笑話。「其實，空間和道具是演員可用來創作的材料。試過有演員拿替代的道具，即 興了一些情節，導演喜歡，就保留下來。不過，到現場演出時，由於道具跟排練時相 差太遠，演員反應不來，結果整幕就泡湯了。」設計師說，「反正大家都係靠估。」 站在畢業與全職工作的交叉點，三位設計師想與其一肚氣跟從慣常做法，不如嘗試打 破各人的習慣，做一個鼓勵團隊交流切磋的創作。幾個月以來，設計師、演員與導演 一起參與劇本研究、資料蒐集、圍讀排戲的每一步，因著本身的興趣與長處，帶來了 很不同的視點。這種時間成本超高的做法，能撐多久還是未知數，但至少，In Search of Utopia 不單是Winson 與 Julia身處亂世的我們尋找烏托邦的寫照，也是在創作團隊 在本身的領域裡，尋回初衷的嘗試。

劇場實驗計畫 - Vismopheric Experiment 打破傳統劇場創作模式，【In Search of Utopia】由一班年青舞台設計師作主導，聯合

The Experiment New Coverage

會。所以出色的藝術作品一方面具有藝術的永恆性，另一方面具有「此時此地」的時 代性。而筆者認為，於天邊外自由劇場搬演的《劇場實驗計劃：In Search of Utopia》 正正向這兩方面作出挑戰。 （一）時代性：與香港對話的強烈慾望

是次作品分為三個部分，以喬治‧歐威爾的反烏托邦小說《1984》為主軸，講述主角 溫斯頓活在一個高壓統治、強力監控的社會中，對真相與歷史產生質疑，同時與女同 志茱莉亞發生社會不容許的感情關係。最後溫斯頓參與了反黨的活動，被友愛部拘捕 及審判，被迫繼續生活在這個黑暗的社會中。 在這條主軸故事中，創作者不時加入非《1984》世界內存在的香港元素或符號，例如 一名較年老的工人曾提及一場令市民要帶口罩的瘟疫，以及從前的流浪漢因無家可歸 住在天橋底，但是被人用水驅趕的經歷。又例如領導人曾向觀眾喊出「科學、民主、

但創作人卻未能在每一段的分享中作出準確的類比。例如第二部分中，男演員分享自 己與女朋友住處相隔甚遠、難以相處以及結婚買樓等困難。而在主軸故事中，溫斯頓 與茱莉亞因監控之下不能走在一起，事實上，在強權的打壓下，人與人的關係亦變得 疏離。筆者認為，前者只是一種物理上的距離，後者卻是這麼近那麼遠、一種心理上 的疏離，兩者並未能作出有效的對話。

在演出的最後，螢幕上會以倒敍的形式回播剛才演出的片段，然後再以圖片的形式回 顧香港由中英條約而來的種種歷史，暗示出兩者的類比關係。但是筆者認為這個處理 亦有欠準確。香港經歷不同的時階段，但並非每一個階段都受到監控及強烈的打壓， 所以難以與《1984》整個故事作整體性的類比。如果創作者想以溫斯頓──探求真 相、嘗試抗爭而最終失敗的人作類比，那麼，筆者認為以1997年打後的歷史作類比會 更為適切。

在整個作品中，筆者感受到創作人希望與香港對話的強烈慾望，但並非每一段對話都 準確有效。所以如果重演，創作人可以思考一下如何將這種「對話」調較得更為精 準。 （二）永恆性：探索整體劇場經驗

一的電視堆砌成一座電視塔，不時播放現場實時的景象。這種無法逃匿、到處監視的 空間正正能營造出《1984》的世界中，那種高度壓迫的氛圍。

服飾方面，溫斯頓與茱莉亞皆是穿戴紅色頸巾，上身藍色，下身卡其色，襪子灰色， 這種統一的製服突顯出漠視個別性的社會氛圍。紅色頸巾除了是服飾外，更是讓演員 跳出角色的小道具。當演員演繹主軸故事時，會穿戴紅色頸巾；而當他們跳出角色， 以演員的身份作出分享時，便會脫下頸巾；處理清晰而有效。 在第三部分中，領導人向溫斯頓用刑那一幕，溫斯頓貼在柱上，雙手舉高，只要領導 人一拍手，全場轉為紅燈，加上慘叫聲及聲效，便成功突破道具及場地的限制，以多 種元素製造出用刑的恐怖場面，同樣是十分有效。

（三）當文字出現在劇場內

但是，筆者認為作品有一個地方需要加以考慮，就是引錄文字的部分。

在演出中，故事每一個部分的開首，都會引錄某些名著內的文字，例如喬治‧歐威爾 的《1984》、張愛玲的《傾城之戀》與布萊希特的《伽利略傳》。這些文字作為引 入，引導觀眾思考演出的要旨。筆者認為這處理過於直白，幸好引錄的文字精彩，與 演出部分處於一種若即若離的關係，所以效果尚可接受。 但是在演出的最後部分，創作者在螢幕上顯示出「咁我地係唔係咩都唔做」的句子，

WORKING SCHEDULE

The Experiment

Jun 2017 - Jul 2018

WORKING SCHEDULE

Research topic clarified

Sept 2018

Research on “1984 by Cirumstances”

Articulation, Detail Design

Oct 2018 Nov 2018

Second Review First Review Third Review

Research on “Theatre”, “Theatre Audience” & “Consciousness”

Design Premise clarified

Dec 2018 Jan 2019

Site Selection, Study on Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building

Feb 2019 Mar 2019

Fifth Review Fourth Review Sixth Review

Apr 2019

Design Concept, Site Strategy, Program & Circulation

2018.09.11 - 2019.04.27