Aristophanes' Lysistrata Pre-performance Workshop

Jockey Club East-meets-West Series: Aristophanes’ Lysistrata is solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Outreach and education programmes are curated by Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF).

Students who participate in the workshop will become HKAF Young Friends and will be eligible to attend the performance plus another event of their choice, for free.

[Content] 

As far back as 411 BCE, Aristophanes used his bold wit to call for peace with his groundbreaking play Lysistrata, placing women at the center of the story. It remains one of only eleven surviving comedies from ancient Greece.

The Hong Kong Arts Festival partners with renowned Greek director Katerina Evangelatos and the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre to present a Chinese-language adaptation, blending the original’s humour and theatrical flair with music, dance, and satire to show how tenderness can triumph over force.

By collaborating with Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF), this pre-performance workshop balances knowledge and practice by introducing the foundational concepts and stage elements of Greek comedy with hands-on exercises to experience its creative humour; and delves into the plot and character dynamics dynamics, particularly the tension between male and female roles while encouraging critical discussion of the social issues addressed through comedy.

[About the Facilitator]

Michael Ip 葉君博

Michael holds an MFA in Drama from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts majoring in Playwriting. He has previously served as a Resident Teaching Artist at Chung Ying Theatre, and as Creative Director at Theatre Noir and Semantic Theatre. With years of experience as a primary school teacher, he possesses extensive knowledge in the field of education.

Currently, Michael works as a freelance theatre worker, focusing on writing and directing community theatre productions that cater to diverse audiences including children, the elderly, retirees, individuals in recovery, and women’s organisations.

Some notable main stage plays include Rose of Nightingale (Hong Kong Repertory Theater, 2022), Mulan Prequel (Guangdong Performance Co., Ltd., Harbin Zhongtai Brothers Culture Media Co., Ltd., 2019), The Yellow Rubber Duck (Chung Ying Theater Co.,Ltd., 2018 ), Confucius 63 Revisit (Chung Ying Theater Co.,Ltd., 2017), and Confucius 63 (Chung Ying Theater Co.,Ltd.,2016). 

[Performance Details]

Students who participate in the workshop will be eligible to watch the performance for free.

Date & Time: 27 Mar 2026 (Fri) 20:00

                        28 Mar 2026 (Sat) 15:00/ 20:00

                        29 Mar 2026 (Sun) 15:00

Venue:           Lyric Theatre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

[Important Notes for CCL Application]

UGC students will receive a CCL record after attending the performance, completing the CCL evaluation survey, and submitting around 100-word reflective notes via Art Subsidy Application Form by 7 April 2026 (Tue).

This workshop is organised in collaboration with HKAF Young Friends, and Prof. Lucetta Kam for (HUMN2025) Gender: Theory and Culture. 

Related Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):