Internationally renowned Släpstick, a group of five musicians from the Netherlands, will perform in Hong Kong for the first time with their unique and delightful "Schërzo" at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's "Cheers!" Series in mid-December. With virtuosic musicianship, hilarious physical language and unique comedic flair, the troupe will deliver an absurd and entertaining musical feast that allows audiences to appreciate classical music with a playful twist.
In classical music, a scherzo is a vigorous, light, or playful composition, typically comprising a movement in a symphony or sonata. Släpstick takes it literally, blurring the unique physical comedy and musical talent to create a new "Schërzo". The five members of the troupe are all accomplished musicians who will perform masterpieces from Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Saint-Saens, Gershwin and many more. The five musical comedians will turn the seemingly highbrow classical concert into a whimsical show. Apart from playing multiple oddball instruments, they will also perform works in unexpected but humorous ways. Adding ventriloquism, puppetry, tap dancing, and even Släpstick's popular "21 masterpieces in one minute", all will be rolled up into one fun-filled performance. The production has won the Seoul Arts Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Best International Production Award at the South Korea Daegu International Musical Festival.
Släpstick is a five-member music theatre troupe known for its members' outstanding musical capabilities, hilarious antics and quintessentially Dutch wit. The troupe is dedicated to blending innovative concepts with traditional inspirations, and creating performances that encapsulate a whirlwind of musical genres from across the globe. Its productions have toured in many places including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, Denmark and New Zealand. The troupe has also won numerous awards including the Spirit of the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Johan Kaart Prijs of the Dutch National Theatre Prize, and the Comedic Arts Prize of the Kulturstiftung Sparkasse am Niederrhein.
"Cheers!" Series: "Schërzo" by Släpstick (The Netherlands) will be held at 7.30pm on December 13 (Friday), at 3pm and 7.30pm on December 14 (Saturday), and at 3pm on December 15 (Sunday) at the Theatre of Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre. Each performance will be followed by a meet-the-artist session (conducted in English with Cantonese interpretation). Tickets priced at $280 and $340 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. The "Cheers!" Series offers various discount schemes, such as package discounts and family package discounts. For programme enquiries and discount schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/multi_arts/programs_1764.html.
The programme will feature a "Music & Comedy Workshop" (conducted in English with Cantonese interpretation), in which participants will meet members of Släpstick face to face and have the opportunity to learn their performance and acting skills. The workshop will be held at 11am on December 15 (Sunday) at the Theatre of Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre. Tickets priced at $180 are now available at URBTIX. For details, please refer to the above-mentioned website.
Another highlight in the "Cheers!" Series is "Grug and the Rainbow" by Windmill Theatre (Australia), which will be held from February 28 to March 2 next year. For details of the "Cheers!" Series programmes, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/f_entertainment/groups_1809.html.
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