9 cultural events in July and August not to be missed: Book Fair, qipao fashion show, new martial arts and jazz festivals and more

When: July 17 to 23 
Where: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
What: This city’s biggest annual literature event returns with the theme film and television literature. As well as a wide range of books and publications, this year also features 600 seminars and cultural activities, including talks that spotlight local film directors, such as Hong Kong Film Awards Best New Director Norris Wong; and Yuyi, the author of the novel City of Darkness that was adapted into the hit movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In this year.

When: July 25 to 27
Where: Tuen Mun Town Hall, 3 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun
What: Presented by local theatre Springtime Stage Production, Teresita the Musical is a tribute to Asia’s “Eternal Queen of Pop”, Teresa Teng, who was known for her sweet voice and mellow love songs. In 2006, Teng’s brother commissioned Chinese playwright Sha Yexin to write a musical telling the story of the singer’s life and featuring 30 of her most iconic songs. The production premiered in Hong Kong in 2015 and toured London, Vancouver and Malaysia, receiving rave reviews. This re-run stars Hong Kong theatre actor Perry Chiu Woon, who was a member of the original cast.

When: July 26
Where: Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre, 88 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui 
What: Xiqu Centre will play host to Jazz Signatures, a new jazz music concert series, which is organised by West Kowloon. It showcases a dynamic line-up of world-renowned jazz artists. Performing in Hong Kong for the first time, American trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire and his quartet will kick off the festival by performing unreleased, original compositions and songs from their albums A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard and On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment. Akinmusire forged a reputation for his innovative and unconventional sounds, and earned the recognition of Trumpeter of the Year 2020 by DownBeat, an American jazz music magazine.

When: Until August 4
Where: Koon Man Space, 338 Route Twisk, Chuen Lung Village, Tsuen Wan
What: The shuttered Koon Man School, which traces its history back to 1960, played an important educational and communal role in Chuen Lung Village, a 500-year-old Hakka village in Tai Mo Shan Country Park. The Hong Kong Photographic Culture Association turned it into Koon Man Space, a public exhibition and educational space that officially opened in May this year. The two inaugural exhibitions, The Rock and the Gaze by local artists Pak Chai and Ki Wong and Photovoices: Bits and Bobs by Wong and some of the villagers, feature photographic works and illustrations that explore the village’s history and cultural heritage.

When: August 5 to 6
Where: Tsuen Wan Town Hall, 72 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan
What: Shanghai Chinese Orchestra visits Hong Kong this month to perform period-defining Chinese music that blends traditional folk elements and modern styles, including Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hu Chenyun and Huang Lei’s Phoenix Dance, which puts Chinese wind instrument the suona to the forefront; and Han Wehhe’s Landscape Around the Lake, which depicts the scenery of the Jiangnan region. The concert is part of this year’s Chinese Culture Festival.

When: Until August 15
Where: Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Wan Chai
What: The international tour of Mamma Mia!, which celebrates the 25th anniversary this year of its London West End premiere, has arrived Hong Kong. Based on Swedish pop group Abba’s iconic songs, this beloved musical is loved for its energetic dancing, fun vibe and heart-warming tale of a wedding in Greece where Sophie, the bride, and her friends and family explore the meaning of love.

When: Until August 18
Where: JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Rd, Central
What: A large survey exhibition of influential contemporary artist Bruce Nauman, the first of its kind in Asia, is currently on view at JC contemporary, Tai Kwun. Nauman pioneered multiple forms of media, and since the 1960s has created art that spans sculptures, film, installations, holograms, neon wall reliefs, photographs, prints and performance. Known as an “artist’s artist”, Nauman’s influence on his own and future generations is immense: from Tracey Emin to Rashid Johnson, countless artists have cited him as a source of inspiration.

Seminal works on display include Clown Torture (1987), Animal Pyramid (1989), The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths (Window or Wall Sign) (1967), and Contrapposto Studies I-VII, (2015-16). The show is curated by Carlos Basualdo, deputy director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Caroline Bourgeois, director of the Pinault Collection, along with Pi Li, the new head of art at Tai Kwun Contemporary.

When: August 16 to 25
Where: Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre, 88 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui 
What: Tickets are already selling fast this month to MQ Musical Theatre’s new Cantonese production Café I Do—The Leslie Cheung Musical, which is slated for world premiere in a month’s time. Dedicated to Canto-pop icon Leslie Cheung, the tribute show follows the story of how two brothers holds a public mini-concert paying tribute to Cheung, their late father’s idol, at the family cafe, as a way to bid farewell before it closes down. The event draws together different generations of guests who come to celebrate the beloved pop star’s legacy. The musical will feature more than 20 of Cheung’s songs, including Monica and A Thousand Dreams of You, and a new theme song.

In case you missed it: A new Hong Kong stage musical dedicated to Leslie Cheung is set to premiere this August

NOW READ

HKPhil names Tarmo Peltokoski its new music director

Guided by the voice of singer Karen Mok, explore the largest collection of fashion artefacts from Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in Hong Kong

Burning questions: Gulf Kanawut on his favourite Thai dish, the best fan gift he ever received and his secret talent