Detention

2015 Blast: Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Date: 5, 7-16, 18-30 Aug, 2015

Venue: The Music Hall of The Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

Supported by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Premiered in December 2011 at the Shouson Theatre of the Hong Kong Arts Centre, Detention is a fresh example to classic Hong Kong-style humour yet it doesn’t come in words. Featuring 5 talented actors who are also comedian, acrobat, drummer, rock climber and xiqu (Chinese opera) performer, the nostalgic classroom mischief story is set around an afterschool detention session, three naughty boys are joined by a beautiful classmate and a fiery teacher. A series of classroom mayhem scenarios is played out in a comical and physical manner. The story is concluded by a happy ending where a clear message is brought out: joy and laughter resolve conflicts. The work impresses audiences of all cultures and ages.

Detention had a three-week run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2012, where it was ranked 55 out of over 2,000 performances by critics, and received 5 star reviews from the media with great enthusiasm. It returned to Hong Kong after a one-month tour in China in October and November, during which has visited Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Shantou. The work was then selected by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and performed in Shenzhen in last December for the Shenzhen- Hong Kong Creative Arts Festival 2012. Excerpt of the work has been filmed by the Chinese Central Television and diffused all over the country in this January.

Premiered in December 2011 at Shouson Theatre of Hong Kong Arts Centre, Detention has been performed 4 rounds in Hong Kong and the latest round was 33 shows in August 2013. It not only attracted the local audience, but also attracted tourists from Mainland China, Taiwan, United States, Canada, New Zealand and Italy etc. At the beginning of 2014, Detention was invited to perform 2 sesisons in Sands Theatre in Macau.

In August 2014, Detention performed in Gateway Theatre, Canada, as an opening performance for Pacific Festival followed by 3 more sessions of performance in Shouson Theatre in Hong Kong for charitable means, benefiting The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention (SRACP), Hong Kong and Lingnan University.

This original local production with no language barrier aims to become a long-running “landmark” production for Hong Kong that attracts audiences from all over the world, in a hope that the show will take up the role of showcasing.

“High class!”



Scotsman, UK

“Contains both gymnastic grace and sharp comedy… I urge you to buy a ticket!”



Threeweeks, UK

“A mad, entertaining and energetic display!”



Broadway Baby Review, UK

“Very inventive and highly amusing show!”



The Stage, UK

“This is a drama which doesn’t need any lines yet it reaches to international standard… easy and humorous, it is a seditious theatre piece!”



The Beijing News

“A mixture of Eastern and Western cultural elements. An unique and amusing show!”



Hangzhou Daily