On 13 May, West Kowloon presents a unique Tea House Theatre Taster performance live-streamed online for audiences at home and overseas. In a specially built replica of the future Xiqu Centre Tea House Theatre, created on the stage of the Lyric Theatre at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, emerging actors from Hong Kong’s Young Academy Cantonese Opera troupe perform excerpts of traditional works, showcasing a range of operatic and narrative singing techniques and wind and percussion music styles for audience. The tea house has always been an important public platform in the history of Chinese traditional theatre, with the combination of tea, snacks and performances a major part of the lived culture for many the people in the early development of xiqu. For this reason, the Xiqu Centre will house an elegant 200-seat traditional style Tea House Theatre for intimate, small-scale performances. In collaboration with various organisations, we will offer a hand-picked repertoire of work, presented with fine dim sum and Chinese tea, to give audiences a new perspective on this ancient art form. This Tea House Theatre Taster performance allows us to prepare for the upcoming opening of the Xiqu Centre, by exploring the tea house concept, trialling design, programming and operational models, and offering the chance for valuable feedback from the audience. To open up the experience to audiences around the world, the performance will be live-streamed on our Facebook and YouTube pages. Please join us to enjoy an intimate and relaxing evening of Chinese traditional theatre. Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/westkowloon/ Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/wkcda *The Tea House Theatre Taster will be performed in Cantonese with Chinese and English surtitles. Organiser: West Kowloon Cultural District Xiqu Centre Performance by: The Young Academy Cantonese Opera Troupe In collaboration with: The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts