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Poon Wai-sum

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Paul Poon Wai-sum (Chinese: 潘惠森; born 1950s[1]) is a Hong Kong playwright, theatre director and educator. Since 1986, Poon have created more than 50 plays.[2] He is best known for a group of five plays collectively called the "Insect Series," in which five insects symbolize Hongkongers during the 1997 handover period.[3] His plays are noted for their deployment of vernacular Cantonese, fragmented narratives, and absurdist humour. His artistic styles are often associated with the ambiguous characters, unconventional dramatic situations, and playful yet disorienting dialogue.[4]

From 1993 to 2012, he served as the artistic director of the Prospects Theatre Company (新域劇團). Between 2012 and 2017, he served the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) School of Drama, eventually becoming dean of the School of Drama in 2017. In 2023, he was appointed the artistic director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.[3][2]

Early life and education

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Poon was born in the 1950s and spent his childhood in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong, helping with farming and raising pigeons. He left school after Secondary Four and worked briefly as an elevator maintenance apprentice for Jardines. Finding the job unsatisfying, he later returned to education after meeting a former classmate in Tsim Sha Tsui who was involved in creative work. This experience led him to develop an interest in literature and eventually pursue studies in Taiwan and the United States.[1]

He later studied English at Soochow University in Taiwan before pursuing theatre studies at Michigan State University and Asian Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.[5][1] He returned to Hong Kong from Taiwan in 1988.[1]

Career

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In 1985, he wrote his first play, In the Shade of the Woods (榕樹蔭下的森林), won the scriptwriting category in the Urban Council Libraries Chinese Literary Creation Awards.[a][3] It was staged by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre in the following year.[3]

From 1993 to 2012, he served as the artistic director of the Prospects Theatre Company (新域劇團).[1] During his tenure, he is known to be establishing series-based production as the company’s developmental direction. Under this approach, he produced a large number of works, including the "Water Margin Series",[6] the "Insect Series" (昆蟲系列), the "Pearl Delta Series" (珠三角系列), and the "Anthropocene Series" (人間系列).[2]

In 2001, he published The Diary of Song online, coinciding with the revival of his 1995 play The Mosquito Hero. In 2005, he collaborated to develop an animated film adaptation of the novel. The 2017 stage version of The Diary of Song is based on this film.[6] Wong Wai-yee of the IATC praised the work for using gender contrasts to depict men under societal pressure and women showing intelligence and loyalty, reflecting on patriarchal society.[6]

In 2012, Poon joined the HKAPA School of Drama as a resident playwright and discipline leader of dramatic writing. He later served as the dean of the School of Drama from 2017 to 2022.[2] In 2023, he was appointed the artistic director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.[3][2]

Plays

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  • In the Shade of the Woods[b] (1985)[7]
  • Central in Ruins[c] (March 1985)[7]
  • Crying Weekend[d] (October 1989)[7]
  • Summer Breeze[e] (1990)[7]
  • As If Dancing on the Sand Dunes[f] (1992)[7]
  • The Legend of the Road Hero[g] (December 1993)[7]
  • The Isle[h] (March 1994)[7]
  • Oh! Tai O[i] (1995)[7]
  • Who likes to be on the bottom?[j] (January 1996)[7]
  • "Water Margin Series" (adaptations)[8][6]
  • The Oak Tree[o] (1996)[7] - nominated 6th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • "Insect Series" (昆蟲系列)
    • The Cockroach that Flies like a Helicopter[p] (1997) - won 7th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
    • The Rising Ants[q] (1998) - nominated 8th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
    • Cricket in My Life[r] (1999) - won 9th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
    • To Kill or To Be Killed[s] (2000) - nominated 10th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
    • Spiders in Meditation[t] (2001) - won 11th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • Hu Xueyan, My Dear[u] (2000)[10] - won 10th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • Ng Wong the Swordsman (2001) - nominated 11th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • Of Fire And Fireworks (2002) - nominated 12th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • "Pearl Delta Series" (珠三角系列) trilogy
    • Dragon Head[v] (October 2003)[11]
    • The Massage King[w] (January 2006)[12]
    • Night and Dream in the South[x] (October 2006)[13]
  • Of Minds and No-mind (2004) - nominated 14th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • The Massage King (2006) - nominated 16th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • Dust and Dawn[y] (2007) - nominated 17h Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • "Anthropocene Series" (人間系列) trilogy[14]
    • The Happiest Day I Lost[z] (March 2009)
    • The Memorable and the Forgettable[aa] (March 2010)
    • To Those Who Deserve to Die[ab] (February 2011)[14]
  • Bun in the Cave[ac] (November 2009)[4]
  • Peacock Man and Durian Woman (2010) - nominated 20th Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script and Best Director (Comedy/Farce)[9]
  • Show Flat[ad] (2012)[15]
  • The Emperor, his Mom, a Eunuch and a Man[ae] (2013)[16] - nominated 23rd Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script[9]
  • Confrontations (2022) - nominated 31st Hong Kong Drama Award for Best Script and Best Director (Comedy/Farce)[9]

Publications

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Poon, Wai-sum (2021). 潘惠森劇本集：昆蟲系列 [Poon Wai-sum Script Collection: Insect Series] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong). ISBN 9789887431992.

Notes

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  1. ↑ Chinese 市政局圖書館「中文文學創作獎」劇本組冠軍
  2. ↑ Chinese title 榕樹蔭下的森林
  3. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 廢墟中環
  4. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 哭泣周末
  5. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 夏日春風
  6. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 仿佛在沙丘上跳舞
  7. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 馬路英雄傳
  8. ↑ Chinese title 小島芸香; the play was remade into 小島‧餘香 with the same English title[1]
  9. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 哦！大澳
  10. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 誰愛在誰人下面
  11. ↑ Chinese title 武松打蚊
  12. ↑ Chinese title 李逵的藍與黑
  13. ↑ Literal translation from Chinese title 宋江採花
  14. ↑ Chinese title 武松日記
  15. ↑ Chinese title 闖進一棵橡樹的年輪
  16. ↑ Chinese title 雞春咁大隻曱甴兩頭岳
  17. ↑ Chinese title 螞蟻上樹
  18. ↑ Chinese title 三姊妹與哥哥和一隻蟋蟀
  19. ↑ Chinese title 螳螂捕蟬
  20. ↑ Chinese title 在天台上冥想的蜘蛛
  21. ↑ Chinese title 親愛的，胡雪巖
  22. ↑ Chinese title 龍頭
  23. ↑ Chinese title 大汗推拿
  24. ↑ Chinese title 南方的夜特別長
  25. ↑ Chinese title 我自在江湖
  26. ↑ Chinese title 人間煙火
  27. ↑ Chinese title 人間往事
  28. ↑ Chinese title 遺禍人間
  29. ↑ Chinese title 敦煌‧流沙‧包
  30. ↑ Chinese title 示範單位
  31. ↑ Chinese title 都是龍袍惹的禍

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wong, Nic (15 June 2023). "潘惠森專訪：重投劇場最前線為香港話劇團尋求多元" [Exclusive Interview with Poon Wai-sum: Returning to the Front Lines of Theater to Pursue Diversity for the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre]. JET Magazine (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 4 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 何故 (19 October 2022). "《兩刃相交》和《武松日記》放映版的觀後感悟" [Reflections on Confrontations and The Diary of Song]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 嚴嘉栢 (10 February 2025). "【論戲劇】潘sir話齋：做自己 不必做世界性的戲 專訪香港話劇團潘惠森" [Be Yourself, No Need to Create World-Class Plays—An Exclusive Interview with Poon Wai-sum]. Ming Pao Weekly (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 17 March 2025.
  4. 1 2 貝亦雯 (20 November 2009). "潘惠森的冰山與一角" [Poon Wai-sum's Iceberg and a Corner]. International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  5. ↑ 詹傑 (16 October 2012). "隔海相望的島嶼借鏡—香港劇作家潘惠森《在天台上冥想的蜘蛛》". MOT TIMES 明日誌 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 9 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 黃慧儀 (1 December 2017). "身不由己的淡淡無奈 — 評《武松日記》" [A Subtle Sense of Resignation Beyond One’s Control — Review The Diary of Song]. International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 21 May 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "中国当代戏剧总目录 香港部分" (PDF) (in Simplified Chinese). Nanjing University.
  8. ↑ 洪美芝 (1 December 2017). "《武松日記》：從簡約舞台美學映襯潘惠森文本". International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "搜索過去的獲提名者 潘惠森". Hong Kong Drama Awards. Archived from the original on 14 June 2026.
  10. ↑ Cheung, Ping-kuen (1 November 2018). "《親愛的，胡雪巖》北京演出　借古喻今力擊鐵牆". HK01 (in Traditional Chinese).
  11. ↑ 何俊輝 (9 January 2004). "龍頭——反映「珠三角」的社會狀況". International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (in Traditional Chinese).
  12. ↑ 陳慧兒 (1 February 2006). "我看潘記的大汗推拿". International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (in Traditional Chinese).
  13. ↑ Kwong, Kevin (17 October 2006). "Night and Dream in the South". South China Morning Post.
  14. 1 2 "劇場回應當下　潘惠森繼續《遺禍人間》". news.gov.hk (in Traditional Chinese). 6 January 2011.
  15. ↑ "示範單位 演技擂台". Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 18 February 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  16. ↑ 尹卓昕 (23 May 2026). "權力的牢籠——評《都是龍袍惹的禍》". International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (in Traditional Chinese).
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