Adopting a cultural materialist reading in the post-colonial context of Hong Kong, this book examines post-1997 Hong Kong Shakespeare that comments on the identity of the city through staging sinicized, aestheticized and socio-politicised versions of the plays. The introduction contextualizes Hong Kong s position on the current intellectual map of Asian Shakespeare, arguing that Hong Kong Shakespeare has quite distinctive characteristics compared with those in mainland China and Taiwan. The book highlights six Shakespearean adaptations in Hong Kong staged after 1997, which include Richard Ho s
Hamlet: Sword of Vengeance, Tang Shu-wing s
Titus Andronicus 2.0 and
Macbeth, Hardy Tsoi s
Julius Caesar and
Shamshuipo Lear, and Jimmy Lee s
Post-The Taming of the Shrew. Sandwiched between the colonial and the postcolonial, Hong Kong Shakespeare generates an independent narrative through struggle and cultural negotiation.
Introduction.- Chapter 1: Contesting the concept of China Richard Hos Hamlet Sword of Vengeance in Postcolonial Hong Kong.- Chapter 2: Power and Performance Tang Shu wings Titus Andronicus 20 and Macbeth in Post Umbrella Movement Hong Kong.- Chapter 3: Appropriating Shakepeare to Explore Social Issues in Hong Kong Hardy Tsois Julius Caeasr and Shamshuipo Lear.- Chapter 4: Appropriating Shakespeare in the Context of Mainland China Hong Kong Relations Jimmy Lees Post The Taming of the Shrew.- Conclusion.
Miriam Leung-che Lau is a lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, and specialises in performance studies. Previous book publications include Teaching Shakespeare to ESL Students (2017). She is co-organizing a Shakespeare Conference in Hong Kong in 2026, the first one ever in the city after the handover.
The Making of Hong Kong Shakespeare: Post-1997 Adaptations and Appropriations by Miriam Lau Leung-che gives us a glimpse into the myriad ways in which theater makers have adapted Shakespeare for a Cantonese-speaking audience ... . One can hope that Lau s book will attract more scholarly attention to Hong Kong as a city where Shakespeare continues to be revisited and reimagined by theater-makers. (Mariella Radaelli, China Daily Hong Kong, chinadailyhk.com, March 20, 2026)
