[HKClubbing]

Hong Kong audiences will be invited to embark on a stunning whistle-stop world tour full of fun, circus-style showmanship, amazing songs and music and astonishing special effects when a brand-new blockbuster production of Around the World in 80 Days opens for a limited season at the APA Lyric Theatre on August 9.

Featuring an international cast headed by British actors Andrew Piper as the English gentleman traveller Phileas Fogg, and Adam Kelly as his loyal French valet and skilled acrobat Passepartout, this rip-roaring Broadway-style show portrays the duo’s adventures as they strive to win a wager by circumnavigating the globe within 80 days.  It features the exotic characters they meet in Paris, Egypt, Hong Kong and other places, as well as their mishaps along the way, which range from getting arrested, being attacked by bandits and running out of money. 

The show is based on Jules Verne’s novel of the same name, which has been a favourite with children and adults alike ever since it first appeared in 1873.  It has also inspired movies and TV mini-series over the years, as well as a number of stage adaptations. 

Speaking at the press conference today (May 21) to announce the details of his vibrant new production, Executive Producer and Director Matthew Gregory, explained that it is the outcome of his own personal odyssey, which began when he first started writing its script 15 years ago.  “I have always been drawn to this incredible story, partly because of my passion for travel.  I am sure that my original script would have made a great play, but it had no tunes, and this is a rollercoaster of a journey that is clearly crying out for some show-stopping melodies.”

So, he and collaborator Ben Munroe revisited the draft, re-read Jules Verne’s classic novel and watched celluloid versions of the tale.  “We approached the project with fresh eyes, but we kept in mind the novel’s wonderful legacy and its various incarnations over the years,” says Matthew.  “Our goal was to create a big, grand, funny, inspiring, emotionally resonant show called Around the World in 80 Days.”

“We wanted to blow some of the cobwebs off and breathe new life into Fogg’s epic adventure,” adds Ben.  “To do this, we chose our favourite locations and modified a couple of them, while remaining faithful to Fogg’s original route.  Instead of setting a scene in Suez, for example, we have the team making a side visit to Egypt, which provides an instantly recognizable backdrop for some action and, of course, a song.”

The production gains added vitality from 15 original songs and 26 musical arrangements penned by its Musical Director Amuer Calderon, plus the choreography of Jun Mabaquiao, who keeps its large cast moving in step with the rhythms of each location it visits.  Last, but definitely not least, there are the amazingly exotic sets created by Set Designer Katy Lai and the legendary lighting effects of Bee Wan.

And, of course, the dazzling show could never have become a reality without the superb talents of its leading actors – Andrew Piper as Phileas Fogg, and Adam Kelly as Passepartout. 

A graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Andrew has toured the UK in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth, as well as taking star roles in the London première of Sondheim’s musical Anyone Can Whistle, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Great Expectations.  He has also appeared in repertory seasons at a number of UK theatres.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Music where he won the Mary Hammond Master Class Award for Musical Theatre, Adam has performed in Unzipped in London’s West End, Little Shop of Horrors, A Chorus Line, Last Train to Skaville, Summer Holiday, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof and Amazing Grace, as well as Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night, and Entertaining Mr Sloane and How the Other Half Loves, as well as children’s theatre productions and pantomimes.


Ticketing Information

Matthew Gregory’s all-new production of Around the World in 80 Days will be staged at the Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 9 to 31 August 2008. Tickets for its 28 performances are now on sale at HK Ticketing (call 31 288 288 or see www.hkticketing.com for full details).

Tickets are priced from HK$355 to HK$595, with VIP tickets at HK$888 for adults and children. Tickets for children below 18 are HK$225 to HK$395 are also available now.


(information provided by the pr company)