High Life

HIGH LIFE 27 “Our play is actually a mirror – the kind of mirror in the corner of a shopping mall that you were not prepared to see yourself in,” he says. “Once you see yourself unprepared, you’ll feel a bit strange and that strangeness is actually your self-consciousness prompting you to rethink. That’s the same gift our play offers – you’ll see yourself a bit differently after the show.” Edward Lam Dance Theatre has maintained a frequency of launching one new play a year. The latest, named Why We Chat? , is a theatrical presentation of modern relationships and ghost stories, inspired by the classical Chinese literary collection Liaozhai Zhiyi ( Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio ). The play premiered in Taiwan late last year. It is about awriter, Mr Pu, who wanted to be a bestselling author but could never achieve his goal. Since things don't turn out as he planned, he instead develops an app named “Zhailiao” in which he creates a number of beautiful women that lonely souls can chat to. However, he becomes obsessed with one of his creations, Ms Hu (Ms Fox), who seems to know him better than he knows himself. Over time Mr Pu begins to question whether Ms Hu actually exists and as the duo’s roles and identities change, the story gradually reveals the mystery of Ms Hu. Asked why this theme was chosen, Lam says, “These days, we have so many ways of communicatingwitheachother. Buthave people become afraidof engaging in real conversations?We float through the day and come alive only at night.