*The conference is partially supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. UGC/IIDS23/H01/25)
At the turn of Hong Kong history in 1997, the 1st Shakespeare Conference was held at Hong Kong Baptist University. After almost three decades, the Hong Kong International Shakespeare Conference, with the theme of “Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Asian Culture,” will be jointly held by Hong Kong Baptist University and The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong on 13 – 15 April 2026.
Currently, there are three Shakespeare Associations in mainland China, the largest being the Chinese Shakespeare Association. Taiwan also has its own Taiwanese Shakespeare Association. While there is no active Hong Kong Shakespeare Association, Shakespeare is the most popular Western playwright among Hong Kong theatre practitioners and is thus integral to the construction of Hong Kong identity. Shakespeare is staged by large-scale repertory companies, small-scale experimental theatres in Hong Kong in both Cantonese and English. He has also been the inspiration for various art forms such as Chinese opera and Japanese Noh theatre.
To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday in April, we have invited distinguished Shakespearean scholars from the UK, the USA, Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong to serve as plenary speakers and roundtable discussants. While Shakespeare’s works are globally acclaimed, this conference will explore how his plays have been localised and adapted into different Asian theatre forms, such as Cantonese opera, Japanese Noh, Taiwanese yu opera, and Korean changgeuk opera. To this end, we have also acclaimed performers known for their adaptations of Shakespeare into Cantonese opera and Japanese Noh.
The project will advance Shakespearean studies in Hong Kong and foster long-term collaboration and academic exchange between Hong Kong and Asian/Western countries in the field of Shakespeare. The fusion of Shakespearean drama with diverse Asian performance arts represents a unique research gap that this initiative aims to address.
With the conference “Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Asian Culture” we aim to connect research and performance studies within an Asian context, reposition Hong Kong as a centre for Shakespearean studies in Asia, facilitate international research exchanges, enrich scholarly discourse, and promote cross-cultural dialogue in the realm of performance studies.
Keynote Speakers
Alexa Alice Joubin, Co-director of the Digital Humanities Institute; Professor of English & Theatre, George Washington University, USA
Cong Cong, Co-director, Nanjing-Birmingham-Phoenix Shakespeare Centre, China
Hirohisa Igarashi, Professor, Toko University
Howard Y. F. Choy, Associate Professor, Hong Kong Baptist University
Lai Yiu-wai, Co-founder, Director & Playwright, Canto Op (吾識大戲), Hong Kong
Manjiro Tatsumi, Adjunct Professor, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Michael Dobson, Director of Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, U.K.
Suzuki Masae, Full Professor, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan
Tam Kwok-kan, Chair Professor & Dean, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Wu Min-hua, Professor, Department of English, Chengchi University, Taiwan; Vice-president, Taiwanese Shakespeare Association
Venue
Hong Kong Baptist University (Kowloon Tong Campus)
Language
English
Organising Committee
Chairs
Miriam Lau, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
Anna Tso, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Members
Kwok-kan Tam, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Chan Sau-yan, The University of Hong Kong
Michael Dobson, University of Birmingham, U.K.
Sam Lau, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
Ethan Cheung, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
Sybie Lau, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
Joyce Tang, Hong Kong Baptist University
Lam Chun Pong, Hong Kong Baptist University
Miguel Antonio N. Lizada, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Belle Ling, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Korix Wong, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
