Fanfare Homage to Shakespeare: The First Folio 400

The First Folio, arguably the greatest work of English literature, contains 36 Shakespearean plays & 1,233 dramatic characters in 900 pages published 400 years ago.

Date: 1 June 2024 (Saturday)

Time: 2pm – 5pm

Venue: Martin Ka Shing Lee Lab, G/F of the Creative Humanities Hub, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (Campus Map)

William Shakespeare, the iconic playwright and poet with unparalleled power of storytelling, has captivated the hearts of audiences for centuries. From the eloquent soliloquies to the unforgettable sonnets, Shakespeare’s words inspire and evoke profound emotions. His literary contributions extend to the realm of theater, where his plays are performed on stages around the world. His themes of love, tragedy, fate, justice, and ambition remain universal and relevant even in the contemporary generation.

To officially archive Shakespeare’s plays, two of his fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, published the First Folio in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death. Preserving 36 of Shakespeare’s plays such as Macbeth, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the First Folio is considered a vital source for studying and understanding Shakespeare’s original texts. Today, the First Folio is a highly sought-after and valuable artefact, with only a limited number of original copies in existence. It stands as a testament to Shakespeare’s enduring influence and his contributions to world literature.

8^th November 2023 marked the 400^th birthday of Shakespeare’s First Folio. Numerous organizations and institutions such as the School of Advanced Study and Senate House Library, Royal Museums Greenwich, and University of London held exhibitions, workshops, and programme events to celebrate the 400-year anniversary. In Hong Kong, Shakespeare4All organized a three-day event titled Will’s World in April 2024 to commemorate the Bard’s First Foilo. Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio, together with the West Kowloon Cultural District will inaugurate the first Hong Kong International Shakespeare Festival in June 2024 to pay tributes to Shakespeare’s immortal contributions on this significant occasion.

To join the worldwide celebrations of the 400^th anniversary of the First Folio, the Department of English at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong is also going to pay a Fanfare Homage to honor Shakespeare’s literary legacy! The event Fanfare Homage to Shakespeare: the First Folio 400 will be held on 1 June 2024 at 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Martin Ka Shing Lee Lab on the G/F of the Creative Humanities Hub. Drama demonstrations, exhibitions, workshops, mini-contests, and a parade will navigate the whole event to enchant and enlighten our visitors in the world of William Shakespeare!

Details of the Programmes:

2:00 – 2:15 p.m.	Registration & Opening Ceremony
2:15 – 2:45 p.m.	Demonstration by 7A Class: Transforming a Text to a Performance The 7A Class instructor will lead our students to perform a very short duologue extracted from the play Twelfth Night. Audience will be introduced not only to the intricate narratives of Shakespeare’s characters, but also to the interpretation of the text through the actresses’ acting and interaction with the stage!
2:45 – 3:15 p.m.	Introduction of the Merchant of Venice & Monologue/Duologue Competition Our teacher will introduce the synopsis of the play Merchant of Venice and some important themes/scenes in the play. Visitors will be invited to perform a short monologue or duologue that is extracted from the play to win a book voucher!
3:15 – 3:45 p.m.	Millionaire Game Quiz: The Journey to Shakespeare’s World Visitors will be invited to take part in this game quiz to answer the questions regarding Shakespeare and his works. The questions are ranked from the easiest to the hardest, and contestants need to answer all the questions in one level in order to win the book vouchers (maximum up to HK$500)!
3:45 – 4:15 p.m.	Introduction of Hamlet & Letter Writing to Hamlet Our teacher will introduce the synopsis of Hamlet and the complex characters of Hamlet. Visitors will be given time to write a short letter to Hamlet. A lucky draw will be conducted. Winners will be invited to read the letter and awarded a book voucher! Visitors will also be invited to read Hamlet’s “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy and win the book voucher!
4:15 – 5:00 p.m.	Immersion in Shakespeare’s World: Exhibition, Artwork Booth, & Parade There will be an exhibition related to the props and costumes that may appear in Shakespeare’s plays. Our students will also lead you to engage in Shakespeare arts activity while immersing yourselves in the 180° videos of the Shakespeare world, along with the parade staged by the Shakespearean characters!