I am used to rounding up my creative process as a new work is approaching its final phase, and my friends and fellow audiences know of this ritual pretty well. While penning this process, my mind takes me back to my initial passion for drama performance.

This photo means a lot to me, the T-shirt marked the first milestone of my theatrical journey. Being fearless and passionate, the like-minded fellows and I set up a theatre group, and it marked my first, formal dramatic composition. The passion spanned from creation, logistics to the customisation of our own T-shirt.

When composing Salted Fish Rhapsody. I unloaded the box of T-shirts from the warehouse, and had decided to give one to each performer. Each performer, irrespective of their roles, all dance and sweat hard during our rehearsals. The message of the T-shirt is in fact self-explanatory: both the gaze and body language ignite the innermost dream for a good drama.

I confess that I’m experiencing the ‘generation gap’, as the majority of the actors are much younger than me, meaning we have a more diverse taste in pop music, language and cultural aesthetics. But for me, the magic of theatre happens when we enter the rehearsal space. We then identify ourselves as part of the creative process, so age and background become immaterial, and we all breathe for a more fruitful performance.

I genuinely respect the younger generation. What impresses me the most is not how skilled they can be; rather, they wisely choose drama as their way of expression. It is by no means easy especially when our society stresses efficiency and immediate return. Drama is the exact opposite, requiring us to be patient and experimental. I respect these young performers who could put up with my strictness (I feel for them too) and embrace the challenging rehearsals in the past two months.

The T-shirt is from the theatre group named ‘Drama Fire’. Young and passionate performers like us can spend endless nights refining our work, and such passion sparked our slogan: ‘Drama Gives You Fire’. I’m glad that I share this initial passion some years after; and it is more than a spark. I hold onto the belief that drama is beyond art; it is a way of life where such a raw, passionate fire should be passed on to young performers. I feel especially touched when I see a lot of good qualities in the fame within them: being bright, childlike and persistent.

I wrote Salted Fish Rhapsody for those who believe in the power of drama. The passion ignites the storytelling of our ordinary, yet noteworthy life. Salted fish, pork patties and piggy buns are more than food. The seemingly ordinary combination reminds us to stay hopeful and dream big in the midst of challenges. There is light at the end of the tunnel for all of us, and it has always been my intention to pass the torch to the next generation.