A 53-year-old man quits his job, disappears to Songshan for three years of martial arts training, then comes home to fight for chivalry with a concrete jungle that has no villains left to vanquish. That's the premise of Modern Wuxia: To Turn, To Be, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre's new main-stage production running 19 September to 4 October 2026 at Hong Kong City Hall Theatre.
In This Guide
What is Modern Wuxia: To Turn, To Be?
Modern Wuxia: To Turn, To Be is Hong Kong Repertory Theatre's new main-stage play, billed by the company as "a fable for adults and a heroic epic about a loser." At 53, the protagonist quits his job and spends three years studying martial arts in Songshan, home of the real Shaolin Temple. He returns to Hong Kong equipped with combat skills that are hopelessly out of step with modern life, and tries anyway — using French fries as darts and cardboard boxes as furniture — to practise chivalry in a city with no dragons left to slay, only rent, bosses and rejection.
It's a wry, contemporary spin on the wuxia genre — the martial-heroes fiction that shaped generations of Hong Kong film and literature — recast as a character study of midlife reinvention rather than a swordplay spectacle.
Who's behind it?
The play is written by Kwok Wing Hong and directed by Chan Suk Yi, with a cast led by Ng Ka Leung and Yau Ting Fai, alongside Mercy Wong, Kalok Chan, Kiki Cheung, Trickle Choi, Eva Mak and Dee To. The design team includes set designer Yuen Hon Wai, costume designer Ainsley So and lighting designer Bert Wong, with sound and music by Leung Po Wing.
Hong Kong Repertory Theatre is the city's flagship professional theatre company, financially supported by the HKSAR Government and staging work at Hong Kong City Hall and beyond. This production sits in its 2026–27 season alongside more of the city's upcoming musicals and theatre running later this year.
Is it worth seeing if you don't speak Cantonese?
Modern Wuxia: To Turn, To Be is performed in Cantonese with Chinese and English surtitles, so non-Cantonese speakers can still follow the story. Given the play's dry, character-driven humour, some jokes may land better for local audiences, but the surtitled dialogue makes it accessible — a rare chance for visitors and expats to sample contemporary Hong Kong theatre rather than a purely visual production. Children under 6 are not admitted, and latecomers are held until a suitable break in the performance.
Dates, venue and tickets
Modern Wuxia: To Turn, To Be
Hong Kong City Hall Theatre sits in the Low Block of City Hall, a short walk from Central MTR and the Star Ferry. Book through URBTIX online, by phone on 3166 1288, or via the URBTIX app; discounts are available for students, seniors and various membership schemes.
Good to know: book early for the 7:45pm weekday evening shows, which tend to sell fastest, and check the URBTIX listing for post-performance talk dates if you'd like to hear from the cast and creative team afterwards. For more of the city's stage calendar, see our guides to the best theatre shows in Hong Kong this month and Hong Kong Ballet's Dunhuang: In Search of Light, also on stage this October.
Frequently Asked Questions
A wry, local take on the wuxia genre
Modern Wuxia: To Turn, To Be brings Hong Kong's martial-heroes storytelling tradition into a concrete jungle with no dragons left — surtitled, accessible and on stage for just over two weeks. Book through URBTIX before the evening shows sell out.