Sunbeam Theatre
If you ever get the chance to explore North Point, Sunbeam Theatre is one of the must-see destinations there. Established in 1972, it is one of the most historical cantonese opera theatres in Hong Kong - it has quickly become synonymous with Cantonese Opera, which is a UNESCO declared intangible cultural heritage since 2009. Many cantonese opera superstars such as Joyce Koi Ming-Fai have performed there, specifically stating that Sunbeam Theatre is like home to them.
On the ground floor of the Sunbeam Theatre is a spacious lobby and auditorium for audience members to gather before the showing. In 1989, the theatre was divided into two different auditoriums, the smaller being a balcony for showing films, and the larger being a area for stage performances. In 2007, the smaller auditorium was converted into another theatre for stage performances in hopes of accommodating more people in the privately owned theatre.
In the recent years, Sunbeam Theatre has faced a steep increase in rent, having reached HK$1 million a month in 2012. Luckily, then Chief Executive Candidate Leung Chun Ying generously saved the theatre, allowing it to stay on the property as a theatre, instead of the originally planned shopping mall.
Hong Kong is attempting to revive this tradition by providing more performance venues for such artists, as the increase in popularity of Cantopop and entertainment from the west has caused the fatal decline in Cantonese Opera, one of the city’s most popular forms of entertainment in the past. Being the only theatre in Hong Kong showing regular, scheduled Cantonese Opera performances until the West Kowloon Cultural District opens, it is definitely worth visiting, albeit each performance is at least 3 hours in length. The spectacular costume and set design will temporarily take you away from the hustle and bustle of modern Hong Kong, back to the old and traditional city.
Address - 423 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
How To Get There: MTR North Point Exit B1