Faust : The Swallows Gift

On Thursday and Saturday Hannah's drama group performed their play as part of the Faust Festival at the Hong Kong Arts Center in Wan Chai.

'The Swallow's Gift' is based on a Korean folktale and tells the story of 2 brothers Hung-bu ad Nol-bu. Nol-bu, the eldest brother, was rich but very mean and forced his brother's family to live in poverty.

Our Hannah was cast against against type as the spoilt daughter from Nobu's rich family.

Video 1 :   Musical prologue.   Nobu's family are served the finest food in Korea, but the children still complain.  Hungbu's starving family arrive begging for assistance, but are rudely turned away.

Although Hung-bu's family are poor and starving they are very kind.  They protect a wounded swallow from a hunter and nurse it back to health rather than roasting it or stewing it with kimchii.  So the Swallow King rewards Hung-bu's family with a magic gourd and a Korean Fairy who gives them what they deserve - wealth and good fortune.

Video 2 :  Nobu's family are jealous of Hungbu's good fortune, and plot to get a magic gourd too.  They capture a swallow and break its wing so that they can nurse it back to health and earn a gourd.

Video 3 :  The Swalow King and his generals bring Nobu's family a magic gourd.  The gourd opens revealing the Korean Fairy who gives them what they deserve - a severe telling-off followed by poverty and destitution.

Nobu's poor family go begging to Hung-bu who welcomes them with open arms and offers to share and work together.  Everyone lives happily ever after.

The play was very well produced and a lot of fun.  I was impressed with the young actors and the way they kept going when there were problems.  It was all very charming.



The cast take a bow.



Hannah was very nervous before the play on Thursday.  She said she had a devil in her head telling her 'you can't  do anything', and an angel telling her  'don't worry, it will be fine'.   But she was very brave and did her part very well.  On Saturday she was less nervous but somewhat overcome with silliness towards the end.

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Lookalike (9)

Our Hannah and Elsa the Snow Queen must surely be related

             Hannah                                        Elsa

Saturday at Home

This Sunday Daddy was on duty looking after Hannah, so Mummy could toil away in her sweat-shop  completing her collection for the Hand Made in Japan craft fair in Tokyo in July.

Hannah and Minimi wanted to do crafts, so we spent the morning making and paper roses and glueing them to a background.  

The finished product!  A present for Mummy to show how much we love her.

Taking Minimi for a Neco-sampo at the park.   Minimi was just as excited to see the bird as they were to see him.

And taking Charlie the alligator for a walk.

The view of Shatin from our living room after a rainstorm