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Ovolo Southside brings a unique theatrical experience to visitors with HKAPA

An immersive theatre experience exploring Space, Culture and Identity will open on April 6 2018 in the wonderfully revamped Ovolo Southside and promises a new experience for theatre audiences.
2018-03-21 08:30 1278

HONG KONG, March 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ovolo Southside is excited to announce an immersive theatre experience from the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), famous for producing the next generation of designers and technicians for the entertainment industries, from theatre to dance to ballet to Disneyland. In this unique site-specific piece, Ovolo guests and members of the public will be able to explore a stunning new installation that literally 'jumps out' at them, thanks to a unique pairing of iconic space and daring design. 

Susannah Henry, Creative Lead and a British Scenographer, explains Immersive Theatre is a response to our digital lives.

"Theatre is booming across the world despite all of our digital distractions," said Susannah.

"In fact, it is largely because of those distractions that people have a base need to feel, touch and 'experience' storytelling in an analogue way, because our digital lives can render us emotionally disconnected."

The world of theatre, where you can walk 'through' a stage, pick up a book to find a written clue to the story, hear music in a distant room, or catch a glimpse of a dancer alone in a ballroom is the experience Ovolo Southside and HKAPA hope to offer guests, finding truth as a result of their own exploration.

"Successful contemporary theatre producers know that in order to appeal to those harder-to-engage younger audiences, they need to create a spectacle that involves and captures interest from the get-go'," says Matt Veitch, Associate Dean at the HKAPA, "Younger audiences are looking for a greater reward for their attention and are less inclined to just gaze passively at a stage in the dark."

"Sitting in a gold and red velvet traditional theatre environment is not as appealing to our younger audiences anymore. Immersive theatre brings spectators into the experience, allowing them to walk through the 'fourth wall' and discover a play's characters and stories for themselves."

Tim Alpe, Chief Operating Officer at Ovolo Hotels Hong Kong, is excited to bring this experience to Ovolo, emphasising the benefits immersive theatre can bring to spaces rich in artistic expression.

"Art is at the heart of every Ovolo property, and in Hong Kong there are only a handful of places that nurture this kind of creativity," said Tim.

"The boutique hotel's chic interiors provide a seamless backdrop for HKAPA's latest spectacle, so the opportunity to partner with their team aligns perfectly with our core values of fashion, art, music and entrepreneurship."

"Our guests no longer want to be passive bystanders, they want to 'hitch a ride with the unconventional, find a new meaning with each space, and take home an immersive experience'.

Ovolo Hotels and HKAPA hope the initiative will be wonderful experience for audiences new and old, but also aim to support the Hong Kong entertainment industry, understanding the crucial role immersive theatre plays in preparing drama students to work in a range of situations outside of traditional theatre.

More information:
Ovolo Hotels:
Founded by Girish Jhunjhnuwala in 2002, Ovolo Hotels has become one of Hong Kong's largest independent owner-operator hospitality firms, by providing business and leisure guests with the best in effortless living. The company keeps in touch with the modern traveller through award-winning interior designs, detail-driven comforts, focused all-inclusive service and cutting-edge ensuite technology, all done in Ovolo's signature style. A proud Hong Kong brand, Ovolo remains a family-owned and privately-operated business with a charitable core. The company now runs four hotels in Hong Kong, and six hotels across Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.  

The HKAPA:
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, established by Government Ordinance in 1984, is a leading tertiary institution in performing arts in Asia. It provides professional undergraduate education and practice-based postgraduate studies. The study encompasses Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning. (Website: www.hkapa.edu)

The Immersive Theatre event will run from 6 - 13 April and tickets are available through Ticketflap: https://www.ticketflap.com/timescapeinthecity 

Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180320/2084486-1LOGO

Source: Ovolo Hotels
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