A Study On Plays Of Raymond To Kwok-Wai(1977-2014)

Based on the disclosure of Raymond To Kwok-Wai library in HongKong Public Libraries, this paper retrospect the original play works andthe creative journey from1977to2014about Raymond To, a famousand major theatre playwright of Hong Kong drama. From the artisticinfluence, time and situation condition, Hong Kong dramadevelopment, individual characteristics, the paper go further to explainthe causes of style of his plays. The most important source of RaymondTo’s plays’ characteristics roots in numerous popular arts including HongKong popular radio drama, Hong Kong film, Hong Kong CantoneseOpera and so on.Both Raymond To and his plays are important parts about thedeveloping progress of Hong Kong local drama. In1993, during themature period of creation style, To was appointed by the Hong KongRepertory Theatre, which was the earliest and largest professionaltheatrical troupe in Hong Kong, to be its first Resident Playwright whowas the Rep’s in-house talent responsible for tailoring scripts for thetroupe. It was a key point not only for To’s personal career but also forthe professionalization of Hong Kong theatre. The cooperation of Toand the HKRep laid a mainstream outlook of Hong Kong local drama of1990s. The Spring-Time Stage, created in1995by Raymond To andClifton Ko Chi-Sum, Ko Tin-Lung, have promoted the development ofthe Hong Kong commercial theatre greatly for nearly20years withmany outstanding Local original works.To’s drama productions significantly aroused people’s interest inwatching stage performance. It has been a permanent option for their entertainment life. They often been played to a full house even duringreruns or adapted to other medias such as film, television and radiodrama, just like I Have A Date With Spring and The Legend Of The MadPhoenix. The enormous success of the plays constituted a distinct brandof To and classics of Hong Kong theatre. Musical plays of To, like Tales OfThe Walled City, gave important contribution and experiences for thegrowth of the Hong Kong original musical. Some of them mixedperformance forms with traditional Chinese Xiqu-----Hong KongCantonese Opera-----and also British-American musical, for example,Only You.Raymond To devoted to script creation. As the earliest postwargeneration of native Hong Konger, his true feelings and minds aboutthe experience of city life and historical emotion were transformed intovivid characters, dramatic action, scenes, plots of his plays by genuinedramatic thought. Integrating these and the performance formcombining the advantages both from the eastern and western theatre,the dramatic works keeping acting space for actors have beenconstituted. To presented local original repertoire to Hong Kong theatrecontinuously.Raymond To’s contemporary urban popular play is one factions ofHong Kong drama marked with high commercial value and uniquestyle. It is a popular form for the general public connecting creativethinking of intellectual and performance form of civilian and cultural ofChina and Western modern theatre. It helps its audience to vent theirenergy and dredge their emotions by variety audio-visual stimulation, aswell as local theme, health style, beneficial information, song anddance element, romantic imagination and creativity from folk cultures.