Local Author Writes Play Inspired By Hong Kong Unrest

'The Disappearance of Mr. Chan' by Simon Wu, will be broadcast on BBC Radio

Local writer , Simon Wu (pictured above) has written a play set against a backdrop of the Hong Kong unrest, which will be broadcast by BBC Radio next week.

'The Disappearance of Mr Chan’ will be broadcast on February 5th on BBC Radio 4 at 2:15pm. Anyone who misses it on the day can catch up for about three weeks after transmission .

Simon came to London in 2002 to do a PhD in Law, and when this was completed he decided to concentrate on his writing career.

He was commissioned to write the play by the BBC a year ago, and it was loosely inspired by the disappearance of five members of the staff of Causeway Bay Books between October and December 2015, which made international headlines. They were widely believed to have been detained in mainland China.

As Simon was writing his play the political protests in Hong Kong erupted and he has incorporated this into his play.

Political unrest on Hong Kong streets

The plot revolves around the disappearance of Hong Kong writer Mr Chan, who fails to arrive at Heathrow after a visit to Hong Kong.

His daughter Poppy, who lives in the UK, sets out to find him, along with Jason, a journalist friend. They hope that if they write a story, it will help to get her father released. The trip means going against the wishes of her mother in Hong Kong. Set against the backdrop of student protests, it is a story about a fight for truth and freedom, overcoming fear and finding courage and determination.

Simon, who grew up in Hong Kong, and who has a brother and relatives still living there, says it is "quite upsetting" to see what is happening there. "It's very divided, some of the older generation try not to rock the boat, but the younger generation are demanding more reforms and want a say in their future."

Simon Wu has lived at Strand on the Green, Chiswick for the past ten years and his writing career has gone from strength to strength.

He writes for theatre, radio and film and his play, Oikos, has been published by Oberon Books.

His plays have been performed in London and Hong Kong, at the Soho Theatre, Greenwich Theatre, Oval House, Tara Arts and the Decibel Festival. His radio plays have been broadcast on the BBC World Service.

His short plays have been selected for the Dim Sum Nights, a short play festival, over two consecutive years and one of them was taken on UK tour by the Yellow Earth Theatre Company in 2012.

He was invited to participate at the Critical Mass workshop organized by the Royal Court. He was also invited to be one of the speakers at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2012. His short film, MERRY-GO-ROUND, was nominated for Best Local Film in the Wood Green Independent Short Film Festival and screened at the BFI.

He has translated plays, including for the Beijing International Fringe Festival in 2011 and an opera libretto for the Turandot Reimagined Project in London in 2015. He was commissioned by the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus to write a libretto for a choral opera for the UK composer, Richard Blackford, in 2016.

Simon's current project is a change in direction from playwriting. He has just completed a novel which he describes as "a historical detective thriller"- set in 11th century China.

January 30, 2020