Overkill as Anarchist put to death

Another play due to be performed locally has been killed off - apparently not accidentally.

The last-minute removal of absurdist satire Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Academy for Performing Arts management has deepened concerns about overkill that rose to the surface when certain books began disappearing one after another from the shelves of public and school libraries last year.

As with books by leading modern Chinese writer Lu Xun - as well as George Orwell's darkly satirical Animal Farm - Italian playwright Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist was suddenly axed to death.

This is despite the playwright bring named Nobel Laureate in 1997 for his body of work.

The play, which premiered in 1970, has been performed in more than 40 countries and places - including Hong Kong and the mainland - ever since.

The performance due to be staged as part of the graduation event at the academy was adapted from the Italian classic.

Could it be due to the same absurdity that led to the removal of Lu Xun's literature and Orwell's Animal Farm from library shelves that Accidental Death of an Anarchist was handed the death blow?

It would be very ironic if it were due to the same degree of stupidity seen in the cases of Lu Xun and Orwell.

The play that the academy's final year students had been due to perform is believed to have been unchanged from previous performances.

If its performance was deemed acceptable in Hong Kong and the mainland in the past, why is it not acceptable now at a time the SAR is supposed to have grown to be even more confident and prosperous under the "new normal" environment?

The academy offered an explanation that failed to explain the reasoning. Though citing "changes in production" for the cancellation, it failed to answer the next logical questions: what has led to the changes in production? And was any government official involved in the decision?

There were conflicting reports on this. It was reported that Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, the city's top official in charge of culture, sports and tourism, acknowledged being privy to the situation and that the decision was made following discussions with the academy and instructors.

It was also reported that the minister contacted the academy to learn more about the incident after acknowledging the news.

Nevertheless, he respected the school's decision.

Perhaps it is no longer relevant how the saga unfolded.

While it has not been revealed exactly why the play was cancelled at the last minute, the fact remains that Accidental Death of an Anarchist is a world-renowned play penned by a Nobel Prize-winning playwright that had been performed in Hong Kong and the mainland in the past.

Could it be simply another innocent victim of a cultural overkill that had also victimized Lu Xun and Orwell?

The Academy for Performing Arts' killing of the play was not by accident.

It is not only about the fall of a play but also collective efforts of aspiring youngsters to maintain a creative edge for the city, which one may like to call soft power.