In 1987, South Korean audiences encountered two legendary films: “A Better Tomorrow” in May and “A Chinese Ghost Story” in December. Inspired by star Chow Yun-fat, many donned long coats and held toothpicks in their mouths, while classrooms overflowed with posters and notebooks featuring actress Wang Zuxian. A common thread linking these iconic films is the presence of Leslie Cheung (1956–2003), an actor still deeply missed by many. Cineplay chief editor Ju Sung-chul remarked, “Perhaps we all once lived in Leslie Cheung’s era.”
The play “Good Morning, Hong Kong,” currently staged at the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea, Cecil, in Seoul, follows members of a South Korean Leslie Cheung fan club who travel to Hong Kong on April 1, the anniversary of his passing, to honor his memory. The story unfolds as the fans become entwined in the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests.
The play opens with the final scene from “A Better Tomorrow II.” The audience bursts into laughter as the cast humorously recreates the iconic moments from John Woo’s film. Bullets pour endlessly from handguns while characters comically tremble before collapsing after being shot, leading to the poignant moment of Leslie Cheung dying in Chow Yun-fat’s arms inside a phone booth. In reality, the fan club members are filming a tribute video for Cheung but soon find themselves caught in a police crackdown. The Hong Kong police are on high alert due to widespread protests against the Chinese Communist Party, known as the Umbrella Movement. As the fans navigate various landmarks in Hong Kong, they continually encounter the demonstrators.
The scene where fan club members creatively recreate the 1980s analog special effects from “A Chinese Ghost Story” showcases remarkable theatrical imagination, causing the theater to erupt in laughter. As they join the bloodied protestors in singing the familiar tune “The Moon Represents My Heart” in Leslie Cheung’s voice, a wave of nostalgia washes over the audience, evoking deep emotions.
