Bartleby at Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui | Sino-British Theatre

Description

I would prefer not to.

At first, he was the perfect employee in the office — diligent, quiet, impeccable. Until one day, faced with an additional simple instruction, he said quietly but clearly: 'I would prefer not to.'

When everything seemed out of control, he chose to hold on tightly to his right to say no. From refusing to proofread documents to refusing any work; from staring at the brick wall outside the window for a long time, then he refused to leave this office that no longer belonged to him, and eventually even refused to eat... This was his most thorough declaration of freedom in the little space he had left.

Is this the last weapon to defend his soul, or a slow self-destruction? When this silent gear chooses to stop turning, will this huge city notice him, even for just a second?

Adapted from the work of 'Moby-Dick' writer Herman Melville, this story written in the 19th century depicts the absurdity and sadness of ordinary people, and has resonated through the ages. Following 'Les Misérables' and 'A Tale of Two Cities', the Sino-British Theatre once again specially invites British playwright and director Jonathan Holloway to personally adapt and direct this Wall Street tragedy, reimagining it as a desperate cry that directly addresses the spiritual困境 of the contemporary world.