This summer, a new theatre series called Hong Kong Stories • UK Stages 2025 began, showcasing the work of artists with ties to Hong Kong. The series features five interdisciplinary works across the UK. One of the featured artists is Chan Yuk Lan, a theatre practitioner specialising in Applied Theatre. Her solo show, “From Old Bean Grows Bak Choy,” is a deeply personal piece that explores her journey as a recent immigrant
Chan, who lived in Hong Kong for 52 years, is among the first wave of Hong Kongers to move to the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme. She explains that her experience as a middle-aged person making this move is not quite the same as that of her younger and older counterparts. “I have kept reflecting on these differences, and eventually I decided to share my stories and reflections through drama – the language I know best and love most,” she says.
“From Old Bean Grows Bak Choy” takes its name from a Cantonese term for “dad,” “Old Bean” (老豆), and “Bak Choy” is a symbol of resilience in the play. It is a solo performance that draws parallels between Chan’s migration and her late father’s. Her father fled mainland China in the 1950s for Hong Kong. Chan points out, “It’s kind of like I’m now repeating history. After more than 50 years, I too am leaving my homeland to build a life elsewhere.” By comparing their experiences, she explores what it means to be displaced and what “home” truly is.
Finding Home in a New Land
Before moving, Chan believed her international career and upbringing in a British colony would make her transition to the UK easy. She quickly adjusted to the lifestyle, appreciating the green spaces and a pace of life very different from Hong Kong. However, she found unexpected challenges, particularly in her career. Although Applied Theatre originated in the UK, the Applied Theatre scene here wasn’t as flourishing as she had imagined.
“I found myself surprised with what I found in UK’s Applied Theatre scene and have been trying to make sense of it,” Chan said. She felt a “mismatch of expectation” and found herself feeling lost at one point. This led her to a new approach. Instead of waiting for opportunities to appear, she created her own. “That’s why I developed this solo performance,” she said. This project became a way for her to express herself and connect with a new audience.
The show is performed in English to reach a broader audience beyond the Hong Kong immigrant community. Chan aims to make her personal story resonate universally. “When deciding on what stories to tell and how to tell them, I am very mindful of how these personal stories can also speak to others,” she says. She hopes the play will give audience members a chance to reflect on their own lives and experiences of change.
Read More: Hong Kong Voices Take the UK Stage: A New Theatre Series
The show has already started conversations among audience members in different parts of the world. After performances in Taiwan and Vancouver, Hong Kong immigrants and local residents engaged in dialogue about their shared experiences. Chan notes that the piece speaks beyond migration: “This story is not just about migration, but also about navigating major life transitions – something that touches everyone in one way or another.”
The Hong Kong Stories • UK Stages 2025 series gives a much-needed platform for artists like Chan. It makes the voices of the Hong Kong diaspora “louder and stronger.” For Chan, it provides a sense of empowerment. “Like many Hong Kongers, I felt frustrated after migration because I wasn’t able to do what I used to do. This opportunity to do meaningful work I am good at really matters. It gave me the strength to move on,” she explains. The project is a new beginning, a hopeful step forward.
From Old Bean Grows Bak Choy is scheduled to conclude the series on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the Meeting Room, Cheam Library in London.
