San Francisco Frontiers - Lights out for landmark Hong Kong theatre

Crowds packed onto the streets of Hong Kong's North Point district after dark on Monday, eager to snap pictures of Sunbeam Theatre -- recognisable from its brightly lit marquee and red neon signs looming over a busy intersection.

Established in 1972, the ornate venue was the proving ground for generations of performers in the city and mainland China, and was lauded as the "palace" of Cantonese opera.

Its lobby was adorned with calligraphy, a gong and drum for good luck -- as well as 108 round lamps suspended from the ceiling. A coin-operated weighing machine added a dash of whimsy.

"This theatre grew up with us," said neighbourhood resident Franklin Mui, who recalled watching shows there as a teen.

"I never thought it would close down."

Cantonese opera originated in southern China and became a staple of post-war Hong Kong's cultural life, with its popularity peaking around the 1960s.

A 68-year-old retiree surnamed Pang travelled across town to pay tribute late on Monday, saying the theatre should have been conserved.

"Watching shows at (Sunbeam), you feel close to the actors on stage," she said.

But with changing tastes, Sunbeam ran into repeated financial trouble and nearly closed in 2012 before playwright Edward Li took it over.

The theatre tried to win over younger audiences with modern takes on the art form, including an absurdist tale about US President Donald Trump told in Cantonese opera style.

"(Sunbeam) is a collective memory that Hong Kongers don't want to give up," Li told AFP in January.

But he acknowledged that the theatre's heyday was behind it, adding that the government could have done more to support it.

"We live in an era when Cantonese opera is at its lowest and closest to death."

At 15 minutes after midnight, following a farewell ceremony in the 1,000-seat auditorium, the lights went out.

The new owners, who acquired the premises last year, plan to convert it into an evangelical church.

I.Rodriguez--SFF