The potential risks of crawling around in a space where people have free and unregulated access were discussed during rehearsals. The director's brief to the performers was to be imaginative in their interactions with the public, including in the event that any of them got in the way.

Choreographed and danced by Gigi Yang, The Forgiving Trees invited the audience to explore the features of the venue as they took in the performance. Staged at F Hall, which used to be the reception and fingerprinting office for prisoners, the show also featured live art by Chow Chun-fai. As soon as it was finished, the scroll bearing Chow's drawing of a Hong Kong urban landscape was suspended horizontally from F Hall's double-height ceiling, creating a fresh backdrop for Yang to perform against.

"Our intention was to construct a space, physical and mental, in which audiences encounter their own stories," says Joanna Lee, the show's producer. "Not having a designated space for the audience to sit or stand in is a creative choice that ties in with our invitation to them to get immersed in the performance."

"The performers do not see their proximity to the audience as a form of 'pressure'," she adds. "Instead, it is such proximity that reminds performers of their own presence on the scene - an awareness that's vital to any performance."

Contact the writer at basu@chinadailyhk.com