Hong Kong International Shakespeare Conference 2026
*The conference is partially supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. UGC/IIDS23/H01/25)
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Day 1 (HK Time) |
13 April 2026 (Monday) |
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09:30 – 09:45 |
Registration |
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09:45 – 10:00 |
Room DLB 418 Conference Opening -
Welcoming Speech by SCE Dean, Prof. Ronald C.K. Chung Welcoming Speech by HSU Dean, Prof. Tam Kwok-kan Welcoming Speech by Dr. Miriam Lau & Dr. Anna Tso
*Photo taking |
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10:00 – 10:45 |
Room DLB 418 Keynote Session I: Prof. Michael Dobson The University of Birmingham Tyranny, West and East: Macbeth in Europe and in China in the 21st Century Moderator: Dr. Miriam Lau |
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10:45 – 11:30 |
Room DLB 418 Keynote Session II: Prof. Cong Cong Nanjing-Birmingham-Phoenix Shakespeare Centre Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Tang Xianzu's The Peony Pavilion: Huang Bikang's Translation and Emily C. A. Snyder's Stage Production Moderator: Dr. Anna Tso |
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11:30 – 13:30 |
Lunch Break |
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13:30 – 14:50
(3 Papers; 20 min each + 20 mins discussion) |
(Parallel) Paper Presentations A |
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Room DLB 413 Session 1 Localization, Fusion, and Intertextuality in Global Stages Moderator: Prof. Tam Kwok-kan
1. Shakespeare and wuxia, via Jin Yong Dr. Jonathan Y. H. HUI City University of Hong Kong
2. Dreaming under the Bough: A Bilingual Cross-cultural Fusion of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Nan Ke Ji Dr. LI Jun University of International Business and Economics
3. Cross-Cultural Intertextuality and Stage Re-Creation: From The Tale of Parrot to Macbeth Ms. Yuyi Li Peking University |
Room DLB 414 Session 2 Gender and Power in Literary Representation Moderator: Prof. Chan Sau-yan
1. Imaginations of Queen’s Body in English Renaissance Literature: A Literary Cartographer’s Approach Prof. Fangyun Guo Southwest University
2. The Failed Father and the Escape from the Paternal Gaze in Mushitarō Oguri’s Ofiriya Goroshi Prof. Yoshika Miura Otani University, Japan
3. Narratives of Cressida in Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dryden Prof. Jihai Gao Henan University |
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14:50–15:00 |
Tea Break |
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15:00 – 16:40
(4 Papers; 20 min each + 20 mins discussion) |
(Parallel) Paper Presentations B |
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Room DLB 413 Session 3 Shakespeare Across Asian Cultures: Translation and Adaptation Moderator: Prof. Michael Dobson
1. The Arrant Revenge (2025): Shakespeare’s Hamlet with Chinese characteristics? Dr. Miriam Lau Hong Kong Baptist University
2. Negotiating Race, Religion, and Empire: Urdu Translations of Shakespeare’s Othello Dr. Hafiz Abid Masood International Islamic University
3. Reconfiguring Female Authority in Translation: The Power and Ambivalence of Sentence-Final Particles and Vocatives in Japanese Henry VI Plays Ms. Yuri Suzuki Institute of Science Tokyo
4. Wordplay and Euphuism in Japanese Translations of Love’s Labour’s Lost Ms. Yuriko Miyake Kwansei Gakuin University |
Room DLB 414 Session 4 Shakespeare in New Contexts: Pedagogy, Landscape, and Literary Exchange Moderator: Prof. Hao Tianhu
1. Female Voices and Gendered Discourses in Children's Adaptations of Shakespeare Dr. Anna Tso The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
2. Shakespeare’s and Milton’s Influence on Chinese Sonnets Prof. Hao Tianhu Zhejiang University
3. Building Students’ Ecological Mindset through Shakespeare’s Adaptations: An Experimental Research in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classrooms in Vietnam Mr. Quang Binh Chu Hanoi University
4. A Dramatic Scrutiny of the Rural Landscape of England in the 16th Century: Taking The Second Part of the History of Henry IV as an Example Dr. Tao Jin Jiangsu University of Technology |
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16:40 |
End of Day 1 |
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Day 2 (HK Time) |
14 April 2026 (Tuesday) |
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09:00 – 09:30 |
Registration |
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09:30 – 10:15 |
Room DLB 418 (Zoom) Keynote Session III: Prof. Alexa Alice Joubin George Washington University The End(s) of Global Shakespeare
Moderator: Prof. Wu Min-hua |
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10:15 - 10:30 |
Tea Break |
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10:30 – 11:15 |
Room DLB 418 (Zoom) Book Launch: Prof. Alexa Alice Joubin & Dr Miriam Lau Shakespearean Studies: New Books in the Field
Moderator: Prof. Michael Dobson |
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11:15 - 11:30 |
Tea Break |
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11:30 – 12:15 |
Room DLB 418 Keynote Session IV: Prof. Hirohisa Igarashi Toyo University Why Are There So Many First Folios in Japan?: Post-World War II Literary Aspirations of Japanese Academics and University Administrators
Moderator: Prof. Masae Suzuki |
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12:15 – 13:30 |
Lunch Break |
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13:30 - 14:00 |
Room DLB 418 Screening Session: Prof. Masae Suzuki Kyoto Sangyo University Shinsaku Noh Othello
Director and lead actor: Noh Master Manjiro Tatsumi |
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14:00 – 14:45 |
Room DLB 418 Keynote Session V: Prof. Suzuki Masae with an interview to Mr. Manjiro Tatsumi Kyoto Sangyo University Performing Shinsaku-Noh Othello: Reflections and Insights
Moderator: Prof. Hirohisa Igarashi |
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14:45 – 15:00 |
Tea Break |
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15:00 – 15:45 |
Room DLB 418 Keynote Session VI: Prof. Min-Hua Wu National Chengchi University Shakespeare in Yu Opera: The Merchant of Venice in Taiwan
Moderator: Prof. Hirohisa Igarashi |
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15:45 – 16:00 |
Tea Break |
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16:00 – 17:20
(3 Papers; 20 min each + 20 mins discussion) |
(Parallel) Paper Presentations C |
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Room DLB 413 Session 5 Reimagining Shakespeare Globally: Asian and European Perspectives Moderator: Dr. Miriam Lau
1. Translating Shakespeare into Thai and Transmuting Across Artistic Disciplines Ms. Marsha Niemeijer Bangkok Shakespeare Troupe
2. Rewriting Shakespeare with Shadows: A Karagöz Adaptation of Merchant of Venice in Contemporary Istanbul Ms. Zehra Haliloğlu Humboldt University of Berlin
3. Beyond the Spotlight: The Unseen Power of Supporting Characters in Indian Shakespearean Cinema Ms. Kalpi Devrani University of Delhi |
Room DLB 414 Session 6 Shakespeare in Popular Culture and Global Contexts Moderator: Dr. Dohyun Shin
1. A Spectrum of Shakespearean Influence on Disney Storytelling Miss Winola Wai-Larm Lam The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
2. Shakespeare “Transcending Borders and Barriers:” from American Fountain to Peony Pavilion Dr. Maosheng Hu Zhejiang Gongshang University
3. What is a Youth? The Uses of Romeo and Juliet Dr. Kenny Ng Hong Kong Baptist University |
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17:20 |
End of Day 2 |
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Day 3 (HK Time) |
15 April 2026 (Wednesday) |
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9:30 – 10:00 |
Registration |
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10:00 – 10:45 |
Room DLB 418 (Zoom) Keynote Session VII: Prof. Howard Y. F. Choy Hong Kong Baptist University Specters of Macbeth: Transplantation of a Tragedy into Asian Theaters
Moderator: Dr. Miriam Lau |
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10:45 – 11:00 |
Tea Break |
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11:00 – 12:00 |
Room DLB 418 Keynote Session VIII: Mr. Keith Lai Director & Playwright, Canto Op Staged Excerpt from The Arrant Revenge: Hamlet Reimagined in Chinese Contexts
Moderator & Translator: Dr. Miriam Lau |
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12:00 – 14:00 |
Lunch Break |
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14:00 – 14:45 |
Room DLB 418 Keynote Session IX: Prof. Tam Kwok-kan The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong Transposing Desire and Fear: Theatricality and Visual Manipulation in Chinese and Japanese Reinventions of Shakespeare
Moderator: Prof. Cong Cong |
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14:45 – 15:00 |
Tea Break |
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15:00 – 16:40
(4 Papers; 20 min each + 20 mins discussion) |
(Parallel) Paper Presentations D |
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Room DLB 413 Session 7 Shakespeare in Asian Aesthetics and Philosophy: Macbeth and Hamlet Moderator: Dr. Belle Ling
1. Aesthetics of Sovereignty: A Stage-to-Film Analysis of Macbeth (1606) and Throne of Blood (1957) Mr. Anson M.C. Sinn, Independent Scholar
2. Relaying Macbeth: Self-Orientalism and the Modernization of Asian Traditional Theatres Dr. Brittany Tang, Independent Scholar
3. Hamlet's Soliloquy: A Sphinx Riddle of the Daoist Garden of Eden Prof. Wei Xiao-fei Matthew Shanghai Jiao Tong University
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Room DLB 414 Session 8 Shakespeare in New Forms: XR, Horror Theater, Wrestling, and Queer Cinema Moderator: Dr. Miguel Antonio N. Lizada
1. Macbeth in XR: a Transmedia Production Dr. Zhou Wei Beijing Foreign Studies University
2. Horror Is Show (2025) as a Historical Archive: Necromancing Hamlet’s Ghosts in Contemporary South Korea Dr. Dohyun Shin Sogang University
3. Bringing Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” Back to the Masses Through the Art of Professional Wrestling Mr. Manzano, William Elvin Laguesma The Bootstrap Theatre (Hong Kong)
4. “Fairies Away, Fetch Me That Flower:” Carnivalesque and/as Queer Readings of Shakespeare in Were the World Mine (2008) Dr. Miguel Antonio N. Lizada The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong |
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16:40 – 16:50 |
Conference Closing Ceremony * Photo-taking |
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16:50 |
End of the Conference |
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Thank you all for your support and participation.
Main Theme of the Conference
- Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Asian culture
Sub-Themes of the Conference
- Cultural Localisation and Adaptation
- Identity and Representation
- Performance Practices and Innovations
- Audience Reception and Impact
- Pedagogy and Education
- Other themes that are relevant to the main theme of William Shakespeare
Confirmed Plenary Speakers and Roundtable Discussants
- Alexa Alice Joubin, George Washington University
- Cong Cong, Nanjing-Birmingham-Phoenix Shakespeare Centre
- Hirohisa Igarashi, Toyo University
- Howard Y. F. Choy, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Keith Lai, Canto Op (吾識大戲)
- Manjiro Tatsumi, Hosho School
- Michael Dobson, University of Birmingham
- Suzuki Masae, Kyoto Sangyo University
- Tam Kwok-kan, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
- Wu Min-hua, National Chengchi University
Screening
- Othello (dir. Manjiro Tatsumi), Shinsaku Noh Shakespeare
Conference Language
English
Conference Venue
Hong Kong Baptist University (Kowloon Tong Campus)
Application/Selection Procedure
15 December 2025: Deadline for abstract submission
31 January 2026: Notification of acceptance
13‒15 April 2026: Conference dates
Visa and Travels
Visa to Hong Kong and Macao is not required for participants holding European and American passports. However, visa is required for participants visiting China after the conference. Participants from mainland China need a permit to enter Hong Kong.
Call for Papers
At the turn of Hong Kong history in 1997, the 1st Shakespeare Conference was held at Hong Kong Baptist University. After almost three decades, the Hong Kong International Shakespeare Conference, with the theme of “Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Asian Culture,” will be jointly held by Hong Kong Baptist University and The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong on 13 – 15 April 2026.
Currently, there are three Shakespeare Associations in mainland China, the largest being the Chinese Shakespeare Association. Taiwan also has its own Taiwanese Shakespeare Association. While there is no active Hong Kong Shakespeare Association, Shakespeare is the most popular Western playwright among Hong Kong theatre practitioners and is thus integral to the construction of Hong Kong identity. Shakespeare is staged by large-scale repertory companies, small-scale and experimental theatres in Hong Kong in both Cantonese and English. He has also been the inspiration for various art forms such as Chinese opera and Japanese Noh theatre.
To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday in April, we have invited distinguished Shakespearean scholars from the UK, the USA, Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong to serve as plenary speakers and roundtable discussants. While Shakespeare’s works are globally acclaimed, this conference will explore how his plays have been localised and adapted into different Asian theatre forms, such as Cantonese opera, Japanese Noh, Taiwanese yu opera, and Korean changgeuk opera. To this end, we have also acclaimed performers known for theiradaptations of Shakespeare into Cantonese opera and Japanese Noh.
The project will advance Shakespearean studies in Hong Kong and foster long-term collaboration and academic exchange between Hong Kong and Asian/Western countries in the field of Shakespeare. The fusion of Shakespearean drama with diverse Asian performance arts represents a unique research gap that this initiative aims to address.
With the conference “Transplantation of Shakespearean Drama into Asian Theatre Forms,” we aim to connect research and performance studies within an Asian context, reposition Hong Kong as a centre for Shakespearean studies in Asia, facilitate international research exchanges, enrich scholarly discourse and promote cross-cultural dialogue in the realm of performance studies.
Submission of Abstracts
Interested scholars and advanced postgraduate students are invited to submit abstracts of 300 words with a bio of 150 words to the contact persons of the conference. Accepted papers will be presented at the conference. Deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 December 2025. Announcement of the proposals accepted will be made no later than 31 January 2026.
Instructions on Abstract Submissions
Please submit your 300-word abstract and 150-word bio to: Sybie Lau (sybielau@hkbu.edu.hk). Please include the following information at the top of the page: (1) full name and title; (2) institutional affiliation (if any), position and email address; (3) 3‒4 keywords describing the presentation; and (4) audio-visual requirements (if any).
Restaurants available at HKBU
Western Cuisine
Bistro NTT
Chinese Cuisine
Main Canteen
H.F.C.@Scholars Court
Nan Yuan
Take away Lunch Boxes
Harmony Louge
Map of HKBU Restaurants, Cafeterias and Coffee Shops
Suggested Accommodations:
Regal Oriental Hotel 富豪東方酒店
Location: 30-38 Sa Po Road, Kowloon City, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Contact Number: +852-2718 0333
Email Address: info@oriental.regalhotel.com
Website: https://www.regalhotel.com/zh-HK/regal-oriental-hotel
Route: Minibus 25M (Sa Po Road沙浦道- Renfrew Road聯福道)
Duration of Transport: ~20 minutes
Bluejay Residences Kai Tak 冠藍軒．啟德
Location: 380 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon City, Hong Kong
Contact Number: +852-3728 7323
Email Address: info-kt@bluejay-residences.com
Website: https://www.bluejay-residences.com/home-tc
Route: Minibus 25M (Sa Po Road沙浦道- Renfrew Road聯福道)
Duration of Transport: ~20 minutes
Royal Plaza Hotel 帝京酒店
193 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Contact Number: +852- 2928 8822
Email Address: inquiry@royalplaza.com.hk
Website: https://www.royalplaza.com.hk/zh-hant/
Route: MTR East Rail line (Mong Kok East to Kowloon Tong Exit A2)
Duration of Transport: ~20 minutes
MTR Map
*Please note that the information provided above has been gathered from online sources. Neither HKBU nor the conference committee can assume responsibility for any errors or outdated details.
Campus Map
Organising Committee
Conference Chairs
Miriam Lau, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
Anna Tso, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Members
Kwok-kan Tam, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Chan Sau-yan, The University of Hong Kong
Michael Dobson, University of Birmingham, U.K.
Sam Lau, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
Sybie Lau, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
Joyce Tang, Hong Kong Baptist University
Lam Chun Pong, Hong Kong Baptist University
Miguel Antonio N. Lizada, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Belle Ling, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Korix Wong, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Contact Persons for Abstract and Paper Submission
Ms. LIU Lucy / Ms. Samantha Ng, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
(Email: shakespeare26@hkbu.edu.hk)
Ms. Sybie Lau, School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
(Email: sybielau@hkbu.edu.hk)