Shortly before midnight, theatre operator Edward Li Kui-ming held a farewell ceremony attended by audience members. The lights – including the prominent neon signage – were switched off at 12.15am on Tuesday.
“When I was 17 years old, I sat there to watch a movie,” said Li, who pointed at one seat at the back. “I didn’t realise it would be me after 50 years on this stage to witness the end of this theatre.
“I hope the spirit of Sunbeam will inspire more cultural achievements in other parts of Hong Kong.”
Among the fans who headed to the theatre earlier in the day was 77-year-old retiree Polly Cheung. She recalled watching Cantonese opera at the venue with her mother when she was young.
She also fell in love with the traditional Chinese art form as she grew older and would watch about three shows at the theatre every week after she retired.
“I will miss it a lot. After the theatre is gone, I believe this location in North Point will become very quiet,” she said.
“The thing I will miss the most is that it can accommodate so many people, and everyone could watch and cheer together … For those of us who enjoy Cantonese opera, we will lose a good place to go.”
She added that without the theatre, she might have been unable to watch as many Cantonese opera performances as other theatres in Hong Kong were less accessible.
The closure of the Sunbeam Theatre represents the end of an era for many fans of the art form in the city.
The venue opened in 1972 and faced several threats of closure over the years. In 2005, the venue owner had plans to turn it into a shopping centre.
Crises came again in 2009 and 2012 before the current operator saved it by agreeing to pay a higher rent to the landlord.
Cantonese opera troupe sets the stage for new generation to cherish the art in Hong Kong
Christian church Island ECC acquired several floors of Kiu Fai Mansion for HK$750 million (US$95.8 million) in February last year.
The church told the South China Morning Post earlier that the floors for retail activity would be repaired to house the church’s playrooms, youth spaces, and activity and conference rooms.
The church would open its facilities to its members and rent spaces to schools, NGOs and businesses for functions. It added that while there were no definite plans for the residential floor, it could be used as a shelter.
The theatre’s design and decorations made it stand out in North Point. Once visitors walked out of the MTR station opposite, they were greeted with the giant neon sign boldly stating the venue’s name.
The exterior was covered with posters of shows being performed at the time. The wall above the ticketing kiosk was adorned with a vintage Chinese plaque that read “Sunbeam Theatre” and “Grand Palace for Cantonese Opera”, with a dragon and a phoenix on its sides.
Theatre operator and playwright Li earlier said there was a 12-foot-long couplet next to the stage, but he had yet to find an organisation willing to take it.
A 72-year-old retiree surnamed Leung pointed to the lobby’s walls and said she had watched almost every show displayed on the posters.
She said she was worried that people would forget about the theatre in a few years, adding that the government should put effort into preserving some of the historically significant items.
“It would be great if the government could set up a museum that houses the items of Cantonese opera or Hong Kong films. It can also serve as a theatre,” she said.
Rex Kwan, a 45-year-old dance teacher, said his mother brought him to the theatre once when he was a child.
“It is a shame that it has to close down. It shows that it is quite difficult to pass down the culture to future generations,” he said.
“Hong Kong has other Cantonese opera theatres, but they do not feel the same. The place has a long history. For performers, it may be akin to how a Catholic must visit the Vatican.”
He suggested the government recreate the ticketing kiosk as an exhibit and display it to the public.
An hour before the last show, dozens of Cantonese opera fans, including people from Shenzhen, crowded the theatre lobby. Some who were unable to secure a seat came anyway to experience the atmosphere.
