REFRAME THEATRE
pat TO
YAN
Artistic Director
Photo by Max Zerrahn
Active in Hong Kong and German Theatre. Playwright, Director, Educator. Artistic Director of Reframe Theatre. House Author of Germany Nationatheater Mannheim (2021-2022). Former Acting Principal of HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, Lecturer of Drama School of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Elected Council Member and the Chairman of the committee of Literary Art of Hong Kong Arts Development Council (2019-2022).
Graduated from the University of Hong Kong, majoring in English Literature; the Chinese University of Hong Kong, MA in Sociology; Royal Holloway, University of London, MA in Playwriting.
His play in English A Concise History of future China is selected by 2016 Berliner Festspiele Theatertreffen Stückemarkt as one of the five theatre works presented. It is the first ethnic Chinese play ever selected. His play in Cantonese White Blaze of the morning is awarded Best Play, the 8th Hong Kong Theatre Libre. Seven of his plays were translated into German and performed.
His works were commissioned or invited by the following institutions:
Germany: Munich Biennale - New Music Festival, Mannheimer Sommer Festival, Munich Residenztheater, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Stadttheater Giessen, Theater Freiburg, Staatsschauspiel Saarbrücken, Lubeck Theater, Freies Werkstatt Theater;
Austria: Landestheater Linz, Schauspielhaus Graz;
France: Comédie Française, Theatre du Brianconnais, Theatre Antoine Vitez in Aix en Provence, Mousson d'été Festival;
Canada: Motreal CINARS Biennale Official Programme;
Sweden: Swedish Radio;
Finland: Nordic Drama Corner;
South Korea: South Korea Asia Playwright Festival, Seoul Performing Arts Festival;
Taiwan: Quanta Arts Foundation;
Beijing: Goethe Institute;
Hong Kong: Hong Kong New Vision Festival, International Arts Carnival, Tai Kwun, Fringe Club, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre and On & On Theatre Workshop, etc.
Suhrkamp Theater Verlag represents the copyright of some of his plays.
Theatre works (selected):
2026
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Love Letters From The Cotton Trees (Director)
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Sound Everywhere in the Universe (Writer, Director)
2025
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A night we are still parting (Writer, Director)
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The Wall (Dramaturg)
2024
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The Post Office in Hell Part1 (Writer, Director)
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Goddess (Writer, Director)
2023
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The Sparkling and Swaying Snow (Writer, Director)
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A Haunted VR Conference (Director)
2022
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A Minute Something Else enters (Writer, Director)
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Posthuman Condition (Writer, Director)
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Sound Everywhere in the Universe (Art-tech work in process by EKCC) (Writer, Director)
2021
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Poem in Jail (Tai kwun immersive theatre) (Writer, Director)
2020
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洪水來了，我一個人在台北 (Writer, Director)
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Posthuman Condition (film production by Schauspiel Frankfurt) (Writer)
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How to present the love life of Hong Kong people to Aliens in the time Pandemic (Writer, Director)
2019
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How to present the love life of Hong Kong people to Aliens (Quanta Arts Festival’s Hong Kong Week, Taiwan) (Writer, Director)
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Happily ever after nuclear explosion (South Korea Asia Playwright Festival) (Writer, Director)
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The World as Metaphor and Imagery (Commissioned by Shiu Kee Creativity School) (Writer)
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Goldfish of Berlin (Writer, Director)
2018
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Happily ever after nuclear explosion (World/Stage of Munich Residenztheater) (Playwright)
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The second year of Jianfeng (On & On Cattle Depot Theatre, An adaptation from a Hong Kong novel by Chan Koonchung) (Writer, Director)
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Stream of consciousness (Hong Kong Fringe Club, Immersive Theatre) (Writer, Co-director)
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How to present the love life of Hong Kong people to Aliens (Reframe Theatre) (Writer, Director)
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White Blaze of the morning (Re-run, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre) (Best Play, the 8th Hong Kong Theatre Libre) (Writer, Co-Director)
2017
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Flow of time (Hong Kong Fringe Club, Immersive Theatre) (Writer, Co-director)
2016
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A Concise History of future (Hong Kong New Vision Festival, City Hall, World Premiere) (Writer, Director)
2015
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White Blaze of the morning (EMW Festival of Hong Kong Repertory Theatre) (Best Play, the 8th Hong Kong Theatre Libre) (Writer, Co-Director)
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The Sorrows of Young Yat Sum (Hong Kong International Arts Carnival, Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre) (Writer)
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Les Marchands by Joel Pommerat (On & On Cattle Depot Theatre) (Director)
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Thieves by Dea Loher (On & On Cattle Depot Theatre) (Director)
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The stone by Marius von Mayenberg (On & On Cattle Depot Theatre) (Director)
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Musical (A short play, Royal Holloway Winter Festival at Caryl Churchill Theatre) (Writer, Director)
2014
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I tremble 1 & 2 by Joel Pommerat (On & On Cattle Depot Theatre) (Director, Co-translator)
2012
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Western Xia Hotel (On & On Cattle Depot Theatre, An adaptation from a Taiwan novel by Lo Yijun)( Nominated for the award of the Best Stage Effect of 2013, Hong Kong Theatre Libre) (Writer, Director)
2010
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A Number by Caryl Churchill (On & On Cattle Depot Theatre) (Director and translator)
Other works include
Literature
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《鉛筆擦膠 城市魔幻繪本》 (入選雜誌《讀書好》2009書展100本好書）（文：甄拔濤、圖：KY）
Video
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Nothing gonna change my world– in which he served as the co-scriptwriter and director
(the Best Cinematography of 2013’s 'Fresh Wave Film Awards' in Hong Kong, 'Tel Aviv International Students' Film Festival' and 'Taiwan's Hong Kong Week' in 2014)
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This shore．That shore (Nominated for Taiwan’s ‘Golden Sugar Cane Film Festival’ Competition) (Co-director, 2007)