FOCASA Circus’s One to One Hundred was invited to perform at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. At its premiere last night, the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre was filled with applause, laughter, and gasps of amazement. Director Lin Hwai-min said Hong Kong holds profound meaning for him: “I wanted to come here in person and say a proper farewell to Hong Kong audiences.” Directed by Lin Hwai-min, based on the original work by Jimmy Liao, and performed by FOCASA Circus, One to One Hundred chose the prestigious Hong Kong Arts Festival as the first stop of its first international tour. At last night’s premiere, Hong Kong audiences counted down from 100 alongside a young boy performing a handstand; held their breath as a blind girl made her way through a floor covered with balls; and erupted in applause as a young boy climbed atop a towering stack of red chairs rising higher than the theatre’s second-level seating. Hong Kong Arts Festival Programme Director Grace Leung said she was invited to Tainan to see the production in 2025. “Before it was even over, I had already decided to invite it.” Leung described the production as both warm and “unadorned.” “It doesn’t rely on elaborate lighting or sound effects. Instead, it returns to the essence of performance and simply presents a work that leaves you feeling happy and empowered. It is wonderfully suited to families across Hong Kong.”