Push beyond limits

When cast as Macbeth in the titular gala production, Arthur Chan reminisces with both gusto and nostalgia about how the director kept urging him: "'Give me more! I think you can deliver more!' It was her adamant, unconditional faith in me that prodded me through the self-exploration journey where my assumed limitations gave way to unlocked potentials," he says.

His brother, Oliver Chan, who is also currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in London, is a true embodiment of "coming out of the shy shell" to shine. "I used to be extremely unconfident," he says. "But when I joined the S4A program, I was assigned a major role in a play. I couldn't afford to stay not being confident because everyone — my fellow actors, friends and the assistant directors — had high expectations of me. Their unwavering faith in my ability pushed me to rise to the challenge and meet their standards." Over time, this external confidence began to seep into his internal composure, transforming him from within.

The stage created is a "safe valve", as Arthur Chan calls it — a sanctuary for artistic articulation, capability enrichment and social skill development — stripped of judgment, rigid answers, and the caste system so prevalent in the real world. "We were taught both onstage and offstage how to navigate all sorts of social dynamics," he says, reflecting on the close-knit, but occasionally tense community.

On the surface, the program revolves around theatrical performance. But, at its core, it all boils down to boundary pushing of oneself and discovery of every individual's astonishingly untapped potential.

"This girl, from Hong Kong, who looks like Adele, was the Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (S4A's 2017 production). She's living with a learning disability," Peaker says, clearly amazed, as he flips through the photos.

"This young man, I think he's 14, crossed the border from Shenzhen. He could barely speak English at first. How did he catch up? He wrote all the English words in Chinese and then memorized them in English. By the end of the summer, he was absolutely proud that he could speak Shakespeare's English, and his story isn't unique," he adds.

While Arthur Chan has had to "retire "from the acting troupe as he was turning 17, he retreated to behind the scenes as a volunteer, helping younger actors to find their "voice" — artistically, socially and individually — within the inclusive Shakespeare globe. "While volunteering throughout the production, I saw a reflection of myself — the challenges I had once battled — in the younger actors," he says. "Sometimes, they felt overwhelmed and disheartened. Seeing their struggles reminded me of my own journey, and I felt proud to be confident, mature and empathetic enough to support and ground them. It was a profound discovery of my own self-worth in my personal journey."

Young actors come and go, yet circle back to retell, refine and rekindle their fervor — not just for Shakespeare's drama, but for the blossoming self-confidence that continues to weave through their lives' narratives.