One-Woman Play Brings First-Hand Perspective on Hong Kong Protests to Edinburgh

Mimi Martin brings Youth in Flames to the Edinburgh Fringe, her debut one-woman play. Inspired by her teenage years during the infamous 2019 Hong Kong protests, the show explores resistance and the role of young people in political change. In this piece, Martin reflects on the chaos she witnessed, the meaning behind the title and why fiction sometimes tells a deeper truth than fact alone.

Youth in Flames is such a striking title - what does it mean to you, and how did you come to choose it?

During the 2019 protests, Hong Kong was largely referred to as the City in Flames, every time I checked the news there would be images of areas of Hong Kong on fire with the heading underneath - City in Flames. And they weren’t wrong. Figuratively and metaphorically Hong Kong was ablaze, fighting within. Changing it to Youth in Flames, was my way of indicating to the younger generation who were at the forefront of the protests, which many people outside of Hong Kong failed to realise. Children as young as 12, were out there fighting for their home, fighting for their future. The title came quite quickly, Youth in Flames captures the media presence of Hong Kong’s political journey as well as the youth who continue to fight for their democratic rights.

The show is rooted in your experience of being a teenager in Hong Kong during the 2019 protests. What do you remember most vividly about that time?

Similarly to the narrative of the play, I remember somewhat normalising the change that was occurring in Hong Kong, the constant noise and protestors out on the street everyday, life kept moving on. You’d try to take different routes to get to school, avoid certain areas that were considered dangerous, but to be honest, it was mainly just the feeling of chaos. The ‘happening overnight’ feeling, people were being questioned and searched, journalists across the globe were everywhere, and the protests were quickly becoming violent. There was an edge of hostility which was new to Hong Kong, which is what I’ve wanted to capture in this play, the feeling from within. We all saw the news play out, but no one was truly able to capture the feeling, which is why I wrote this play. 

How did it feel to watch the city you called home change so drastically - and so quickly?

Honestly, it was and still is, heartbreaking. Amongst friends and family, we still talk about how Hong Kong as a time we once knew, the entire landscape now completely changed. The last time I went, it felt like I was discovering the city for the first time again but with different feelings. The things I noticed weren't the street vendors, the animals, or the trams but the amount of police, the constant questioning with no justification, and that real awareness that we weren't able to speak freely anymore without sensing that someone would report back. 

Coming of age during political upheaval is something many young people around the world are experiencing now. How did it shape your sense of identity and your view of the world?

When I reflect on my teenage years in Hong Kong, there are definitely moments I chose to deliberately gloss over—it felt easier to pretend that everything was normal rather than confront what was really going on. Witnessing the strength it took for so many young Hong Kong demonstrators to fight for their democratic rights felt surreal - something I’d only ever seen in movies or other distant news stories. I never imagined it would become a part of my reality. I quickly learned that the freedom to speak your mind is not something to take for granted. My understanding of resistance shifted -  no longer being a rebellious act but something rooted in responsibility, especially when others no longer have the freedom to speak for themselves. 

The show is semi-fictionalised. Why was it important for you to weave fiction and reality together rather than telling it as pure memoir?

Youth in Flames isn’t just my story, it’s Hong Kong's story.  It reflects a collective experience during a pivotal moment in the city’s history. A purely autobiographical memoir would have limited the scope to my personal perspective, which felt too narrow to capture the emotional and political complexity of that time. By giving voice to multiple perspectives, I am able to give a more nuanced understanding of what it meant to live during that time.  

What do you hope audiences in Edinburgh take away from the show?

An hour-long show can only cover so much, and I am definitely not able to capture every single detail about Hong Kong’s political journey. But I do hope to provide an insight into a world that will spur an audience to want to learn more about the protests, what’s happening out there, who they can offer support to. I also hope to spark a wider conversation about how young people, time and again, are at the forefront of change.

Youth in Flames will be performed at 7pm in ZOO Playground from 1st – 24th August.

For tickets and more information, visit: https://zoofestival.co.uk/programme/youth-in-flames/