Mathias Woo is a prominent commentator and the director of local avant-garde art group Zuni Icosacheon, with theater productions that range from historical dramas such as “1587, A Year of No Significance” to political satires, including his popular “East Wing West Wing” series. He talks to June Ng about how and why Hong Kong could do better.

I studied in Britain after I finished Form 5. It was a good experience in terms of culture. In Hong Kong, you can only learn about Western culture secondhand.

When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, Hong Kong was more diverse and yet harmonious. We were unique because the rich and poor lived in the same area, and both enjoyed the same view.

Luxurious residential buildings and big malls tear people apart. We have less social interaction now.

Hong Kong would be much nicer if we preserved our old neighborhoods and street culture, because that would make us closer and care more about one another.

Hong Kong is not perfect because we don’t have a single good museum or cultural facility. I hope that the West Kowloon Cultural District will fill our cultural void.

Hong Kong TV is shit. The local stations are so behind. The government gives them free licenses, and they should use it to facilitate diversity, not bad taste.

TV programs here are also afraid of offending people and always play it somewhat safe—that’s why we don’t have any real comedy here.

I’m actually an architect, but I’ve devoted more than 20 years to the theater instead because it gives me more freedom. Hong Kong architecture is clichéd and static. In theater I can provide alternatives and inspire people.

Persistence is what you need to achieve something great, and I’m talking about at least 10 years. The problem with people now is they only give it two to three years.

Most people in the arts merely treat it as a hobby—something to do after work.

As a voter, I’d rather vote for people like Mad Dog and Long Hair. If we can’t change the regime, I’d prefer watching them make a fuss.

Vote by foot, not by ballot—this is the only way to get our voices heard, the only way to put pressure on the government.

Our government’s not the smartest and that’s why it’s also not the best—they’re anti-intellectual, and the executive branch is not endorsed by any sort of election.

“Saturday Night Live” is what we like to compare “East Wing West Wing” to. It’s based on what’s happening at the moment. The new “East Wing West Wing” is about Hong Kong’s civil servants.

Look at all the typos and grammatical mistakes on our government’s websites.

We have officials with low language proficiency, and that’s why we have a sloppy government—language reflects one’s thinking.

The high-ranking government officials are hypocrites. They keep saying we have a world-class education system here but they’ve all sent their kids overseas.

Hong Kong used to be more bilingual. Our strength was knowing the best of both worlds because we were bilingual, but not anymore—the mainstream media is turning teenagers against English.

I was born Catholic but I seldom go to church here. Architecturally speaking, the churches here are ugly. Real Christians should build a better church to celebrate God.

Christianity in Hong Kong is sort of a vacation for the mind—people go to church to vent their emotions and detoxify their soul.

Real Christianity is about sacrifice though, and who is really doing that these days?