Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho / 何家祺) is a Toronto-based theatre artist, educator, and Governor General’s Literary Award finalist originally from Hong Kong. His work interrogates colonial lineages, mother tongues, classical European myths, and contemporary diaspora with sharp poetic rigor.
“Shimmering with rich language… a dense, layered text peppered with sharp humour and an idiosyncratic style that leaves lines flying off the stage.”
“Why Not’s Prince Hamlet has riches that reward multiple viewings… a groundbreaking production with deep theatrical presence.”
Tarragon Theatre • Season 2026–2027 • Mainspace
Written by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho)
Directed by Mike Payette
Starring Karen Robinson (Margaret), Christine Horne, Natasha Mumba, Rick Roberts
Margaret, the Chair of her English Department — and the Queen of Etymology — snaps awake, haunted by a nightmare of spiders. As she confides in her love, Henry, that very same spider manifests — speaking, growling, and cursing her. Inspired by Shakespeare’s History Plays, Prophetess excavates etymology to ask: What does it mean to curse or bless oneself? What are the words we choose to define ourselves — and our future?
Texts available for purchase, amateur production licensing, reading copies, and academic curriculum study.
A boy from Hong Kong speaks Cantonese and English to survive in Toronto; a Shakespearean bard reincarnates in a kitchen sink; and a resilient insect refuses extinction.
A blistering double-bill recasting Euripides and Sophocles through queer and youth protest perspectives in the shadow of imperial state power.
Performed at the grand piano, tracing three generations of mothers and sons fleeing Japanese occupation in Hong Kong to a new beginning in Canada.
Jeff frequently collaborates as dramaturg, guest artist, and mentor with institutions including the National Theatre School of Canada, Tarragon Theatre, Factory Theatre, Stratford Festival, and York University. He specializes in classical adaptations, multilingual scripts, musical-dramatic intersections, and queer diasporic narratives.
