2008年10月28日星期二

《紀實與虛構》之「蝸牛」即係「的士」

話說我前幾日執相見到群仔同愛美麗影呢張舊相....

咁自不然去搵下本場刊睇睇啦。呢齣就係2002年「國際綜藝合家歡」,劇場組合 (現PIP劇場) 嘅《細路‧細路‧細路SHOW》。



唔止有群仔,仲有性感女編劇阿詩...



然後今晚睇戲,當阿詩講到阿嫲入元朗睇佢做戲,不斷叫蝸牛做的士時,我腦裡即刻叮一聲,哈,心諗,乜得咁啱呢,早兩日先睇過本場刊喎,仲唔係講緊呢齣....


即係呢,事實證明,阿詩真係喺元朗扮過昆蟲呀,係唔係一隻蝸牛,我就真係唔記得喇 (可惜愛美麗冇同佢影相丫),而佢阿嫲彭月英女士有冇去睇過呢,咁要等性感女編劇話你知喇....

咩話?你唔知我講緊咩?咁你就要去睇睇呢齣戲喇,睇完包保你明晒囉,得番幾場咋,快手喇 ~~

《破地獄與白菊花》(萬聖版)
29.10.2008-1.11.2008 8pm, 1.11.2008 2.30pm香港藝穗會小劇場 $180,  $150 (藝穗會會員, 全日制學生/長者/傷殘人士)
快達票訂票按這裡
相關劇評:【張秉權博士評《破地獄與白菊花》(清明版)

【《細路‧細路‧細路SHOW》劇場組合  4.8.2002 3pm 元朗劇院演藝廳/《破地獄與白菊花》詩人黑盒  28.10.2008 8pm 香港藝穗會小劇場】

2008年10月23日星期四

Those were the days ....

傍晚把一箱箱的貨物帶回家中....甚麼來的呀?

拆開來,很多塵,抹也抹了差不多一小時,亂成一堆....



排好了,佔了廳中很多地方啊。究竟是甚麼來的呢?怎麼有本藍色那麼大的?就先看看它吧....



呵呵,是特大場刊呢,有1996年「春天舞台」的《播音情人》,有洪潮豐呀 ~


有「無人地帶」在2001年在海防博物館內演出的《香港之役─活在背叛愛的時代》,在博物館看演出的機會真的罕有,還有戲是配合館內的歷史。


還有「新域劇團」在2002年為編劇舉辦的《新劇煉獄計劃》,有黃國鉅,莊梅岩,黃詠詩,難得編劇的玉照大大的放在場刊封面。


對,那一大堆都是場刊,是由1990年至2003年部份本地劇團的演出,當中有不少是我這些年儲下來的。數年前與朋友們把它們整理了,成立了一個劇場資料庫,場刊就放了在阿麥書房內,因著書房的擴充,未能再收留它們,現搬回家中,再謀出路。(在此謝謝書房老闆這些年來的協助。)
很想將這些資料與大家分享。

先來些頭盤給大家嘗嘗,當然是有關我喜愛的演員梁祖堯 (我答應了賴啤很久了,見引用網誌)。以下是祖早期的一些演出。

祖的第一齣戲是1996年《嘉士伯戲劇節》,「赤犢劇團」的《同性三分親》。


可恨我當年沒有看到,只看了《選擇性逃亡》,這場刊是《選擇性逃亡》的,所以裡邊沒有阿祖啊。


1997年,阿祖進了演藝學院,也有些校外演出。首先是「春天舞台」的《上海之夜》,擔正的是封面這三位,羅冠蘭,葉童,謝君豪。


看,多麼年輕的梁祖堯!



同一本場刊,發現原來還有好些大家熟識的名字啊,你認得嗎?


原來蝦頭是導演系的嗎?



同是1997年,「觀塘劇團」上演余翰廷編劇的《愛上愛上誰人的新娘》。中間那位就是《同性三分親》的導演鄭傳軍,他慧眼識英雄,當年已稱讚祖有演戲天份。










當然少不了他在演藝最難忘事件第一位,由學院製作,2000年的《屈獄情》。可惜演藝學院的場刊,只得演員表和一些演出資料。


同一齣戲裡,有趙堅堂 (即將演出「影話戲」的《獨坐婚姻介紹所》,詳情按這裡)和湯駿業。


場刊裡沒有相,就只好找在演藝學院網頁內的相片貼貼啦。右為趙堅堂。


(祖的場刊當然不止這些, 有時間再找。相關網誌:【Pumpkin jojo】)
往後陸續再貼些特別的場刊給大家看。

後記 @ 24.10.2008 :謝謝大家的回應, 得在此聲明, 以上有八至九成場刊是我的, 其他的是熱心人士 (包括JC, WY 及 PH) 捐出的。把這些場刊這麼有系統的安排, 實有賴我的朋友們協助, 在此鳴謝 LW, BS, JC, PH, CKT 及阿麥書房借出地方給我們整理資料和存放有關場刊。

我儲存這些資料, 以至成立一個資料庫, 就是覺得香港的劇場紀錄不足。在我的夢想中, 若然有個電影資料館一般的「劇場資料館」就最好, 讓普羅大眾接觸到劇場。這也是我們找阿麥書房放置場刊的原因之一。

現時我只整理了場刊, 心目中最好一齣戲能集合宣傳品, 場刊, 和劇評。這對做研究和教學方面都應該有用, 也能讓更多人回顧這些演出。

2008年10月11日星期六

Mirth Control by Katie Lau @ SCMP


(From South China Morning Post, 10 October 2008)
Mirth control When it comes to raising a laugh, female comedians are finally finding a voice, writes Katie Lau

Humour is largely a male domain on the Hong Kong stage, with names such as Jim Chim Shui-man and Dayo Wong Chi-wah leading the field. However, a few women are making a name for themselves by delivering comedy combining humour and storytelling with intimate takes on life.

Among the best known are Wong Wing-sze and Kearen Pang Sau-wai, who often draw on personal experiences to develop material for their shows. Wong, for instance, came up with the script for her wickedly comical look at death, My Grandmother's Funeral, after her grandparent died two years ago.

It prompted the actress-playwright to do some soul-searching. "I thought to myself, what is life?" Wong recalls. "More than 200 relatives showed up at my grandmother's funeral, but where were they when she was alive? What about me? What would it be like when I die?"

Although her family has run a funeral business for generations, Wong knows little about mourning rituals. Nevertheless, Funeral is an excellent vehicle for her brand of dark humour. The show, which premiered in January, has been so well received it is beginning a third run next week.

Wong says the humour stems from an instinct to laugh her way out of bleak situations. "I laugh because that's how I escape from unpleasant situations. In essence, comedy is tragedy going to the extreme.

"If you can see the humour in a serious situation, you can relieve some of the sorrow. What's important is not the subjects I bring up, but the meaning behind them ... My kind of comedy might be intense and discomfiting, but when the show is over you feel better ... To me, humour is a way of life. It makes your life much easier if you can laugh away your blues," she says.

It's too bad there aren't more gutsy performers like Wong, says clinical psychologist Annie Ho Nim-chee, who used to perform standup herself. Lamenting the dearth of women in comedy, she says: "Hong Kong women can be funny. They just need more courage to express themselves."

Those who have the nerve for it, usually the younger generation of actresses, are seen as trailblazers, says theatre critic Cheung Ping-kuen, who is also head of liberal arts studies at the Academy for Performing Arts.

"While men are often interested in big social issues, women tend to explore their inner emotions. This sensitivity can give women an advantage because they are perceived as more cool," Cheung says. "And women talking about subjects such as sex tend to be seen as groundbreaking and rebellious, whereas men doing the same are likely to be dismissed as tasteless and vulgar."

Wong, an actress with Theatre Ensemble before she took up scriptwriting, says writing for herself suited her. "Going it alone allows me to do whatever I want and I don't have to write five characters to express what I want to say," she says.

Her dark humour shines through in previous productions such as the award-winning Beyond Our Ken and Wetlands of a Woman, a dance-drama exploring themes such as female identity and sexuality, but Funeral is the first of her own works that she has acted in.

Lucia Leung Sin-kwan, a popular blogger on the local theatre scene, is impressed at how Wong challenges audiences by weaving philosophical discussions about love and family into imaginative scenarios infused with offbeat humour. "It isn't like anything I've seen before," she says.

Among her favourites is Wong's play The Happy Valley is Very Happy, about a group of homeless teenagers haunted by the spirit of a girl's dead mother. "It is oddly amusing but very inspirational," says Leung.

Like Wong, Pang embarked on a solo career because she wanted to develop material that was close to her heart. "I wasn't confident enough to write a play and ask others to act in it. I couldn't afford it anyway. So why not do everything myself?" says Pang.

A former member of the Chung Ying Theatre Company, Pang has won audiences over with her combination of expressive body language and sharply observed banter that explores themes ranging from nostalgia to relationships to the transience of life. Women relate particularly to her work, perhaps because the material rings true.

"I don't think much about what the audience wants, but what I want to say and how I say it. It's not necessarily autobiographical but it's deeply personal," says Pang, who was named best comedy actress at this year's Hong Kong Drama Awards.

The writer-actress teamed up with former radio host Juanita Cheng, aka Missy HyperBB, in Sleepless Potatoes, a comedy talk-show poking fun at what keeps Hong Kong women awake at night. Last month, Pang starred in the fifth run of 29+1, her breakthrough play about the dilemmas faced by a woman turning 30.

Her one-woman play captures the dreams and fears of women reaching that milestone with insight and sensitivity. She tells audiences: "Entering your 30s is like having an alarm clock that might go off any minute. The pressure is on. When you catch up with friends, they are not interested in your life but in your skin condition and what skincare products you use."

Despite her slew of comedic successes, Pang refuses to be pigeonholed. "I don't call myself a comedy actress. I just think that humour is essential in getting my message across. My comedy should not just make you laugh, but make you think as well," she says. "But standup is a huge challenge because the audience expects to laugh, not just to be told a story. I get very nervous but I'm game for anything."

At Pip Theatre, "Hatou" Yeung Sze-man isn't ready to go out on her own yet but says she's developing her comic potential under the tutelage of funnyman Chim, its artistic director. "I'm honing my craft here because I have the guidance and encouragement I need. Just playing roles handed to me felt limiting after a while and I wanted to explore what I can be. I hope to be an outstanding female comic but I need to work on my own style first and that may take a while."

Yeung is keen to take on the challenge of standup comedy, but only on her own terms. "To bring it to the local stage, you have to mix it with a bit of drama, role play and other elements. That's how we make it our own," she says.

Yeung also looks to everyday life for inspiration in developing her material. Themes in her new skits include how an obsession with pop idols led to a rethink of her relationship with her father, and finding self-worth in a culture fixated on physical perfection.
"I like to share topics that connect me with others and present them in a way that they can identify with, too."

My Grandmother's Funeral (Halloween version), Oct 14-18, 21-25, 8pm; Oct 25, 2.30pm; Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Rd, Central, $180. HKTicketing: 3128 8288. In Cantonese

Caption: Wong Wing-sze (right) and Kearen Pang (far right) are known for their unique brand of comedy. ; Wong Wing-sze (far right), in My Grandmother's Funeral. Yeung Sze-man's standup performance at Comic One Festival (right).

Photographer: Felix Wong, courtesy of Wong Wing-sze and Pip Cultural Industry

2008年10月7日星期二

朋友,我當你一世朋友



甚麼是朋友?最近時常想這個問題。

「朋友,我當你一秒朋友。朋友,我當你一世朋友... 」

我有很多朋友,一起生活長大的,讀小學中學大學時認識的,出來做事後認識的,在劇場裡認識的,朋友介紹認識的,在blog 裡認識的... 真的不少。

Facebook 有個戶口,那裡有七十多個朋友,由非常熟絡至點頭之交都有,但都是現實裡我認識的朋友 (只有一兩個blog 友還未見過吧)。見到有好些人有幾百個朋友,我時常問他們,你見過這些人嗎?朋友說:不認識呀,但認識多個朋友不好嗎?噢,對呀,現今科技發達,還有所謂 virtual friends,這些朋友不會和你行街睇戲吃飯,但卻可以滔滔不絕地和你傾心事,那算是朋友吧?回心一想,我也憑這片小小的園地認識了不少能交心的朋友呢。

對,交心。對我來說,朋友最緊要是可以交心,那管你是男是女,是哪個途徑認識的。

聽過不少好友反目成仇,不瞅不睬的故事。最近也想逃避一些人與事,也真的不為甚麼 (不是甚麼深仇大恨),只是因為各自開始走著不同的路,會面開始感到不安,因此漸漸越走越遠....

是無奈,是可惜,是心痛....

所以,當我看著《白雪先生灰先生》裡,Wyman 和祖鬥完戲 (氣),然後各自捧著那個 (仿如隔世) 的時菜肉片飯飯盒,默言無語坐在沙發兩端,耳伴響起《最佳損友》,心裡就突然被揪了一下,很酸,淚就在眼眶內打轉。

原來男生間的情誼,也可以和女生沒有多大分別。那種惺惺相惜、互相激勵、爭妍鬥麗、爭風呷醋、歡喜冤家、愛恨交纏的感情,非筆墨所能形容。

我時常覺得,做得朋友,當中一定有愛吧?

當 Y 穿 J 設計的corset 給傳媒拍照令他一炮而紅;或是 J 給患病的 Y 捐腎,表面雖是報復是鬥氣,心底卻是甜是貼心的感受更多吧?朋友,就是肯為你付出而不計較得失。

有愛,就容易生恨。人類的感情就是這麼複雜。於是,當朋友讓你感到失望受傷害時,那種感覺真的很痛,真的「嚴重似情侶講分手」....

記得有個朋友說:無論發生甚麼事,我就是得罪了你,也請你別氣我,你永遠也要當我是朋友。

「朋友,我當你一秒朋友。朋友,我當你一世朋友... 來年陌生的,是昨日最親的某某。總好於那日我沒有,沒有遇過某某.... 」

《白雪先生灰先生》說了很多東西。除了那種知心密友的情誼,還有娛樂圈的明爭暗鬥,一般人對同性戀的label,有人性的軟弱與自私。但因太多東西想說,又要舖排Y與J 的情誼,上半場我覺得有點鬆散。下半場進入戲肉,也因此較集中主線也較好看。唯一覺得 cat 會接受J 並做他經理人是有點突然和牽強,若然能在前段表現出 J是很有潛質 (娛樂圈要出位才可一炮而紅,但也要其人真有實力吧?),那會更有說服力。

Wyman 表現落力,演得很用心。一邊看一邊才記起他演出過不少電影 (也是主角的best friend),這戲多少有點夫子自道吧?他那不斷轉變的做型,在台上與祖互相輝影,沒有誰被誰比下去。Edmond和劉騰的演出鬼馬生動,貓仔在一眾「姊妹」當中,尚幸力保不失。整體是個很不錯的組合,讓我過了輕鬆愉快,笑中帶淚的一晚。

朋友們,繼續努力!

【《白雪先生灰先生》W創作社    27.9.2008 8pm 香港藝術中心壽臣劇院】

PS. 不得不貼貼這首歌,每次聽我都眼濕濕,而你們竟然還把它演了出來,感動到呢...



《最佳損友》
作曲:Eric Kwok    主唱:陳奕迅     填詞:黃偉文

朋友 我當你一秒朋友 朋友 我當你一世朋友
奇怪 過去再不堪回首 懷緬 時時其實還有
朋友 你試過將我營救 朋友 你試過把我批鬥
無法 再與你交心聯手 不竟難得有過最佳損友
從前共你 促膝把酒傾通宵都不夠 我有痛快過你有沒有
很多東西今生只可給你 保守至到永久 別人如何明白透
實實在在踏入過我宇宙 即使相處到 有個裂口
命運決定了 以後再沒法聚頭 但說過去 卻那樣厚
*問我有沒有 確實也沒有 一直躲避的藉口 非甚麼大仇
 為何舊知己 在最後 變不到老友
 不知你是我敵友 已沒法望透 被推著走 跟著生活流
 來年陌生的 是昨日 最親的某某*
生死之交當天不知罕有 到你變節了 至覺未夠
多想一天彼此都不追究 相邀再次喝酒 待葡萄成熟透
但是命運入面每個邂逅 一起走到了 某個路口
是敵與是友 各自也沒有自由 位置變了 各有隊友
REPEAT*
早知解散後 各自有 際遇作導遊
奇就奇在接受了 各自有路走
卻沒人像你讓我 眼淚背著流
嚴重似情侶 講分手
有沒有 確實也沒有 一直躲避的藉口 非甚麼大仇
為何舊知己 在最後 變不到老友
不知你又有沒有 掛念這舊友 或者自己 早就想動頭
來年陌生的 是昨日 最親的某某
總好於那日我沒有 沒有 遇過某某

2008年10月5日星期日

記,三齣戲



《死亡與少女》

《死亡與少女》是改編自奧地利劇作家,諾貝爾文學獎得主艾爾弗雷德‧耶利內克 (Elfriede Jelinek) 的公主系列 (Princess Plays)的兩個短篇《白雪公主》(Snow White) 與《睡美人》(Sleeping Beauty)。

之前沒有接觸過這個劇作家的戲,入場只憑戲展示的一切去了解劇作家想表達的訊息。戲是藉著兩個童話故事的公主角色,來顯示女性在父權主導下被壓抑的角色、童話世界的虛幻、存有的荒謬、死亡的真貌,以致永恆、真理、美、性與愛等命題的探問。劇作家以一段段冗長的,充滿哲理的獨 (對) 白,翻來覆去的辯證方式,來刺激觀眾思考女性的本質。劇本沒有故事性,卻有很大的想像空間。

看完戲後再看了創作人翻譯的中文文本,以及由Gitta Honegger英文翻譯的文本,發覺其可讀性很高,卻不是個容易演繹的文本。

現時所見,創作人非常忠於原著 (沒有刪改文本),只是在首尾作了詮釋。她們以奧地利近期發生的「禁室培慾」事件,對照劇作家文本內所提問的女性議題,也可以說是回應了劇作家一直在奧地利致力揭示社會潛藏的問題。儘管戲的首尾呼應,也帶出了創作人的視野,但綜觀整齣戲,我卻覺得創作人未能把文本的思想發揮得淋漓盡致。劇作家的文字非常有力,卻因為其長長的獨白和反覆辯證的表達方式,加上演員近乎原汁原味,平板的演繹方法,實在不容易令觀眾即場接收明白。除了首尾兩段有關新聞的戲,創作人也嘗試對文本在表演上作出演繹─如開首把巨型毛公仔變了真人演出,一邊播放獨白一邊緩緩的為公主裝扮起來,又或是旁邊加插了類似女性的性虐待錄像 (螢幕太小看得不太清晰) 等等。但我覺得這些演繹有點零散及觸不著癢處,有時反而令我分散了注意力,未能集中留意對白內的文字。

儘管有可以改善的地方,我覺得這是一個值得繼續探索的實驗,希望創作人繼續努力。

PS. 資深劇評人小西的評論:【《死亡與少女》的詰問與嬉戲

【《死亡與少女》前進進戲劇工作坊  6.9.2008 8pm 牛棚劇場】



《卡夫卡的七個箱子》

卡夫卡的戲過往只看過兩齣,包括《蛻變》和《審判》。這次愛麗斯劇場實驗室的《卡夫卡的七個箱子》,藉著卡夫卡的好友馬克斯‧布勞德 (Max Brod) 和崇拜他的年輕人古斯塔夫‧詹努克 (Gustav Janouch)這兩個人物的相遇,再以卡夫卡本人的作品,帶出他的生平,他和父親的關係,他所處的時代,以致他作品的獨特之處。

當然,在一個兩個多小時的製作裡,展示一共十三個卡夫卡的作品,實在未能有很深入的探討,但當中也演繹了不少卡夫卡作品的精彩片段,讓觀眾對這個聞名的作家有了初步的認識。我看後,就希望找他的文章來看看。現場所見,觀眾中也有不少年輕人,希望也能藉此劇能引起他們對這個劇作家的興趣。

劇團也為這個創作印刷了一本厚厚的導賞手冊,內裡有創作人的創作意念,有關卡夫卡的語言文學,他的作品和他人生的關係,以致演員們 (即集體編作人員) 為創作所寫的文章,從多方面讓觀眾了解這個作家。劇場從來不應止於演出的當下,它怎樣啟發觀眾,令觀眾思考和觀照自身才是最重要。

演出方面,我很喜歡演繹《蛻變》,和《頂層樓座》及《饑餓藝術家》那兩段。演繹戈勒各爾 (《蛻變》中的蛻變後的怪物)的梁智聰,及饑餓藝術家的黎浩賢演出不俗。導演對場地的運用,燈光,音響及錄像的設計,都很有心思,也富美感。唯錄像打在那個起伏不平的佈景上,有時看不清楚。

大米寫了一篇較深入的評論,對此劇有興趣可以看看:【《卡夫卡的七個箱子》觀後劄記

【《卡夫卡的七個箱子》愛麗斯劇場實驗室  20.9.2008 8pm 藝穗會劇場】



《再見理想》

入場看是為了Beyond,也為了編劇黃詠詩。坦白說,除了張繼聰和朱凌凌,那一眾的年輕歌手,我是聞所未聞的。

戲圍繞一隊中學時組band的六位成員的成長,和追尋理想的故事。文本方面,情節是有點預期得到,但戲以串連Beyond 的歌曲來說,是做到了歌曲傳情達意。

這絕對是一齣演員的戲,沒有了這班演員相信可觀性較低。張繼聰和朱凌凌唱得又演得我一早知道 (張哭著唱歌的場面令人動容),意外的是關智斌、陳美詩和方皓玟演來也中規中矩。

製作方面,可能因為導演不是劇場人,仍未能擺脫演唱會格局。台上現成有隊「朱凌凌」,怎也不讓他們真的在台上夾夾band,演奏一曲?令我覺得整個戲在說著做音樂,夾band 的理想,卻也變成空談多於一切。

有這麼多年輕歌手掛帥,我以為一定是全院滿座。出乎意料卻只有七成左右觀眾,據聞其他場次銷情也一般。再一次證明理大這個場地不利票房,劇團製作人在考慮演出場地時得留意。

【《再見理想》東亞娛樂/英皇舞台/維高文化/NOUS   21.9.2008 3pm 香港理工大學賽馬會綜藝館】

2008年10月4日星期六

二十年



冇諗過張飛會留得咁耐,keep 咗成廿年囉。
你話以前嘅演唱會飛幾靚呢。