東西薈萃下的哈姆雷特：蜷川幸雄於倫敦巴比肯中心的呈現

最近發現這篇在2004年寫的劇評，已修改了部分內容，我想現在要看Ninagawa親自執導的戲劇作品應該是不可能了。

Hamlet, directed by Yukio Ninagawa
October 2004. Barbican Centre, London, UK.

「這是我第六齣哈姆雷特；我於1970後期執導第一齣哈劇，當時於日本的製作皆為英國製作的翻考。我想翻考並不是正確的做法。我想把哈姆雷特界定為普遍的文本，並同時去發展十分獨特的視覺呈現。」[i]

蜷川幸雄的哈姆雷特，是我們熟悉的、瘋狂的哈姆雷特，但同時的，這個哈姆雷特卻是十分的人性、十分的東方。這是我於倫敦巴比肯中心 (Barbican Centre)觀賞蜷川幸雄所導之哈姆雷特後最深刻的感想。這個由英國演員麥可馬龍尼 (Michael Maloney) 所飾之哈姆雷特，雖仍以傳統莎士比亞演出方式將隱含於無韻詩中之腳色特性傳達出來，但整齣戲最值得一提的則是東西方文化元素的運用及交流，也是基於此一特質，更凸顯了蜷川幸雄導演的哈姆雷特之當代性以及普遍性。

演員為英國人、文本為英國戲劇文化的傳統、演出地點在倫敦，再再傳達了傳統莎劇呈現的訊息。導演仔細的、力求完整的將原劇以新的表現手法呈現於舞台上。就表演看，演員的語言、速度、於舞台上的肢體呈現及態度、對空間上的認知與運用、對腳色的揣摩等等，明講了這是一齣十分傳統的莎劇，以口語陳述配合誇張肢體動作的西方表現式演出，使腳色的情緒刻畫明顯的呈現於觀眾的眼前，如哈姆雷特對奧菲莉亞及其母親狂亂般的情緒表達，或如奧菲莉亞精神上崩潰後瘋狂的舉動，以及哈姆雷特與克洛帝亞及賀拉修間的情感互動。哈姆雷特為所有莎劇中最長的劇本，欲將所有無韻詩完整表達並呈現腳色情緒，演員的速度控制十分重要。此劇所有演員皆能將他們的演出速度拿捏得恰到好處，不過於聲音表達上卻不盡十分理想，尤其在於富含情緒表現時的聲音太小，如當哈姆雷特陳述「to be or not to be」時，於觀眾席後方的觀眾幾乎不可能聽的到他的聲音。

舞台上並無特別的布景與道具，空台的運用就如同莎士比亞時期劇場，舞台效果完全依賴於演員的表演及演員對文本的認知及表現。蜷川幸雄十分成功的打造出傳統莎劇的演出氣氛，並藉由燈光使用，演員將舞台上的抽象空間轉變成實質空間，同時更因無界定出特殊的年代背景，抽象但十分表現式的燈光與服裝更允許空台去變成我們所認知的目前的生活時代。整各舞台實際就像一個大黑箱，其中豎立八條邊緣被切割的纜線，上方懸吊了十二顆或大或小的燈泡。所有的牆壁皆由雙推式的門版組成，並藉由門版及燈泡的應用，舞台可呈現不同的場景。當演員於舞台上，就如同被囚禁於黑色牢獄中，導演似乎是藉由此一設計傳達了哈姆雷特情緒上的壓抑，以及陰謀的被揭發。這一呈現似乎帶出了我們當代人精神上的壓抑及被壓迫，亦帶出了現代人，對於所有可見可聽事物的懷疑及不信任。在此一概念之下，哈姆雷特不單單只是四百年前莎翁比下的哈姆雷特，他似乎仍存活於我們的年代中，或者他早已變成了我們自己的啂某一組成部分，就如蜷川幸雄所言，哈姆雷特具有其普遍性，是關於「徹底的質詢人性，人性的深度及尺度。」[ii]

然而導演為日本人，舞台上出現了一位講流利英文的日本演員，服裝以及表演肢體動作呈現了日本傳統能劇及歌舞伎的影子，而更特殊的則是戲中戲的安排：蜷川幸雄流利的融合了東西方表演藝術的特質，把西方表演藝術的符號表意方式夾入東方高度形式化的姿態與動作，形成具備文化意涵的程式化動作傳遞出普遍性意義的特殊情況。劇中劇的呈現裡蜷川幸雄俐洛流暢的結合了舞蹈以及啞劇。於舞蹈中觀眾可明顯的觀察到舞者服裝為中國、西藏及日本服飾的綜合，於肢體動作上清晰的呈現了西方芭雷、東方武術動作以及現代舞形式，更重要的是面具，此一手法清楚的表達了西藏傳統「藏舞」的使用。於啞劇中蜷川幸雄採用了傳統希臘式長袍，但卻讓演員裸露上身演出，加入了運用男性演員演出女性腳色，此一呈現帶出了去性別化的效果。每位劇中劇演員皆有燭火於前方導引，燭火的運用似乎是帶出了印度戲劇的影響，如同於卡達卡里（Kathakali）舞劇，火光引導了觀眾的注意力集中在演員的舞台呈現上，同時燭火明暗變幻更強化了演員肢體的情緒傳達，塑造出詭訣的舞台氣氛。此時我們所見之哈姆雷特不再是傳統莎士比亞式的舞台呈現，蜷川幸雄將他的哈姆雷特推出了時間與空間的界線。換句話說，此一呈現突顯出莎劇的廣大性並觸及普遍人性的著墨，更普遍化所發生事件的本質，提醒這在當代社會中可能的重出，一併諷刺了當代社會中的現象。當導演把時空限制拔除後，所遺留於舞台上的是所謂的普遍本質，一切偶發事件皆共享的緣由，這實際存在於每個人身上，是與生俱來的，不論其文化、知識、性別、地域等背景為何。

巴赫汀（Bakhtin）提出的「時空型」（Chronotope）[iii]說一切語意上的定義皆需時間與空間的相互運作，這一過程複雜化了意義的展現。若單純從既有意義來看某種表現或者再現，我們只會在多重意義中打轉，進而迷失了自己，正像後現代社會的生存實境，當一切規則與定律皆被不斷地的攻擊與重新定義時，我們生存環境實質上已變成了契柯夫劇作中的「不確定的年代」[iv]，我們所見的都只是無意義的表現，看不見的正是人性的本質。蜷川幸雄藉由其獨特的舞台視覺呈現，以剝洋蔥方式帶出一切存在於當代社會中需要被檢視的本質問題，利用莎士比亞的哈姆雷特來讓觀眾知覺問題所在。這不是一齣將觀眾帶入不自覺的戲劇幻覺作品，而是將觀眾帶入其自我意識中，去思考何謂人性，人性本質為何等問題。戲如人生，蜷川幸雄藉由戲劇清晰無誤地說了人性與人生的概念。

注釋：
[i] 導演蜷川幸雄於接受 Manchester Online 訪問時對其製作作出此段回應。此為筆者之翻譯。節錄自 ‘Not lost in translation’， www.manchesteronline.co.uk/entertainment/theatreanddance/reviews，29 October 2004。
[ii] 導演蜷川幸雄於接受 Telegraph 訪問時所述。此為筆者之翻譯。節錄自 ‘Go east, sweet price’，http://advertising.telegraph.co.uk/arts，20 October 2004。
[iii] 參見，巴赫汀（Mikhail Bakhtin），‘Forms of time and of the Chronotope in the novel’ in The Dialogic Imagination，編輯 Michael Holquist，Austin: University of Texas Press，1981，p.p. 84-258。
[iv] 節自契柯夫（Anton Chekhov）劇本 Platonov ， 參見 The Oxford Chekhov，vol. 2，翻譯 Ronald Hingley，Oxford: Oxford University Press，1967。

Reconsidering Chinese Aesthetics

I have been fascinated by my friend's artwork Monkey Queen (2010), and this fascination leads to me produce this article that reexamines the meaning and function of classical Chinese aesthetics. Created by Bridget O'Leary, an Australian Artist living in Taiwan, this painting is based on the famous image of the Monkey King in Journey to the West. Other than that intention to confirm the effectiveness of Classical aesthetics in the artistic practice nowadays, I have also explored the possible connection between Chinese aesthetics and the contemporary discourses on art and culture. By looking at the concept of hybridity in the artistic practice in globalization, how the artist shows the potential manifestations of the diaspora is also elaborated. This article is now published on the August issue of Modern Art Asia. I do appreciate the journal and the editor for reviewing and publishing my article, but I have to mention that the journal was negligent in the format and accidentally placed a long quotation in the following paragraph. This is a lapse, and it should not affect the readers. If you are interested, click on the link below to read my article:

Minchih Sun, "The Gaze of the Monkey Queen: Reconsidering Chinese Aesthetics," Modern Art Asia 11 (August, 2012).

The article in pdf format is free for download as well. 

I welcome constructive feedback from the readers for it is the best way for me to improve myself in both writing and theoretical reasoning. 

Music breathes: we will survive as long as art is still playful and imaginable

We Will Survive: Igudesman & Joo with Kremer & Kremerata

8 to 88 Musical Education for Children of All Ages

I honestly believe that it is a sin for a person not knowing about Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, or whatever versions that came afterwards. A sin not because of the violation of any established religious doctrines or cliched morality, but one marking a person's ignorance of contemporary culture and vain existence in this world. I do not know since when this song has become a theme song for gay culture, but I guess, other than the meanings of the lyric, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) must have been one of the major factors.

Can pop music be married with classical music, or classical music with pop music? Many would be shocked when they hear this because they are such distinct forms of music. Supporters of classical music would be likely to object that it is not art anymore for art should be sublime, while the drifters in pop culture would contend that the seriousness and rigidity of classical music only kills the vitality in pop music. However reasonable one argues against their unity through big theories, the truth is the baby of this marriage can be amazingly intriguing, as you see in the work of Igudesman & Joo, a collaboration of two musicians who endeavour to bring classical music closer to all. Music in their hands is turned into a hilarious but unique theatrical show. Their playfulness rejuvenates the old and distant classical music, and their superb technique tears away the vulgar face of pop culture. Who would have guessed that the violin can be such a perfect instrument to interpret the deep emotions in I Will Survive, and who would not be cheered by the new variations of classical music juxtaposed with the pop music? This could not be achieve without the musicians great and bold imagination. The ensemble is playful and cheerful, and the music flows smoothly into the heart of its listeners, whose lighthearted reaction in return not only breaks the barrier between the stage and the auditorium, but also releases classical music from its heavy burden.

Is not such a cheerful communication the objective of art? Is not playful a crucial meaning of art? Is not spiritual content a function of art? Is not making everyone know more about everything by bringing them together to see and to feel the social function of art?

The ensemble seems like a spectacle, and it is a spectacle indeed. But this spectacle is no longer a simulacrum as Baudrillard criticizes because, instead of projecting something null and empty, this spectacle reintroduces classical music to its viewers through re-familiarizing them with pop music. Neither is the juxtaposition in this spectacle a pastiche in Jameson's view, since the superb technique successfully combines each element into a harmonious totality in which a new representation is constructed to eschew a dull nostalgia. This new representation is playfulness that shows what the presence is, or borrowing Derrida's term, the "autopresentation" of "pure sensibility." Sensibility comes only with the ability to imagine and feel. Although this sensibility has long been a debatable question in discussions of art, it cannot be denied that art is all about feeling -- be it yours, the artist's, or the critic's. It is feeling that brings art, and music is the most wonderful vehicle for the expression of feelings.

Indeed, as the musicians say: "music breathes." It is alive and so pop and classical music starts this beautiful dialogue. As long as one is willing to open their heart to listen to this fun dialogue, one would finally realize that art is not just about sublime. Art must be playful, cheerful, and imaginable.