King Lear     XXXX

This is a one-man Lear adapted and performed (in Mandarin with English surtitles) by Wu Hsing-kuo. This is highly original – actors do not usually take on the mammoth task of becoming Lear and all those around him. However, this is a triumphant achievement, which becomes more impressive and moving as it moves towards its close.

Wu Hsing-kuo appears as a traditional figure in a long white beard and long robes at first. But after a while these are thrown off, and I did feel that the unbearded performer, who was able to use his own body and features to move between characters, was more effective. Further costuming is used for the cruel daughters, and this transformation was impressive. The central section involving Lear’s Fool seemed to me to go on too long; the points being made had become apparent.

The best was saved for last, though – after  nearly two hours of demanding solo performance. We come to the section where Edgar is with his blind father, Gloucester – whose folly has contributed to where Edgar now is. He could kill the father – but his filial devotion is not diverted, in a way any good Confucian would approve of. The placing of Gloucester on a high rock changed the feeling of this scene – he usually just falls forward – he has been quite deluded about the height.

From this point things gain real depth, and we have a soliloquy about self-hatred and the difficulty of accepting the true self when it is seen which could very well have come from Lear’s lips. The accompanying add much to the experience of this performance, and this becomes increasingly so in the latter part of the play. They deserve full marks for adding much drama and emotion to a solo performance that is deeply memorable and exceptional.

The Tempest     XXXX

Edinburth International Festival. The Mokwha Repertory Company

King’s Theatre.

This is the European premiere, adapted and directed by Tae-Suk Oh,  of a version of this late Shakespeare play, which follows much of the story of Shakespeare’s Tempest quite closely, but is re-focused through the prism of the fifth century Korean tale, The Chronicles of Three Kingdoms.

Thus we have a wonderfully dramatic storm, the (earlier than usual) meeting of Miranda and Ferdinand figures; a female Ariel who is more fun and gentler than is usual in Shakespeare,  and less of a mere servant; a Caliban who is two-headed and who is separated into two quarrelling fools at the close by Prospero; and a chorus – delightful in various guises – who wish to end as rabbits who can burrow to the North. And one of the last things we see is them scampering off in that direction.

It was remarkable to encounter such a light, fun approach to the political situation in the two Koreas. But this was in keeping with the very warm and unaggressive feeling to the whole show, where the Prospero figure seemed to have less of a dark undercurrent than usual. This was a very warmly entertaining show, with exceptional ensemble acting. The Buddhist influence upon the story here seemed to serve to emphasise further the elements of understanding, reconciliation and forgiveness in the original, along with very welcome impish humour. A really splendid ninety minutes of theatre.

The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan  

This is a performance that grew on me more and more as I watched it. Some things really should not have worked. A dwarf Polonius figure who rolls and gambols as he dies. The absence of the foreign (Norwegian) threat.  Many things that at first are strange  blend into the whole experience in due course.

At the interval I was wondering how things were to end with no Laertes figure – but he appeared and strongly as soon as we went back in. And we saw him observing his sister’s distress and despair. Ophelia’s costumes are ravishing at times, as is much of the cast’s apparel – the tall shoes, made, I’m told, from paper, and the amazing headdresses which make some of the cast look a little like Preying Mantis.

This is a different Hamlet, with some humour, but also with intensity, especially when Hamlet has the chance to kill his uncle at prayer, when he encounters Ophelia’s burial, and the elaborately ritualised final scene. This was a show that was visually sumptuous, with images that will remain long on the retina. It is also a new experience of Hamlet which will add new elements to what we expect when seeing this play.

Here was a living legend – someone many of us listened to in the 60s at the time when he was an inspiration to George Harrison and thus to the Beatles, and whom some of us have continued to listen to as he has done things like produce albums jointly with Japanese musicians. He is now 91 (or 92 – there seems to be some disagreement!) but, despite the fact that his wife is said to have expressed concern that she may have to go out and pick him up from the stage one night, he just loves performing. And judging by tonight’s standing ovation in a crowded Usher Hall many of us love hearing his music.

There was a variety of shorter and longer pieces, and the second main raga, allowing for  some improvisation, was one I recognised as being on an old vinyl LP I still have from the 60s – thankfully others afterwards had the same connection.

There were seven on stage including a comely Japanese lad who helped Ravi onstage and tuned his guitar –one of his students, as was the guy from California with his cello.  Very notable was Tanmoy Bose on tabla, who was excitingly vigorous when that was needed. Ravichandra Kulur on flute also added much depth and attractiveness to the music.

Even though the concert went on beyond the stated time it was a great pity that it had to come to an end. It is just extremely good that Ravi Shankar is still out there producing brilliant Indian classical music. Long may he continue to do so!

This dance performance was visually stunning, with sets that could make one think one was visiting a contemporary art gallery. The large company of dancers was wonderfully fluid and synchronised. Du Liniang is a wealthy girl who dreams, and two alter egos appear  as she wakes. She returns to her dream and there meets the handsome Liu Mengmei. She knows deep love in her dream.

Reality no longer satisfies her, and she asks one of her alter egos, the Flower Goddess, to take her back to her dream. Death appears with ghosts and she dies for love. She experiences hell, but Liu Mengmei remains true to the love he met in a dream, keeps her portrait with him, and the Infernal Judge in hell releases Liniang back to life – and then things look up! ( A gentler treatment of “sinners” than in Dante!)

The set pieces such as the scenes in hell and the wedding are ravishing – the performance ends with a real treat for the eyes. Wonderful as this show is, the group choreography is not very adventurous, and the pas de deux could have been more thrilling. The music blends many early 20^th century western sources, and it was good to hear familiar bits of Debussy and Prokofiev, for example.

For anyone who loves a romantic dance spectacle this performance is to be recommended.

The first night of this two-evening show was electrifying. We began with the story of how King Shahrayar comes to distrust all women such that he takes a new wife each night only to execute her in the morning. And the coming of Shahrazad, who keeps him listening to her stories night after night…  We then delve into the stories, especially that of The Porter and the Three Ladies, which leads into many other stories. We have here the “onion” system, whereby stories start in the middle of someone else’s story, and when you are wanting to know what happens next maybe four times over it is very difficult to walk away!

The acting was exuberant, touching, and, especially in the second half of the first night, very funny. The King of China’s Favourite Hunchback was splendidly realised. There are here no  magic carpets or Ali Baba, as we are dealing with stories from the earliest tenth century manuscripts, not French additions from centuries later.

It is not the magic of wishes granted here as the much more difficult magic of relationships: the complexity of relationships between men and women, and especially the problems women have with men. The problems caused by male assumptions of power were the cause of much pain and hilarity on the first night; however, on the second night things seemed to become more predictable, and it seemed as though the same points were being made over, and the humour was increasingly obvious.

Thus, whilst the first night was a great time of exuberant enjoyment, the second night it seemed as though that could not be maintained; the temperature seemed lower,  the material thinner, the acting less committed – even in the final reconciliation, which was a real pity. Thus the above rating is really an amalgam – of five stars for the first night and three for the second. However, the first night was sheer magic!

This is classical Indian dance, involving the praise of Sri, the mother goddess, and celebrating the love of Radha and Krishna. The Great Govind, the romantic ballad telling of the love of Radha for her immortal love and husband Krishna is very beautiful.

The dancing is extremely captivating and fluid. The costumes are gorgeous, and the lighting does them justice. The music is dynamic and uplifting.

There are five sections to the programme, and the final, Vibhakta, involves Shiva, the male principle, singing his adoration of his female other half, and Shivah, the female aspect, describing the glory of her counterpart.  The dance underlines the beauty of the affections described.

Altogether a very satisfying evening, which transports you from the bustle of this frantic Festival city to another kind of world, where beauty, grace and love are paramount.