12漂離市中心 > Review
If William Shakespeare were alive today, he would probably be flabbergasted by the array of artists rifling of for some, plundering - his works for inspiration. And this trend is not simply a streak among populist theatre companies doing loyal readings of the Bard's plays - even leftfield groups have managed to find material fertile ground for experimentation.
Even Loco/motion 21 uses Romeo And Juliet as its operational pivot, although 20 Beans + A Box would probably plead not guilty when being lumped in with their myriad peers who have jumped on the Shakespearean bandwagon. Their case is strong: indeed, even the most causal audience member could see that their ambition lies beyond a fragmented, post-modern reinterpretation of the romantic tragedy.
The story, in fact, is just a means to achieve an end - and that, apparently, is a look into the aesthetics of storytelling. It was obvious from the start that it is no ordinary Shakespearean tribute, because it starts from the story's end. Never mind, because it is not a liberal reading anyway.
As the play moves on, the cast repetitively reassembles parts of the text but in several contexts and styles, through banal physical gestures, through snippets of recorded dialogue, or a television screen broadcasting the play's introductory passage.
Accompanied by sweeping operatic arias and equally effervescent orchestral pomp, the play gradually takes on an ethereal sheen, as subtexts on more earthly matters such s love and survival drift in and out.
Their imaginative use of space is an encouraging plus. Deliberately stripping the stage bare, the cast was left with one big chasm - a well thought-out strategy considering the emphasis they put on physical movement.
Enlightening on a creative level, the cast's indulgence inevitably crossed the line when they strayed from basing their muses on a concrete text. As Romeo And Juliet, as a tool, fades away towards the end, the shuffles become increasingly tedious and mystifying.
For a play in this vein to carry on for nearly 90 minutes, director Pang Ka-wing took a serious gamble, and its fair to say he achieve much but not without glaring flaws. Meanwhile, his thinly veiled mockery on dated storytelling conventions would probably send quite a few shivers down the backs of local mainstream theatre companies. Shakespeare, the progressive chap the undoubtedly was, would probably give Pang an approving nod.
Clarence Tsui, South China Morning Post, September, 1999
