2010.01 挪威沒有森林 (No)rwegian Wood rerun

Has it only been one year? And yet, in the past year we have all grown so much!

After a year, I'm seeing Haruka really digest Naoko, and come to discover a new core to this awkward, beautiful character. Meanwhile, Hin-yan is really stepping forth as an actor. We nudged him across the line from musician to actor in this very play, and the past year he's just waded deeper and deeper in this acting thing. It's great to see him develop a new sensibility in his body, and also beginning to share some of what he has learnt from the theatre work (body, voice warm ups) with his fellow activists. Meanwhile, Walter is glowing. I was never quite convinced he had nailed Toru last time, but now there is a new energy, new charisma, a new steadiness to his work. It's fascinating to be confronted with a character that you don't completely understand, and definitely an honour to be with someone on this search.

One year on, this time with a proper budget for set and time to tweak the ending....here we are again: a tale, inspired by the Murakami novel, directed by Adrian, of how there is no forest in Norway.
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挪威根本沒有森林。


這不過是村上先生的誤譯，然後大家就約定俗成了一個幻想。但一想到會在這個沒有存在過的森林裹再遇到他，跟他一邊聽著披頭四一邊喝啤酒，總覺得不可思議。村上先生微笑不語，注視著啤酒的泡沫，把耳筒除低將ipod關上還給我，說這好像缺少了一點什麼。之後把啤酒喝完，摸著杯邊冰凍的水珠說謝謝了，很好喝的啤酒。而我的那杯還是原封不動。
這是我想像中跟村上先生最坦誠的對話。
以村上常用的二元平行敘事手法，渡邊遊走於直子和綠兩個虛構世界，火紅年代的日本對照著後六四的香港，訴說著一個挪威沒有森林的故事。

導演 楊振業
文本 楊振業 甄拔濤
形體 周可凡
音樂 黄衍仁
佈景設計 徐碩朋
燈光設計 施駿興
錄像設計 張志佳
平面設計 kikiwong
演員 梁遠光 芦田悠 齊釨湮 李穎兒 黄衍仁
舞台監督 彭善紋
宣傳及票務 楊一葦
監製 梁曉端

1-3.1.2010, 8pm
2-3.1.2010, 3pm
JCCAC 賽馬會創意藝術中心黑盒劇場
票價 $120, $80*
*全日制學生、六十歲或以上高齡人士、殘疾人士及綜援受惠人


> 挪威沒有森林 facebook group

2009.12: Wander, a Human Landscape

Following The Long Walk and The Moth Ball, the Asian People's Theatre Festival Society brings you yet another collaboration between Hong Kong and the best community artists from the United Kingdom, this time with the famous inclusive dance group, Blue Eyed Soul in "Wander: a human landscape." 

繼《行行重行行音樂旅程》及《絲綢之路 1 之飛蛾舞會》後，亞洲民眾戲劇節協會再一次帶來英港共融社區藝術計劃－《遊蕩於人生風景》！

這臺演出溶合了舞蹈和影像，探索那時刻改變的身體，它的起伏曲線、結構、節奏和建築。表演者與觀眾都踏上一個人的旅程，釋放他們的感覺，刺激他們的幻想。來自英國 Shrewsbury 的藍眼晴靈魂舞團透過現代舞和接觸即興的媒介讓傷健人士走在一起表達創意。

Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company works with disabled and non-disabled people through the medium of contemporary dance and contact improvisation. "Wander: a human landscape" fuses dance and video to explore the ever-changing scenery of the body, its contours, structure, rhythms and architecture, inviting both performer and audience to travel on a human journey that will awake the senses and stimulate the imagination.

2009.12.18 (五 Fri) - 8pm
2009.12.19 (六 Sat) - 3pm, 8pm*
賽馬會創意藝術中心黑盒劇場 Black Box Theatre, JCCAC

Production Team
監製 Producer:
莫昭如 Mok Chiu Yu 余桂玉 Elisa Yu
製作統籌 Production Coordinator:
吳文基 Eric Ng
導演 Director: Rachel Freeman

助理導演 Assistant Director: Tids Pickard
錄像及數碼媒體 Video and Digital Media Artist: Arnim Friess
導演助理 Assistants to Director: 丸仔 yuenjie 周可凡 Hofan Chau
舞者 Dancers: 共生舞團 Symbiotic Dance Troupe
共生舞團統籌 Coordinator of Symbiotic Dance Troupe: 黃玉明 Wong Yuk Ming
技術統籌 Technical Director: 陳結榮 Wingo Chan

Photos in this entry taken by: Arnim Friess
> Website : http://www.cccd.hk/Wander/Wander.htm

2009.09 Theatre of Silence - "Creation"

Date: 26 Sept (8pm), 27 Sept (3pm) 2009
Venue: Theatre of Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre

Since my forays into sign language for Hallelujah, I was invited by Theatre of Silence, HK's hearing-impaired theatre ensemble, to join them in their upcoming production. I'm both excited, honoured and daunted by this prospect...

--

Creation is a fascinating journey from the beginning of time to the future. Members of Theatre of the Silence (TOS) will lead the audience on an adventure incorporating visual theatre and visual poetry – crafting body movements and gestures into a work of art. The beginnings of everything, the explosion of our galaxy, the creation of space, the appearance of the Earth, life spreading over the planet, and an exploration of what the future may hold -- all of these are created with nothing more than the performers’ bodies and the audience’s imagination.

TOS was founded in 2000 by a group of hearing impaired theatre artists in Hong Kong. With the superb body movements of its members, TOS produces theatres that fill with unique and alternative aesthetics. TOS was selected as "The Best Theatre with a Difference" of the "Asia's Best" by TIME Magazine in 2005 and its members are outstanding cultural ambassadors of Hong Kong.

> Theatre of Silence's own website
> news clipping from South China Morning Post (Jul 08) about their work
> another news clipping from Ming Pao (Aug 08)

2009.06 Alice Dreamosis 植夢的愛麗思

Alice. Call me Alice.
Alice of your imagination.
Alice in Bed.
Alice in Wonderland.
Elise für Beethoven
Alice James as a metaphor for Susan Sontag's play.
Against Interpretation,
Under the Sign of Saturn,
I lie here, ill in bed.
Perhaps I cannot even be called Alice…
Because if this world is collectively sick,
Then I cannot be said to be ill.

Date： 2009.06.26-28 (Fri-Sun) 8pm
Place： Cattle Depot
前進進牛棚劇場 (九龍土瓜灣馬頭角道63號牛棚藝術村7號)
$120 adult / $70 concession

Using Susan Sontag’s play, Alice in Bed, as a blueprint, the play's main character is an imaginative fusion of Alice James (novelist Henry James’ younger sister) and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Veering between realism and surrealism, this play unfolds in a number of scenes concerning illness, female confinement, and the limits and triumphs of the imagination..

Production team
導演 / 編作演員： 胡美寶
形體 / 編作演員： 周可凡
文字 / 錄像設計 / 演員： 楊振業
音樂 / 編作演員： 黃衍仁
佈景 / 服裝設計： 徐碩朋
燈光設計： 李智偉
編作演員 ： 溫玉茹 郭麗敏 戴綺媚 何健汶 何敏文 胡萃華

Part of the Sidekick Experimental Theatre Festival
(超連結牛棚實驗劇場節2009)

2009.06: Hallelujah

June 12-14, 2009 @ Jockey Club Creative Arts Center
A 10 minute dance piece inspired by the Leonard Cohen song of the same name; in a longer evening of dances in New Dance Platform 2009: 「非常搞嘢」.

Sacred or profane, holy or broken -- what does it mean to feel
gratitude in a world that is at times baffling, violent or joyous?

Created and performed by:
Hofan Chau, Walter Leung, Joshua Wolper and Hin-yan Wong,
with special help from: Haruka Ashida & Edwin Chan (sign language)

> watch trailer (video)

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New Dance Platform 「自主舞蹈創作平台」

「自主舞蹈創作平台」 是一個獨立、自由、自主的舞蹈創作平台。期望透過這個平台長遠能鼓勵並發掘更多有潛質的舞壇創作人，為他們提供一個進行創作及發表作品的空間。「自主舞蹈 創作平台」可以協助本地舞壇新晉將其意念及理想轉化為演出，讓他們能有一個與公眾分享作品及發表創作之機會。

搞嘢總監：馬才和
昅住搞嘢人(搞嘢顧問)：黎海寧、王榮祿、周佩韻及嚴明然
搞嘢人：思佳、盤偉信、李以珊、曹德寶、小丸子(羅雪芬及何蕤渟)、
望日劇場(周可凡、黃衍仁、芦田悠、梁遠光及胡萃華)
客席表演者：李耀誠, 梁卓堃

2009.02: The Foundling

Well, Burnt Mango certainly has been prolific! Our latest production about a feral child is directed by Haruka Ashida Ostley.

The Foundling, Fringe Theatre
dir. Haruka Ashida 芦田悠

12th - 14th February ( 8pm)
14th February ( 3pm)

Actors 演員:
Haruka Ashida 芦田悠 as Wendy, the Foundling
Hofan Chau 周可凡 as Maricel, the maid
Joshua Wolper as Frank Ho, the father
Amy Tam as Gladys Ho, the mother
Andrew Huang as Alex Ho, the son

Music Direction: Wong hin-yan 黄衍仁
Voice Direction: Walter Leung 梁遠光
Movement : Hofan Chau 周可凡
Lighting Design: PC Sei
Stage Manager: Olive Pang

Abandoned by her parents and raised by dogs, fourteen-year-old Wendy has been adopted into her uncle ’s family. Her canine upbringing makes it difficult for anyone to truly accept her, but it is her inability to comprehend human language which gains their trust. Slowly Wendy uncovers a different kind of abandonment in her new home, for it is a place of secrete frustrations, until an event makes her presence in the family become more crucial than ever.

It's been a while since I acted. Here's a couple of journal entries about finding my character of Maricel, the Filipina maid:
> Wrapping my tongue around Maricel's text
> Heroes can mean a house with chickens

2008.11: 挪威沒有森林 (No)rwegian Wood

Burnt Mango's next production is directed by Adrian Yeung! and reunited core cast members from Concrete Jungle Berzerk!

Inspired by Haruki Murakami's best-selling novel and part of the 樹寧‧現在式單位 第二屆「新鮮‧新動力」藝術節, Hofan is movement director for this upcoming show:

許多他們所追求的，都已失去，
再也不能從這裡前進，也無法回頭，
只能永遠留在陰暗森林的深處，
在八九年仲夏之後。

由《挪威的森林》出發，採用村上常用的二元平衡敘事手法，渡邊遊走於直子與綠兩個虛構世界，火紅年代的日本對照著後六四的香港，訴說一個關於挪威沒有森林的愛情故事。

2008年11月28(五)至30日(日)　　　　　　 8pm
2008年11月30日(日) 　　　　　　　　3pm
香港藝術中心麥高利小劇場

Director 導演 楊振業
Text 文本 甄拔濤 吳紹熙 楊振業
Movement 形體 周可凡
Actors 演員 梁遠光 芦田悠 齊釨湮 李穎兒 黄衍仁

Music / Poster Design 音樂　平面設計 黄衍仁
Video 錄像 張志佳
Lighting 燈光 施駿興
Stage Manager 舞台監督 鄧惠詩
Deputy Stage Manager 執行舞台監督 Dn
Assistant Stage Managers 助理舞台監督 柯映彤　蔡大豐

> www.burntmango.org/norwegianwood/

2008.09: 《這一半 那一半》 Half & Half

一班人，隨緣而相聚，與《流浪》、《共舞》的作者一同用身體探索半杯水的意義，爆發一小時的身體能量。 Inspired by Jeff Ong's biographical writings "Wandering in France with Leukemia" and "Dancing with Mary and Blood Cancer", members of Kongtact Square reflect upon experiencing life at its brink.

Kongtact Square 製作
6.9.2008 (星期六Sat) 5:30pm & 8:00pm

即興演出 Improvisers：
Force、Cyrus Hui、天明、Sally Chow、David Leung、Elaine Kwok、Gary Lee、Carfield Li、Jeff、可凡、丸仔
現場音樂及作曲 Live music and composition：
Hin-yan
音樂編輯 Music editing： 天明
概念 Concept： Force、Sally Chow、可凡、天明、Cyrus Hui
監製 Producer： Force



一位患有血癌的作者，由《帶著血癌到法國流浪》開始，到《帶著血癌與瑪麗共舞》。無意地告訴了我們，面對生命的大限，除了要笑，也只有記得笑。
「法國」和「瑪麗」都是醫院的名稱，好與壞，實在在乎自己怎樣演繹。

情形就好像一杯半滿的水，這些人嫌棄失去了一半，那些人感激積累了一半。

你在橋上看風景，橋下的人在看你。

不同的世界，不同的夢想。

2008.07: The Pearl Sea Project

Dancer for a month-long choreography project with New York choreographer Robert Wood and company: 25 July, Ac Hall / HK Baptist University.

It was great to be dancing again, and be directed after a year of being directed.
> Journal entries: Part I | Part II | Part III

2008.04: 石屎森林 Concrete Jungle Berzerk!

After the work-in-progress showing, Dan flew home, and the project cast three new actors and came to its conclusion in 3 nights of (full house) performance at the Fringe Theatre in Central.

> official homepage for the show (with photos)
> see a video clip of the show


A Burnt Mango Dance Theatre production
Fringe Theatre 藝穗會劇院 - 2008.4.18-19 (五、六) 8pm

Director 導演 : Hofan Chau (周可凡),
with the assistance of Daniel Finkel
Music Director 音樂創作 : Hin-yan Wong (黄衍仁)
Actors / co-creators 創作演員 :
Haruka Ashida, Josephine Chai (齊釨湮) ,
Victor d'Aqunio ( 杜維德 ), Wynne Lee (李穎兒),
Walter Leung (梁遠光), Ken Wong (黃敬容),
Cici Wong (黃亭陶) & Adrian Yeung (楊振業)


Berzerk related journal entries:
> Reflections, one year later

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2007.09-10: Liminal workshop

For a month (Sept 10-Oct 10) Hofan took a course at the Cattle Depot with Liminal Theatre, which cumulated with some showings of Seneca's Oedipus by Ted Hughes

> Liminal training workshop
> 學員訪談分享紀錄

Hofan's blog entries on the workshop:
> Day One | Day Five | Day Six to Ten | Day Twenty | Day Twenty-Two

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2007.09: Kongtact Square performance

9th September, CCDC Dance Center.
A relatively relaxed performance with Hong Kong's Contact Improvisation group. Hofan took the opportunity to experiment with a duet and a chorus of five.

> Kongtact Square's website

2007.01-02: Return to the Overcoat

Q: How do you feel about returning to play in the Overcoat with Theatre du Pif after a two year gap. Do you sense any difference in your performance after two years of study in Paris/London?

H: It's fun to return to (yet another) rerun of the same play, because it gives me a point of comparison. In rehearsal, the thing that struck me the most was how large a range one has to interpret each line... how each line can be flexed and thrown in many different ways to convey different nuances of emotion. I don’t think I was aware of this range two years ago.

I also have a much deeper respect for the construction of the play. It's a really well constructed piece, and now I can appreciate it in a way that I wasn't completely aware of before. And because half of the cast is new, this time around I am aware of the different possibilities.

I did find myself itching in the earlier rehearsals to give my opinion about this and that to Bonni. I guess after two years of training you learn to be quite opinionated and think that you know a lot about "what makes a play work." In fact, in Lecoq if you don't speak up then you'll never get to create the piece you want because everything is group directed. However, here I am hired in a different relationship, and I need to respect the boundaries of this relationship. Because it is not so helpful sometimes for a director to get so many opinions from all directions; and I really trust Bonni's theatre sense. It may just be that she is thinking of something else at that particular moment; or that she wants to bring out a different quality. So my role is to work on my performance, and I give comments on the scenes that I'm involved in.

Right before rehearsals started I watched another production of Theatre du Pif's, "Nocturne Vista," based on the writings of Franz Kafka. I was struck by particular moments or particular gestures in that performance: Kar Fei's entry as the Boss, Sean's transformation into the cockcroach; Bonni's swallowing gesture as a vulture. Those sudden moments of clarity: when an actor's presence leaps across the gap and sears a mark in you as an audience member. And I was much inspired by that. I thought, that's what I need to practice as a performer.

And as I rehearse, I realise that it has very much to do with the sincerity of performance. As I am in so many scenes, there are no "good nights" or "bad nights" really any more; because every night there will be a scene, or even a line, that surprises me. And so it's become a matter of keeping myself open to be surprised. Because there are so many ways in which a line can be true. If a scene needs to be a bluish colour there are the possibilities in the palette from ultramarine to slate blue-grey. Mmm – how fun.

________________________

The Overcoat - Theatre du Pif
17-20 Jan, 2007: Fringe Club (HK) 8pm
8 -10 Feb, 2007: Drama Centre Black Box (Singapore), 8pm

2006.12-2007.03: 我家有個大門神

After two and something months of puppet making, rehearsals, etc our show finally hit the road. Our first show was at Tze Wan Shan housing estate, between a shopping center and their football basketball pitches. Frankly, I was surprised at how magical the big puppets were to the children.

This show has a large audience participation component, in which the puppeteer team has 45 minutes to train a group of audience members in flag waving, a shield dance and puppet manipulation. So the bulk of my work in this show is less in performance and more in teaching the children or whoever shows up their moves.

In the end I got a strong sense that pull of this show is really not on the acting, singing or even the script. The crowd yesterday sat through basically two runs (dress and the actual performance) because they wanted to watch their child or neighbours in their community perform. And so kids tripped over their flags, the formations were a complete mess, but at the end of the day, none of that mattered. They were having fun.

Eleven more shows to go...

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我家有個大門神 "The Doorgods of my home"

(Sundays: 1pm audience participation, 3pm performance)
10/12/2006 葵芳邨羅馬廣場
17/12/2006 粉嶺華明邨露天劇場
07/01/2007 赤柱廣場
14/01/2007 香港文化中心廣場C區
21/01/2007 大埔中央廣場
28/01/2007 愛東邨露天廣場
25/02/2007 天頌苑露天廣場
11/02/2007 秀茂坪廣場
11/03/2007 西貢海濱公園
18/03/2007 沙田大會堂廣場
25/03/2007 屯門公園（屯門大會堂）