Beijing, July 7 (Zhongxin Net) -- Electric pianos, guitars, African drums, accompanied by soft singing, Beijing Renyi Xinpai Small Theater drama "Hamlet" recently opened with this opening to the audience. From the intuitive feeling brought by the stage form and the actor's dress, to the understanding and presentation of the stage performance and the relationship between the characters, this work shows "different" everywhere.
Just as a thousand people have a thousand Hamlets in their hearts, each creator who interprets this work also has his own perspective. Beijing Renyi created a small theater version of "Hamlet" for the first time, bringing a modern expression of classic works with the interpretation of the all-youth lineup. As an experimental exploration, Hamlet changes the traditional story of revenge, and instead strives to project everyone's growth and confusion. Hamlet is no longer a distant prince, but a young man who faces his inner hesitations and struggles and uses courage to find a way out. "Young actors talk to Shakespeare in their own way." The play's artistic director Feng Yuanzheng said.
The premiere of the small theater drama Hamlet. Photo by Shi Chunyang
"A hat, an umbrella, a turn, a look up completes the transformation of actor identity." Director Yang Jiayin introduced that this time in the face of the creation of classic masterpieces, we should take everyone to see the understanding and attitude towards life of young people today. The play not only has the actors' retelling of this traditional story, but also adds a lot of original parts - both the "play within the play" that is more in line with the appreciation habits of modern audiences, and the "surprise" link that switches perspectives at any time and makes the audience become "actors". This form of fun and experience is like taking the audience to a "game" in the theater. At the end of the game, all the passion is calmed, and the stage has a deep and warm ending that brings the audience a long memory.
The premiere of the small theater drama Hamlet. Photo by Shi Chunyang
What impressed with this rehearsal was that there were only four actors on stage, playing many of the original roles in the work. Hamlet's actor Wei Jiacheng has a deep relationship with this work, and at the beginning of the year, during the evaluation of young actors in the theater, he and Zhang Yezi staged a clip of "Hamlet", which impressed the live judges with his unique creativity and expression, and finally hatched into this small theater work. During the creation process, Wei Ka-shing played Hamlet on the one hand, and also gave his own ideas on the text and expression, "We opened our minds and added something new, but without losing the story and the characters themselves." ”
The premiere of the small theater drama Hamlet. Photo by Shi Chunyang
Zhang Yezi plays the roles of Ophelia and Jotrude respectively, switching freely between the clarity and sensitivity of the girl and the depth and contradiction of the queen. "Our most powerful key may be true, and the world's martial arts are only true and unbroken." Zhang Yezi said that Hamlet has the actor's true self and will make the audience believe. Wang Junqi, a young actor who plays the roles of Claudius and Lingren, deeply interprets the rationality of the characters and shows the human weakness of King Claudius, "not that he is a good person or a bad person, but to perform his experiences and struggles." Fang Yangfei, who plays the father and son of Polonius and Leotis at the same time, shuttles back and forth in the same scene, and he likens this switching between characters to a "parallel universe": "We are not just narratives, we express our thoughts and emotions in it." ”
With the surprises brought by the actors on the stage, the stage design this time is also full of freshness. There are no palaces and castles on the stage, all the sets are placed in a space like black underground pipes, the actors are dressed in the popular "workwear-style" costumes, and skateboards and trampolines have become important props. The "ballads" that run through the whole play string together a classic rhapsody.
The play will continue to be staged at the Beijing Renyi Experimental Theater from July 7 to August 24. (End)