<尺には尺を>北九州觀賞報告

話說當初消息剛出來時，我先是為直人能這麼快達成心願而高興，隨後搖頭輕嘆，決定不去。直到蜷川大師過身，終於覺得不會再有下次，event已經去過一次了，今次先放棄吧，人果然是應該先為自己而活，免得將來遺憾，才有了一定要去的決心。感激那時候還能買到北九州場次的門票。說回舞台劇本身，直人實在演得太好，兩場獨白固然精采，就算他台詞其實不算很多，一顰一笑，懾人心神，連背影也有戲。內心爭扎、懊悔、裝腔作勢、絕望……他就是Angelo本人。

(在小倉JR站有炎夏的西裝大叔舉牌指路)

(場館: Riverwalk 北九州，是一座大型商場，會場在六樓)

(商場一樓的大海報)

在北九州看了四場，因事前看過前鋒回報，所以想要盡早進場。不過首日我大概三點多到會場，會場方面卻在開演前半小時才開放，連扶手電梯也封閉了。終於等到六點，長長的排隊人龍有七成是女觀眾，等去洗手間時我總是想裝作男人。趕快入場就座，演員們在台上準備。等著等著，公爵出來了，接著是Isabella，最後Angelo終於出現。高挑身材，加上那獨特貴族氣息，就算坐在二階，你也必定能從穿梭台上的眾多演員中，一眼發現直人所在之處。他在台上四處走動，和別的演員聊聊，練習台詞、發聲。每場的定番當然是玩小孩和與松田Claudio調情。他玩小孩的一臉慈父樣實在太真情流露，摸摸頭，說說笑，尾場還抱起小孩搔癢— 為何小男孩就有這樣的福利……尾場我不惜改行情買即日卷，反而坐得較前，看到了Angelo站在台前中央壓長腿幾下…… 然後，鐘聲響起，背景動起來，演員們紛紛披上外衣— Angelo穿上他那象徵權力的黑色貴族長袍後，舞台劇正式開始。

舞台劇的劇情和台詞與原著大致相同，在有限的時長內上演了所有主要情節。根據我有限的日文，劇中有些台詞改動得讓觀眾更易於明白；例如在審理Pompey的無聊案件時，Angelo按捺不住離開，他說的是「於俄羅斯世上最長的晚也說不完」，而原著是「於俄羅斯的晚也說不完」(不知為何我對這句印象深刻)。當Lucio找Isabella救她哥哥時，似乎省略了一點他的調戲。另外，大概是因為演員年齡的關系，在這裡Isabella是妹妹而不是姐姐。

因為留存的原著劇本只餘下人物、場景和情節，所以舞台劇具體的演繹由蜷川大師，導演、監制及演員大家一起創造。舞台佈置簡約典雅，沒卡夫卡那麼複雜華麗，但充滿巧思的前景和背景機關，讓貴族宅內、大街、庭園和監獄等場景，均能一一重現觀眾眼前。各位演員會穿過觀眾席旁的階梯，直奔台上，增加參與感，遺憾的是我坐不到Angelo會經過的位置。聽聞前期不同的場次會有所改動，我看的四場倒是沒有明顯分別。然而大阪那門票原來貴得有道理……

當Isabella說她會賄賂Angelo，正轉身離去的他一下回頭，「你說甚麼？」，那急色的樣子實在經典，台下的觀眾都笑了。想來我也很少見直人演鹹濕佬……雖然這劇的故事其實相當陰暗，滿滿都是人性的軟弱與詭詐，但同時又有不少笑位。Pompey實在很有趣，有一次牽著警官從我身邊經過時，還回頭打招呼。審理無聊案件那裡竟想到來一段slowmotion。Claudio聽到Isabella說Angelo提出讓她用身體交換哥哥，覺得自己有望得救，那瞬間雙眼發光的模樣，令台下觀眾都笑了；及後那一大段勸說妹妹獻身的最低之發言，也演得十分精采。Claudio雖然可憐，但也不能說是他好人吧？純潔的Isabella毫不猶疑地讓哥哥去死，亦是殘酷。這劇的主要角色還真是事事先計算自己得失。

Angelo 有兩場精采獨白，第一場是當他迷上那美麗純潔，雄辯滔滔的Isabella後，慾望與理性爭扎，他從沒如此想佔有一位女性。是我的錯？是那女人的錯？到底在描繪甚麼幻想？我只知道不知有多少女觀眾是被綺麗的Angelo迷惑而來。可能會有觀眾覺得Angelo如此漂亮貴氣，應該不愁沒女人吧？這動搖的鹹濕佬演得太好，反而更加迷人。我覺得這段實在很切合Crime of Love的歌詞，胸の中に，隠していた，欲望のままに踊ろう；美しいものを，気高いものを，この手で汚してみたい—難道直人會演Angelo也是宿命？然後，當第二天Isabella來找他，他決定服從自己的慾望，那段對手戲也十分精采。「直接說吧，我愛你。」Angelo也許是個敗給慾望，又背信棄義的男人，但當他示愛，再下跪求Isabella相信他時，我被說服了，覺得他真的不是只想佔有她的身體。說到底，愛與佔有只是一體兩面，而且經過無數次鍛煉，直人實在太擅長演繹「我愛你」這句話。當Isabella拒絕，那位從未見過的惡魔Angelo，實在太懾人心神。

第二段獨白是Angelo得知公爵即將回國，懼怕自己的惡行會被揭發，懊悔不已。演技與魅力，這段的震撼實在無法用筆墨形容— Angelo扔下象徵權力的長袍，起身離去，卻又戀棧地回頭一看，重新披上。這一連串的動作絕對帥得超越歷史，秒殺Fans，1604年的維也納肯定沒有這麼迷人的代理國王吧？

最後，當Isabella在公爵及貴族面前揭發Angelo的惡行，Angelo先是故作冷靜，輕蔑地笑笑，一臉你看她說的話多麼可笑？的表情；瞬間自然轉換到嚴肅而懼怕的黑臉，我很喜歡這段。當他知道公爵通曉一切，不只表情，連高傲的氣場也變得狼狽絕望。公爵命令他與Marianna成婚，他一臉錯愕，倒也沒有抗拒。就算年紀大了，穿新郎白袍回來的直人依然十分迷人。及後當他看到，被他如此對待的Isabella與Marianna，仍願意為他求情，是一臉的驚訝與感動。雖然末段他只有幾句台詞，卻一切都盡在不言中。最後他輕摟 Marianna的纖腰，溫柔地相視而笑，雙雙退場。瞬間就演出了夫婦感— 雖然有點突然，但也算是圓滿結局吧。

謝幕和之前的場次流程大致一樣，看到直人站在中間帶領，特別感慨。這次也是他的初座長。也許是因為照片上的蜷川大師已經離開人世，沒法親身指導，也沒法觀賞實際演出了，所以直人每場謝幕都一臉沉重。尾場時，一開始Lucio就哭了。照片出現過後，幕又再昇起一次，演員先是向照片鼓掌，再轉向觀眾鼓掌。公爵忽然舉起雙手，以揮手道別代替鼓掌，我和一些觀眾也揮手回應。直人終於笑了，笑得像孩子—

最後一天去長崎走走，晚上下起了很厲害的大雨

<Measure for Measure> Review

Measure for Measure is called one of Shakespeare's problem plays,and rarely performed as the main character, Angelo, is too difficult to act.After watching four plays, I can tell you that Nao did not act like Angelo, hewas Angelo himself. How a strict noble fell in love at the first sight, lostself-control, despaired when all of his evil things was revealed, Nao can performedevery emotional change of Angelo by a smile and a gaze, even he did not havemany lines in the play actually.

I went to four plays in Fukuoka. As I heard some news from otherswho went to watch the play earlier, I entered the theater immediately afterthey opened it. Actors and actresses prepared on the stage. Later, the Dukeentered, following Isabella, and finally, Angelo. Nao really has a special charisma,even you sat far away, many actors talking and walking through the stage, I amsure that you can always locate where he was. Nao practiced his lines on thestage, talked with other actors, and did some vocal exercises. He played withthe child actor every time and smiled so sweetly like a father. It was awonderful moment to watch him on the stage before the play started. Then, thebell rang, the stage sets started to move, actors put on their outer clothing.Finally, Angelo put on his luxuriant long black coat, the play started.

The play was nearly the same with the original script, included allthe story plots, and according to my limited Japanese, changed the scripts to away that easier for audience to understand. For example, in the scene thatAngelo annoyed and left the court, he said the longest night in the world inRussia, while the original script of Shakespeare he said the night in Russiaonly. When Lucio asked Isabella to help his brother, a bit of his joke isdeleted. Isabella was the younger sister of Claudio, while in the original one,she was the elder sister, and this may due to the age of actors.

As the original script remain now only included lines, miss the expressionand movement of actors, Ninagawa Yukio, together with the director and actors,created their own way to present it. The stage sets are rather simple comparedwith Kafka on the shore, but showed all the scenes, from a noble’s room to thejail, perfectly.  

I heard that the play have changed a bit inthe first few performances, but the four times I saw were nearly the same,maybe they finalized it already.

When Isabella said she would bride Angelo for his brother’s life, Angelolooked back and said what? The facial expression and body movement of Angeloshowed a thousand dirty thought. That is epic! It is rare to see Nao acts adirty guy. Many audiences laughed. Although the play was a sad story actually,there were many scenes make people laugh. Pompey was really funny. Every main characterwould walk through the audience to enter the stage in different scenes, Angelojust walked through one time, but I was not lucky enough to sit near the stair.

Angelo had two scene of monologue. The first one was after he fellin love with the pure, intelligent and beautiful Isabella. Rationale conflictedwith desire, Angelo was never wanted a woman so much. Is this her responsibility,or is this my responsibility? Well, I only knew that there were so many female audiences,maybe many of them was tempted by that beautiful Angelo. Then, when he metIsabella next day, he decided to follow his desire, asked her to exchange herbrother’s life with her body. There was a large white chiffon hanging on thestage. Angelo and Isabella walked inside and outside the chiffon through theirconversion. Angelo maybe a bad guy, but when he said “Said it bluntly, I loveyou”, and kneel down to the stage to beg Isabella to trust him, I was really convinced.Nao’s acting made you believed that, Angelo not only wanted Isabella’s body, butin a very wrong way, he really loved her. When Isabella rejected him, that badguy Angelo was the Nao I have never seen before.

The second monologue was after Angelo knew the duke would come backsoon, and afraid that all his evil doings would revealed. He was so regrettedfor what he did, put out his coat and threw it on the stage. The acting was so fascinatingthat I don’t know how to describe in words. He walked away, looked back, andput on the coat again. It was so handsome and attractive that killed fans in asingle hit, even Angelo was a mean guy who fell into desire, loved his powerand breached his promise.