by Lee Pik Wah
Published in the Apple Daily, Mineral Water Section, on October 27, 2007
Translated by Daydreamer on November 5, 2007Received an e-mail when I was on my way out with news that Bunkamura is going to adopt the screenplay of the “Farewell to My Concubine” and put it on stage. The tour of this theatre production will commence in Tokyo (March 9-31, 2008), then Osaka (April 6-13), ....
Bunkamura has great reputation [for world class music, drama, cinema and art]. They have purchased the copyright of this screenplay for many years. During this period of time, they have changed the role of the main characters many times. We are very excited to see that after taking so much painstaking care, something is going to be crystallized.
The 72 years old Yukio Ninagawa (蜷川幸雄) will be the stage producer. About actors, the names put on the e-mail are not very clear: Noriyuki Higashiyama, Kenichi Endo (淺野××?), Yoshino Kimura. It says that they are all outstanding movie/TV and stage actors. Due to the lack of time, I do not have time to find out more details. Once getting off the plane, I will check the internet. Perhaps readers may also make some guesses and e-mail me the information.
At the end of the e-mail, it says that the screenwriter Rio Kishida passed away recently after finishing the script and this will become her posthumous work. After reading this, I cannot help but sigh because this associates me to Leslie whose Farewell to My Concubine was his master piece and there will not be anyone else who can act better than him. Since this is a Japanese version to be played in Japan, it is also a kind of cultural art exchange. Will fans of Leslie have time to go and watch it?
Actually, I wish that the first stage performance will be a Beijing version, however, anywhere in the world may retain its original version. China is the only place that has set up a “examination and endorsement” checkpoint, therefore ……
Note by Daydreamer: Lee Pik Wah was the writer of the novel “Farewell to My Concubine”. She was also the screenwriter of the movie “Farewell to My Concubine”.
