More than Great Performances!

2023 FESTIVAL PLUS PROGRAMME 藝術節加料節目

3/2

五 Fri

5/2

日 Sun

12/2

日 Sun

13/2 Mon

18/2 六 Sat

19/2 日 Sun

跨越界限——陳詠燊談劇本創作

Sunny Chan on Screenwriting and Playwriting

說說管風琴•說說巴赫

Tracing the Organ Music of Bach

廣陵情長——粵劇編寫竹林七賢傳奇

Writing Cantonese Opera for the Legendary Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

「禹•見」鋼琴大師

Masterclasses and Meet Bruce Liu

「短篇粵劇──戲說八德」演後藝人談

Virtues and Morality—Four Cantonese Operas

Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

杜國威經典作品選映——《虎度門》

Hu Du Men

Collection of Raymond To’s Classics 杜國威經典作品選映——《劍雪浮生》

A Sentimental Journey Collection of Raymond To’s Classics

22/2 三 Wed 杜國威經典作品選映——《南海十三郎》

24/2 五 Fri

The Mad Phoenix Collection of Raymond To’s Classics

米歇爾．梵德阿《水之書》演後藝人談

The Book of Water Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

香港藝術節加料節目 X 大館對談：

古董鋼琴與現代鋼琴

27/2 Mon

28/2

二 Tue

1 - 19/3

三 - 日 Wed - Sun

3/3

五 Fri

5/3

日 Sun

HKAF PLUS x Tai Kwun Conversations: Early Piano Vs. Modern Piano 盛原——古董鋼琴獨奏會

Antique Piano Recital by Yuan Sheng 韓德兩地的音樂旅途

A Music Journey between Two Cultures –Esme Quartet in Korea and in Germany

《名畫詐騙師》演後藝人談

True Copy Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

歌劇《尤利西斯歸鄉記》製作解碼展覽

The Making before The Return Exhibition

《超真實》裝置音樂會演後藝人談 Hyperreality—an installation concert

Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

《名畫詐騙師》演後藝人談

True Copy Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

「笙世界 音樂會」演後藝人談

Sheng World Music— Kevin Cheng & Friends

Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

長笛的進化史──從巴羅克到現代時期 Evolution of Flute from the Baroque to Modern Periods

8/3 三 Wed 古鋼琴大師班

Fortepiano Masterclass 10/3 五 Fri

沉浸式歌劇《小狐狸》舞台參觀及公開彩排 Into the World of Silent Opera - Vixen Stage Tour & Open Rehearsal 「毛俊輝•粵劇情」演後藝人談

Cantonese Opera Classics Circa 2023

Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

「長笛三次方——曾逸豪在繆思的庭院」 演後藝人談 Triptych for Flute—Tsang Yat-ho in Le jardin des muses

Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

演唱蒙特威爾第 About Singing Monteverdi 「毛俊輝•粵劇情」演後藝人談 Cantonese Opera Classics Circa 2023

Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

呼吸，讓木偶栩栩如生 Breathing brings Puppet to Life 「毛俊輝•粵劇情」演後藝人談 Cantonese Opera Classics Circa 2023

Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

巴赫與我 All I Need is Bach

《末戀•無愛合約》演後藝人談 Loveless Romance Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

以樂器之王為經典默片配樂 Writing Music for Silent Film – Tips from the Organist

傑出文化領袖講座系列（10） 與班貝格交響樂團行政總裁暨 藝術總監馬庫斯•魯道夫•阿克斯對談 Distinguished Cultural Leadership Series (10)

In Conversation with Marcus Rudolf Axt Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Bamberg Symphony 《狂人派對》演後藝人談 Dance Me to the End of Night Post-Performance Meet-the-Artist

傑出文化領袖講座系列（10） 與金像獎最佳編劇杜國威對談—戲畫人生 Distinguished Cultural Leadership Series (10)

From Stage to Ink: In Conversation with Award-winning Playwright and Screenwriter Raymond To Kwok-wai

《畫皮》（精新版)

The Painted Skin (Refined Edition)

演出單位 Performing Troupe

香港靈宵劇團

Hong Kong Xiqu Troupe

藝術總監、音樂設計及領導

Artistic Director, Music Designer and Leader

高潤鴻 Ko Yun-hung

武術指導 Martial Arts Instructor

韓燕明 Han Yanming

佈景 Set

廣興舞台佈景製作公司

Kwong Hing Stage Scene Production Company

本事 Synopsis

編劇 Playwright

謝曉瑩 Tse Hue-ying

擊樂領導 Percussion Leader

高永熙 Ko Wing-hei

舞蹈設計 Choreographer

鍾潔心 Chung Kit-sum

服裝道具 Costume and Props

藝聲服裝公司

Ngai Sing Company

書生王崇文路遇女子媚娘，憐其身世，將她帶回 家中暫住，卻抵不住媚娘百般誘惑，與其共度春 宵。不曾想，這美艷娘子乃是畫上人皮的狐妖 所扮，崇文慘被挖心。崇文之妻陳蓉為救夫君， 得丹霄道人指引，前往尋求狂僧相助……

A fickle married man named Wang has a dalliance with a beautiful young woman who is actually a fox spirit wearing a mask made of human skin The casual dalliance soon takes a grisly turn as Wang finds out the horrible truth. After the spirit devours the man’s heart, his faithful wife pleads with a lunatic monk for help Wang miraculously comes back to life in the end and begs for his wife’s forgiveness

導演 Directors

史濟華、王蕾

Shi Jihua, Wang Lei

燈光設計 Lighting Designer

鍾寳儀 Coco Chung

舞台監督 Stage Manager

丁日月 Ding Yat-yuet

英文字幕 English Surtitles

楊為信 Harold Yeo

演員及角色 Cast and Characters

梁兆明 Liang Zhaoming

飾 – 王崇文 as Wang Chongwen

謝曉瑩 Tse Hue-ying

飾 – 陳蓉、媚娘/狐妖 as Chen Rong (Wang Chongwen’s wife)/Lady Mei (fox demon)

阮兆輝 Yuen Siu-fai

飾 – 狂僧（濟公化身）as the mad monk (Jigong)

廖國森 Liu Kwok-sum

飾 – 媚娘（真身）as Lady Mei (real body)

吳立熙 Ng Lap-hei

飾 – 丹霄道人 as the Taoist

黃成彬 Vong Seng-pen

飾 – 王崇武（王二郎）as Wang Chongwu (Wang Erlang)

梁心怡 Leung Sum-yee

飾 – 張氏 as Madam Zhang (Wang Chongwu’s wife)

序幕

知人口面不知心。狐妖看中陳蓉美貌，畫皮換臉。 Prelude

The face is not a mirror of the heart. Deeply fascinated by Chen Rong’s beauty, the fox demon disguises itself as Chen by painting her face on its skin.

第一場 遇鬼

崇文遇可憐女子媚娘，弟弟崇武着他閒事勿理，但崇 文見她貌似其妻，同情心起，遂帶返家中。

第二場 艷情

媚娘以報恩為由服待崇文，使其意亂情迷，終在書房 聯床共宿

第三場 疑鬼

崇文惱陳蓉冰冷，疑她心儀崇武，負氣離家。路上遇 丹霄道人說他家中有妖，崇文不信，回家後看到媚娘 在畫臉皮

第四場 挖心

丹霄道人本欲警示妖狐，誰料打草驚蛇，媚娘把崇 文之心挖出。陳蓉發現丈夫死去，立即與崇武找道 人幫忙。

第五場 除妖

丹霄道人把妖狐除掉後，陳蓉哀求復活崇文，道人教 她找狂僧幫忙

第六場 羞辱

狂僧搓了一顆老泥丸給陳蓉，說吞下便能救夫

第七場 復活

陳蓉忍辱吞下老泥丸，竟吐出一個跳動的心臟

Scene 1: A Foxy Encounter

Chancing on a wretched woman who is the spitting image of his wife, Chongwen takes pity on her and agrees to bring her to his home, despite the opposition of his brother, Chongwu.

Scene 2: Enchantment

Pretending to serve Chongwen to repay his kindness, Lady Mei intoxicates him and the two make love in the study room.

Scene 3: Incredulity

Annoyed with Chen Rong’s indifference while suspecting her infatuation with Chongwu, Chongwen decides to leave home. He meets a Taoist priest on the way who warns him there is a demon in his house. He goes home full of doubt only to see Lady Mei painting her face.

Scene 4: Heart Ripped out of Chest

The Taoist priest wants to ward off the demon, but inadvertently antagonises it. Enraged, the fox demon rips out Chongwen’s heart. After discovering her husband dead, Chen Rong seeks help from the Taoist priest.

Scene 5: Defeating the Demon

After the Taoist priest defeats the fox demon, Chen Rong begs him to revive her husband. The Taoist priest sends her to find the mad monk.

Scene 6: Humiliation

The mad monk rubs grime off his body and gives it to Chen Rong, saying she must swallow it to revive her husband.

Scene 7: Resuscitation

Feeling ashamed, Chen Rong swallows the pill and disgorges a throbbing heart.

在靈宵近三十多個作品中，《畫 皮》是特別的，她的首演誕生 於危難之秋——2020 年，即新 冠疫情初爆發的一年，我們在 閉館的夾縫中，竟幸運地、倉 促地上演了兩場。

《畫皮》是《聊齋誌異》中的 經典，可故事裏卻出現了一個 奪目而危險的角色 ——勾人吃 人的狐妖媚娘。狐妖勾引書生

是故事中的主線，又正如王崇 文的夫人陳蓉要為丈夫所犯的 錯善後，凸出因果，都太重要 了，均必須由正主去演，最 後決定由正印花旦一人分飾兩 角。面對狐妖部份，筆者要自 己寫自己演，寫傳神了怕被評 過火； 不傳神，在編劇角度就 是不專業，壓力巨大。最後， 筆者把自己抽離了，要用專業

編劇的心態把媚娘寫出來。

媚娘的主戲份只出現在頭兩 場。初演時，學者張敏慧老師 對「她」有此評價：「『鬼魅』 的表現上，戲份落在男女主角 身上，謝曉瑩扮演媚娘，色相 作餌，誘惑書生王崇文 …… 本 來作為第三者的狐妖角色不討 好，但以她眼神、妝容的青春 皮相，增添幾分風情媚態，『勾 引』得來並不討人厭，於是書 生心神出軌變得合理。」張老 師的評價，反映此角形象達到 了較理想的藝術目標； 再強烈 對比起王夫人那典型「笑不露 齒、行不擺裙」的大家閨秀， 就好玩極了。其實就傳統戲曲 文學而言，書寫兩性情致風韻 之事，從來都不困難； 像洪昇 《長生殿》中討論楊貴妃的玉體 極致綺膩而不帶半點猥褻，反 顯文字美得不可方物。同樣地 各種戲曲身段，生旦也許沒有 像電影演員般真正肢體接觸， 卻優美含蓄地令觀眾動情，程 式化在梏桎內，反生出別樣的 情思，撩撥得觀眾心癢癢，恰 與現代劇場的「畫公仔畫出腸」 大相逕庭。

疫情的第三年上旬（ 2022 年） 迎來甘露，國家藝術基金首開 放予港澳地區，靈宵作品《畫 皮》榮幸中選為資助劇目，促 使了與香港藝術節的合作，讓 我們有了高質素的支援後盾， 把作品優化、精新。

「知人口面不知心」是《畫皮》 的中心思想，在疫情中體驗尤 深——人性的醜惡，在疫情苦 難之下揭露得千瘡百孔，這廂

對你舒展笑臉，那廂為了利益 矛盾將你置諸死地，這使筆者 有把握對「精新版」《畫皮》更 深入詮釋。借助現代劇場之 便，藉嶄新的舞台燈光設計、 高潤鴻大師頂尖的音樂創作配 合、抽象而形象化的場景，望 能為觀眾帶來對狐妖形象有更 具深度的想像空間和感受。 「精新版」自然該去蕪存菁，在

表演技巧層面上，把多餘的身 段唱段裁走； 人物要更精準， 王夫人要更端莊，媚娘才會更 媚； 王崇文愈被動，劇情就愈

人性化； 劇本剪裁上也須更緊 湊，迎合新人類對演時較濃縮 的需要。

又換句話說，人們都在「偽 裝」。媚娘的「偽裝」，道士的 道破「偽裝」，狂僧似「偽裝」 卻非「偽裝」。前輩阮兆輝將 會在「精新版」裏轉演狂僧一 角，以舊為新，他會用富戲曲 規範的模式，偏偏嬉笑怒罵，

去道破狐妖的偽裝，諷刺王 崇文相信偽裝的以奸為忠之惡 果，道破「天道好還，但愚而 迷者不悟耳」的主題道理。

值得一提，是陳蓉這以大青衣行 當演繹的角色，她很穩重，沒 有媚娘般起彩，卻是劇中最大的 苦主——《畫皮》在某個程度上 的隱性寓意，表面是談善惡因 果，但骨子裏卻道出男人犯錯、 女人善後，在男權社會裡的紅顏 皆禍水。筆者不欲改變這經典 故事結局，但在女性思想自主獨 立的現代來說，這種明顯的「偽 裝」式結論，真正做錯事的人， 不言而喻，不道而破。

謝曉瑩

The Painted Skin is considered a rather unique play among the approximately 30 works by the Hong Kong Xiqu Troupe because it made its premiere in 2020, a year that took a heavy toll on live performances in the city. Fortunately, we managed to hold two performances of the show before everything was brought to a halt.

“The Painted Skin” is one of the classic short stories from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling, featuring a salient but perilous character—the fox demon Lady Mei—who seduces and devours people. The story revolves around her seduction of scholar Wang Chongwen and is known for the scene in which Wang’s wife, Chen Rong, has to make amends for her husband's mistake, as it highlights the themes of karma and destiny. Lady Mei and Chen are significant roles and it was decided that the main actress would play both characters. Indeed, as the author of this version of The Painted Skin, I had to both write and act in the production, placing myself under great pressure. On the one hand, making Lady Mei too lifelike might be criticised as an exaggeration; but on the other hand, it would be unprofessional from a scriptwriter's point of view if the character was not vividly depicted. In the end, I separated myself from the role and decided to write Lady Mei from the perspective of a professional scriptwriter.

Lady Mei only appears in the first two scenes as a main character. After the premiere, scholar Cheung Man-wai remarked: “As for the ‘ghostly’ performance, the male and female protagonists have a critical part to play. Tse Hue-ying plays Lady Mei, who beguiles the scholar Wang Chongwen with her beauty... As a mistress, the fox demon is definitely not pleasing, but her eyes and youthful makeup all simply add an extra layer of coquetry, making her ‘seduction’ not too obnoxious while the scholar’s emotional cheating seems reasonable.” This is an ideal artistic goal for the character, and it is fun to compare it to the virtues expected of respectable women upheld by Mrs. Wang: smile without showing teeth and walk without rotating the skirt. In fact, as far as traditional opera literature is concerned, it has never been difficult to write about the eroticism of both sexes. For example, in Hong Sheng's The Palace of Eternal Youth, the discussion of Yang Guifei's voluptuous body is extremely exquisite without becoming obscene, which makes the text gracefully eloquent. Likewise, in various operas, the male and female leads may not have the same physical contact as movie actors and actresses, but they are graceful and subtle enough to move the audience with their reservedness. It is this restraint that gives rise to a different range of emotions, tantalising the audience instead of offering the overtly expressed romance seen in modern dramas.

In the first half of 2022, the third year of the pandemic, the China National Arts Fund opened its doors to Hong Kong and Macau for the first time. The Painted Skin, produced by the Hong Kong Xiqu Troupe, was honoured to be selected as a funded project, prompting this collaboration with the Hong Kong Arts Festival and subsequently providing us with high-quality support to optimise and refine the work.

“Beneath its graceful exterior lies a sinister purpose” is the central idea of The Painted Skin, a painfully heartfelt truth particularly highlighted by the COVID-19 period. It was the ugliness of humanity exposed during the past three years that inspired the author to give this new version of The Painted Skin a more profound interpretation. Thanks to the advancements of modern theatres, the new stage lighting design, Maestro Ko Yun-hung's top-notch musical composition, and the abstract and figurative setting, it is hoped that a greater depth has been given to the story, and that the audience’s imagination will be inspired by the image of the fox demon. The new edition has also been streamlined with the removal of unnecessary movements and singing. In addition, characters are now more precise: Mrs. Wang has become more dignified to highlight Lady Mei’s coquetry; and Wang Chongwen has been made more passive to further humanise the plot. Overall, the story was more tightly scripted and edited to meet the expectations of contemporary theatregoers.

Throughout The Painted Skin, people are “pretending”: the “disguise” of Lady Mei, the “disguise” revealed by the Taoist priest, and the “disguise” of the mad monk who ends up being forthright. Veteran Yuen Siu-fai will play the role of the mad monk in a theatrical fashion—teasing and cursing to unveil the fox demon's disguise, satirising the consequences of Wang Chongwen's belief in using treachery as loyalty in disguise, ultimately highlighting the theme of the story: “Karma will prevail but the foolish shall never wake up to it.”

Despite being a prudent character performed as a virtuous female role (da qingyi), and outdone by Lady Mei’s gaudiness, it is worth noting that Chen Rong is the greatest victim in The Painted Skin. This is also the implicit moral of the story: on the surface the story seems to centre on karma, but at its core it reveals that even though women always have to deal with the aftermath of men’s mistakes, they are still regarded as the root of all trouble in a patriarchal society. I don’t want to change the ending of this classic story, but this obviously “pretentious” conclusion is untenable. After all, the real wrongdoer is always exposed in due course.

Tse Hue-ying