2022 NTT遇見巨人—阿喀郎‧汗舞團《叢林奇譚》節目單

I want to dive into the myths of today, and children stories of tomorrow. Hence, I want to find a way to take a known, familiar story and observe it through the lens of today's children, my children, our children, who are and will become our present and future storytellers.

Why?

The Jungle Book's story has always been close to me. Not only because I had played the role of Mowgli in an Indian dance production, as a young boy, but more because of the three deep lessons it held within it, that I have since carried with me throughout my life. The lessons of commonality between species, the binding interdependence between humans, animals and nature, and finally, a sense of family and our need to belong.

We are now living in unprecedented and uncertain times, not only for our species but for all species on this planet. And the root cause of this conundrum is because we have forgotten our connection to our home, our planet. We all inhabit it, we all take from it, and we all build on it, but we have forgotten to return our respect for it. So I believe that we must make changes from the grass roots up, if we are to see a brighter future. And so I feel compelled to share the story – lovingly known as The Jungle Book – with children and adults from all cultures, in order to re-learn what we, as a species, have so conveniently forgotten. And I believe that the strongest, and deepest way to tell this story is through the magic of dance, music and theatre.

What?

This production traces the original story by Rudyard Kipling, but this particular version is very much my own interpretation of the original. Mowgli and all the known characters from the original are in this new version, with a new original score

How?

I am extremely conscious of the deep messages within the original work. But I am also aware of the potency and relevance of these messages for today's world. And I have always believed that, before words comes actions. So I decided to approach this production with a direct action towards climate change.

Climate change is and will continue to affect all living creatures on this beautiful planet. So then how do we create a work that uses less sets, so we can travel lighter when touring? Since lockdown, I have come to appreciate technology, in ways that I did not before COVID-19. And that's simply because it has allowed me to stay connected with my loved ones, my artistic team and the wider world. Without the use of technology, I would have felt truly alone.

And so, for Jungle Book reimagined, the stage is nearly empty – there is no traditional physical set. To achieve this, I explored the use of technology, projections and film as the non-physical set. We must not forget that most often, great storytelling can be told by the simplest of tools. Our bodies, our voices, and our conviction in that story.

Akram Khan

Akram Khan on Jungle Book reimagined

《叢林奇譚》（Jungle Book）是諾貝爾文學獎得 主魯德亞德．吉卜林（Rudyard Kipling）在 19 世紀的經典之作，內容是關於一個人類孩童毛克 利（Mowgli）在印度叢林裡被狼群撫養長大的故 事，其中最令人印象深刻的，莫過於人與動物之 間的深刻情誼。此作曾多次被改編成漫畫、動畫 與電影，最為人所知的大概就是迪士尼動畫《森 林王子》，以及奇幻電影《與森林共舞》，而曾在 童年時期飾演毛克利的英國孟加拉裔編舞家阿喀 郎．汗（Akram Khan），在經歷 COVID 疫情對 全球的衝擊後，便想透過此曾經打動他的古老故 事，重新塑造屬於當代的童話寓言。 氣候變遷、物種與人類的關係、科技的重要性， 便是阿喀郎重新詮釋《叢林奇譚》的主要切入點， 而根據戲劇顧問莎朗．克拉克（Sharon Clark） 的描述，水，是此次改編的關鍵要素：製作團隊

在重新想像這個故事時，正是從「多變的水世界」

開始的，畢竟水在現今的世界一方面是稀缺的資

源，卻也因全球暖化、海平面急遽上升，水竟也 在另一方面成為人類的巨大威脅。海、船、島、 洪水、乾旱，種種與水有關的想像，便貫穿了《叢 林奇譚》的敘事線：例如毛克利的父母為了逃離 乾旱的家園，便將全家藏在一艘巨大的船上； 又例如毛克利被潮水帶到一座已被廢棄的高地城 市，而從各處逃竄出來的動物，靠著對氣候與潮

© Ambra Vernuccio

© Ambra Vernuccio

Akram Khan Company Jungle Book reimaged

Akram Khan Company Jungle Book reimaged

AKRAM KHAN COMPANY

1999 年 7 月在倫敦的伊莉莎白女王音樂廳的大廳，年輕有才華的編舞家暨舞者阿喀郎．汗與充滿抱負的 前舞者並甫取得學位的藝術經理人法魯克．喬迪里進行了一場熱烈及趣味十足的對話。這場談話奠定雙方 的合作及一年後創團創作的基石。 阿喀郎．汗早期接受印度古典卡達克舞蹈訓練，在青少年時期接觸當代舞蹈，兩種舞蹈形式的碰撞，自然 產出新的舞蹈風格。阿喀郎也渴望與各藝術領域的頂尖人士學習、合作與創作。

僅僅 22 年，阿喀郎．汗舞團已無庸置疑地被認定為世界上最創新的舞團之一。作品形式涵蓋卡達克舞蹈、 藝術家間合作的當代獨舞與群舞作品。舞團活躍於國際舞台上，也樂於巡演行程，藉此得以接觸世界各地 的文化與人群。阿喀郎．汗曾榮獲多項國際舞蹈獎項，其中最知名的便是 2012 年以《DESH》贏得的英 國勞倫斯．奧立佛獎。同時，參與 2012 年倫敦奧運的開幕式創作，更是舞團重要的里程碑。阿喀郎．汗 舞團長期與倫敦沙德勒之井劇院、萊斯特曲線劇院及世界各重要場館、藝術節密切合作。

In July 1999 in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, an animated and curiosity-filled conversation took place between the young gifted dancer/choreographer Akram Khan and an ambitious former dancer and just recently graduated arts manager Farooq Chaudhry. That conversation laid the foundation stone for a dynamic collaboration, culminating in the creation of Akram Khan Company (AKC) one year later.

Inspired by Akram Khan’s early training in the Indian classical dance form kathak, and the hybrid language that organically emerged when Akram’s kathak training encountered contemporary dance in his teens, a vision began to form, fuelled by a desire to learn and create through collaboration with the very best people across all the disciplines in the arts.

In just over 22 years AKC is now undisputedly one of the foremost innovative dance companies in the world. The programmes range from kathak and modern solos to artist-to-artist collaborations and ensemble productions. The AKC has a major international presence and enjoys busy tours that reach out to many cultures and peoples across the globe. Akram Khan has been the recipient of numerous international dance awards, the most notable being an Olivier Award for his solo production DESH in 2012. A milestone in the AKC’s journey was the creation of a section of the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in 2012. AKC enjoys artistic association with Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, Curve in Leicester, and other leading venues and festivals around the world.

AKRAM KHAN

導演暨編舞家 Director & Choreographer

Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists today. In just over 22 years he has created a body of work that has contributed significantly to the arts in the UK and abroad. His reputation has been built on the success of imaginative, highly accessible and relevant productions. As an instinctive and natural collaborator, Khan has been a magnet to world-class artists from other cultures and disciplines.

Khan’s work is recognised as being profoundly moving, in which his intelligently crafted storytelling is effortlessly intimate and epic. Described by the Financial Times as an artist “who speaks tremendously of tremendous things,” a highlight of his career was the creation of a section of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony that was received with unanimous acclaim.

Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including the Laurence Olivier Award, the Bessie Award (New York Dance and Performance Award), the prestigious ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Distinguished Artist Award, the Herald Archangel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the South Bank Sky Arts Award and six Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. Khan was awarded an MBE for services to dance in 2005. He is also an Honorary Graduate of University of London as well as Roehampton and De Montfort Universities, and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban.

Khan is an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells, London and Curve, Leicester.

© Max Barnett

Internationally recognised as a dance artist, teacher, choreographer and artist scholar. He pursued his training in Bharatanatyam intensively under the legendary dance maestro Padma Shri Adyar K.Lakshman in India. As a contemporary dance artist, he has worked with Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, Shobana Jeyasingh and many others. He currently maintains his touring work as a mature artist with a focus on solo Bharatanatyam performances and specifically commissioned contemporary duet. In 2019, he was appointed AKC Creative Associate.

A writer, actor, and practitioner of proud Russian-Jewish and Iraqi-Muslim heritage. He graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His debut play ALI AND DAHLIA, premiered in spring 2019 directed by Kerry Michael MBE. The play received three OffWestEnd Award nominations, including Most Promising New Playwright, and was a finalist for the Best Play Award in the 2020 Writers’ Guild Awards. Tariq was a member of Hampstead Theatre’s INSPIRE Writers Collective and is currently developing his next play and a host of exciting new ideas for television.

A playwright, dramaturg, producer and Creative Director of the immersive, multidisciplinary theatre company Raucous. She has previously worked with the National Theatre, the RSC, Bath Theatre Royal, Bristol Old Vic (where she was Literary Producer) and so forth. In 2017 she was awarded a Bruntwood Judge’s Prize for Playwriting and her plays have also been shortlisted for the Yale Drama Prize and the PapaTango Prize. She is a resident artist at Bristol’s Pervasive Media Studio, a senior lecturer in writing for performance at UWE and also writes for film.

© Matteo Carratoni.

An award-winning British composer and musician known for her unique and versatile voice in contemporary music. Her work spans cultures and genres ranging from orchestral and choral to minimal, frequently inspired by found sound and field recordings and conjuring evocative soundscapes. She is also known for her highly acclaimed film scores such as The Wife, The Merchant of Venice, and Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. She won the BAFTA for Best Original Score for the TV film of Mike Bartlett’s play King Charles III. Her previous collaborations with Akram Khan include the much-celebrated score for DESH, for which she was awarded the British Composer Award in 2012.

A multi-award winning sound designer, best known for his cutting-edge work in theatre. Dance includes Invisible Cities (MIF, 59 Productions & Rambert), John (DV8) and many others. Other productions include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Complicité’s The Encounter , and the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. Awards for best sound design include three Olivier Awards, two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, two Helpmann Awards and an Evening Standard Theatre Award.

Over the last 20 years, Michael Hulls has worked exclusively in dance, particularly with choreographers Russell Maliphant and Akram Khan, and established a reputation as a “choreographer of light.” Michael has worked with Akram on productions including DESH, TOROBAKA , Until the Lions, XENOS and most recently Creature . In 2009, Michael became an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells. In 2010, his contribution to dance was recognized with his entry into the Oxford Dictionary of Dance, as only the fourth lighting designer to be given an entry. In 2014 Michael received the Olivier Award for Outstanding achievement in Dance.

© Gavin Evans

Akram

MIRIAM BUETHER 舞台視覺設計 Visual Stage Designer

Miriam Buether is an award-winning stage designer working internationally in theatre, opera and dance. Recent work includes To Kill a Mockingbird, Three Tall Women and A Doll’s House 2 on Broadway, The Jungle for the Young Vic, and Caryl Churchill’s What If Only. Miriam won The Linbury Prize for Stage Design in 1999 and received the Evening Standard Best Design Award in 2010 for Earthquakes in London and Sucker Punch, and again in 2018 for The Jungle

ADAM

SMITH (YeastCulture)

藝術暨動畫導演 Art Direction & Director of Animation

從事於劇場、歌劇與舞蹈領域的舞台設計師，屢獲獎肯定。近期作品如百老 匯《梅岡城故事》、《三個高女人》與《玩偶之家 2》、新維克劇院《The Jungle》及 Caryl Churchill《What If Only》。獲獎紀錄包括 1999 年藍伯利 舞台設計大獎；2010 年以《Earthquakes in London》與《Sucker Punch》獲 倫敦標準晚報獎最佳舞台設計；2018 年以《The Jungle》贏得相同獎項。 藝術指導暨動畫導演，從事舞蹈、戲劇與音樂領域工作已逾十年。透過 YeastCulture 引介，開啟為現場演出與影像設計製作動畫之路，阿喀郎． 汗《DESH》就是他與 YeastCulture 合作的第一個動畫作品。此後持續為 芭蕾舞、現代舞、歌劇及古典與現代音樂創作，如《胡桃鉗與我》、《狡 猾的小狐狸》，以及 Nitin Sawhney 與 Wang Ramirez 合作的《Dystopian Dream》。

An award winning Animation and Art Director who has been working in live dance, theatre and music for over a decade. He worked in television and film before being introduced to creating animation for live performances and video design by YeastCulture. Working with YeastCulture his first piece was the animation for Akram Khan’s DESH. He has since gone on to create work for Ballet, Contemporary Dance, Opera, as well as classical and contemporary music with productions such as The Nutcracker and I, The Cunning Little Vixen, and Nitin Sawhney’s Dystopian Dream with Wang Ramirez.

© Matteo Carratoni.

NICK HILLEL (YeastCulture)

製作人暨影像導演 Producer & Director of Video Design

Nick is a video artist, producer and video designer based in London. In 1998 he graduated from a film and politics degree and went on to direct a number of documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4 before establishing the digital media company YeastCulture. The first major project was to create visuals for Nitin Sawhney’s global Prophesy tour. He then went on to produce and direct visuals for artists including Akram Khan’s DESH, Boy Blue’s The Five, Hussein Chalayan’s Gravity Fatigue, Philhramonia Orchestra, Simon Rattle and the LSO, Peter Sellars and The Berliner Philharmoniker and so forth.

ANGELA TOWLER 排練指導 Rehearsal Director

Angela has had a long professional career dancing with Richard Alston Dance Company and Rambert. She has worked with internationally celebrated choreographers including Christopher Bruce, Wayne McGregor, Mats Ek, Ji ř í Kylián to name a few. She was nominated for a TMA award for Achievement in Dance and the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Female Performance. She is working with The Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet School teaching contemporary technique and also continues to work with leading companies. She joined AKC summer of 2021 as Rehearsal Director.

LUCIA CHOCARRO

THOMASIN GÜLGEÇ

SHUM PUI-YUI 岑珮榕

VANESSA VINCE-PANG

TOM DAVIS-DUNN

MAX REVELL

FUKIKO TAKASE 高瀨普希子

JAN MIKAELA VILLANEUVA

HARRY THEADORA FOSTER

MATTHEW SANDIFORD

HOLLY VALLIS

LUKE WATSON

Creative Team

導演暨編舞 Director & Choreographer ／阿喀郎．汗 Akram Khan

創意副總監暨指導 Creative Associate & Coach ／ Mavin Khoo

編劇 Writer ／ Jariq Jordan

戲劇顧問 Dramaturgical Advisor ／ Sharon Clark

作曲 Composer ／ Jocelyn Pook

聲音設計 Sound Designer ／ Gareth Fry

燈光設計 Lighting Designer ／ Michael Hulls

舞台視覺設計 Visual Stage Designer ／ Miriam Buether

藝術暨動畫導演 Art Direction & Director of Animation ／ Adam Smith (YeastCulture)

製作人暨影像導演 Producer & Director of Video Design │ Nick Hillel (YeastCulture)

影像描摹暨動畫 Rotoscope Artists & Animators ／ Naaman Azhari, Natasza Cetner, Edson R Bazzarin

排練導演 Rehearsal Director ／ Nicky Henshall, Andrew Pan, Angela Towler (Tour)

舞者 Dancer ／ Lucia Chocarro, Tom Davis-Dunn, Harry Theadora Foster, Thomasin Gülgeç, Max Revell, Matthew Sandiford, SHUM Pui-Yui (岑珮榕 ), Fukiko Takase (高瀨普希子) , Holly Vallis, Vanessa Vince-Pang, Jan Mikaela Villaneuva, Luke Watson

助理動畫師 Assistant Animator ／ Nisha Alberti, Geo Barnett, Miguel Mealla Black, Michelle Cramer, Jack Hale, Zuzanna Odolczyk, Sofja Umarik

配音員 Voice Actor ／ Tian-Lan Chaudhry, Joy Elias-Rilwan, Pushkala Gopal, Dana Haqjoo, Nicky Henshall, Su-Man Hsu, Kathryn Hunter, Emmanuel Imani, Divya Kasturi, Jeffery Kissoon, Mavin Khoo, Yasmin Paige, Max Revell, Christopher Simpson, Pui Yung Shum, Holly Vallis, Jan Mikaela Villanueva, Luke Watson, 3 rd Year students of Rambert School.

製作總監 Producing Director ／ Farooq Chaudhry

行政總監 Executive Director ／ Isabel Tamen

專案經理 Project Manager ／ Mashitah Omar

技術統籌 Technical Director ／ Zeynep Kepekli

製作經理 Technical Manager ／ Michael Cunningham

巡演經理暨道具製作 Touring Production Manager and Prop Maker ／ Marek Pomocki

燈光技術 Lighting Engineer ／ Stephane Dejours

聲音技術 Sound Engineer ／ Philip Wood

視訊暨投影技術 Video Technician and Projectionist ／ Matthew Armstrong

舞台監督 Stage Manager ／ Jessica Rice

Co-produced by Curve Leicester, Attiki Cultural Society – Greece, Birmingham Hippodrome, Edinburgh International Festival, Esplanade –Theatres on the Bay Singapore, Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, Maison de la Danse / Pôle européen de création – Lyon, National Arts Centre – Canada, New Vision Arts Festival – Hong Kong, Orsolina28, Pfalzbau Bühnen – Theater im Pfalzbau Ludwigshafen, Romaeuropa Festival, Stanford Live / Stanford University, Teatros del Canal – Madrid, théâtre de Caen, Théâtre de la Ville –Paris

With the support of Garfield Weston Foundation, Genesis Foundation and Angela Bernstein CBE Supported by Arts Council England

Special thanks to Tina and Richard Fagan, Sue Buckmaster, The Coronet Theatre, University of Roehampton, Mr. & Mrs. Khan, Yuko Khan, Sayuri, Kenzo & Ayana Khan, Amanda Britton, Darren Ellis, Sharon Watson, Ann David, Anda Winters, Ella Roberts, Anna CY Chan and the students of Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts that took part in creation rehearsals and all the 3 rd year students of Northern School of Contemporary Dance (2021-2022) and 3 rd year students of Rambert School (2021-2022) who worked on the R&D residency with Akram.

Jocelyn Pook's music © Copyright 2022 Chester Music Limited

Music recorded by Singers Tanja Tzarovska, Melanie Pappenheim, Sushma Soma, Sohini Alam, Voya Zivkovic Musicians Jocelyn Pook (piano, viola, voice, keyboards), Mulele Matondo (guitar and sanza), Belinda Sykes (shawm and gralla) Recording and mixing Steve Parr“How Dare You?”, Greta Thunberg, recording property

© Ambra Vernuccio

© Ambra Vernuccio