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Dende Collective

KWAIDAN

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kwaidan pix 115 Dec 2006

FiRST BiTES at The Oval House Upstairs Studio

 

Inspired by four Japanese ghost stories presented in the book 'Kwaidan – Stories and Studies Of Strange Things' by Lafcadio Hearn. The company presents the stories using its trademark mix of styles (shadows, projections, masks, puppets and physical theatre), creating a highly visual and accessible play for audiences young and old.

 

The Story

Dende Collective finds inspiration in four Japanese ghost stories presented in the book Kwaidan – Stories and Studies Of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn to create a highly visual and accessible play for audiences young and old using not only Dende Collective’s trademark mix of styles (shadows, projections, masks, puppets and physical theatre) but also paying homage with references to the aesthetics of Japanese traditional theatre forms (Noh, Kyogen, Kabuki and Bunraku).

 

André Pink (Artistic Director) has lived and worked in Japan where among other things he studied Kyogen with Mansaku-No-Kai supported by the Japan Foundation Fellowship Program and worked at Tokyo’s National Theatre. Montserrat Gili (core member) lived in Japan for two years where she also studied traditional Bunraku puppetry and for this particular project we worked with the Japanese designer Tomo Kato for set and costumes. The text adaptation is by playwright Mark O’Thomas with André Pink and the cast: Akiko Sato (Japan), Franz Wurzinger (Germany), Montse Gili (Spain) and Mark Reid (Australia). The four stories chosen for Dende Collective’s version of Kwaidan are: Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi, Yuki-Onna, Rokuro-Kubi and The Story of O-Tei

 

About the process

Initially the company had been commissioned by Harrow Arts Centre to produce a Christmas family show, but due to the sudden liquidation of this venue the run was cancelled with just one week into rehearsals. Despite the loss, Dende Collective and all the artists involved decided to take the plunge and go ahead with the project in a much reduced form thanks to the kind support of Oval House Theatre. The show was presented as a work-in-progress as part of the Oval's First Bites Season.

 

Result of the work-in-progress presentation

  • GENERAL – We presented an hour-long show presenting based on 3 traditional Japanese Ghost stories instead of four: Yuki-Onna, Rokuro-Kubi and The Story of O-Tei using with a multi-ethnic cast  using elements of Japanese Traditional and Contemporary Theatre (Noh, Kyogen, Kabuki, Bunraku and Butoh) and our trademark mixture of physical theatre, clowning and story-telling.
  • TEXT - We have a final text adapted by Mark O’Thomas and the script which has been tested both with the actors and invited audience during the 10-day rehearsal and presentation at Oval House. The text had been written encompassing 4 stories, we dropped the last story due to spatial limitations of the Oval House Upstairs Studio.
  • PRODUCTION - We worked with the Japanese designer Tomo Kato and the puppet maker Alex Evan. The whole show was specifically designed for the 300-seat auditorium of Harrow Arts Centre but the rapid move to the Oval Studio proves that we can adapt the show to other venues and necessities. Part of the costumes, props, puppets and masks have been made or bought and are property of Dende Collective.
  • LIGHT DESIGN – Francis Watson, Oval House technical Manager, stepped in and lit the show beautifully.
  • MUSIC – We researched Japanese traditional Japanese music and André Pink created a soundtrack for the show that mixed songs sung live by the actors as well as recorded material.
  • RECORD – We have filmed the project and are currently preparing a promo DVD with 3 to 4 minutes of the edited footage of the performance.
  • FEEDBACK SESSION – At the end of the presentation there was a dialogue with the audience, who gave us much positive feedback.

Audience Feedback

"It definitely had a magical feeling, the stories were clear and easy to understand and I find that the spooky moments were there but also the humanity and the humour"

 

"Yes, I think children can enjoy this show but also adults!"

 

"As an Oriental theatre practitioner I had my reservations at the beginning, but you have taken all these Japanese traditional forms and done something new and unique on stage without losing its quality, and from a wider perspective." 

 

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