Our party was situated in (probably) the cheapest seats - high up, far away and close together. But I could see all that needed to be seen so no problems beyond legs and backside getting stiff every now and then. The costumes and makeup were very bright and colourful and looked fabulous; it was sometimes hard to believe all the female characters were played by men. "But didn't their voices give them away?" I hear you ask. Well, at times there was an element of suspension of disbelief, but everyone spoke in a slightly strained, lyrical kind of way that aided the illusion. I should probably add that all the music was performed live, even when it was only in the background.
The show itself was split up into four main performances, with intervals in between. I imagine it was a bit like how cinemas used to be in the days of A and B features and newsreels and so on. Given the oldey-timey language used the various plots were a tad tricky to follow, but here are my opinions on them. In the first section there was a lot of music and dancing, difficult to describe in words, but I rather think that there isn't much in creating dance moves, but there is of course everything in mastering them. Next came what I think was the main feature, or at least the longest piece. I could just about work out that it was set in an aristocratic house, probably had something to do with inheritance, there were emotions running high and murder most foul. Without a doubt the highlight was a scene featuring a huge rat who did backflips and breakdancing! Had I lived before I witnessed that spectacle?
After a lengthy interval we were treated to a lighter, comic play. Rather reminded me of some Laurel & Hardy stories - one fellow sneaks off, leaving the other in his place to fool his wife, the wife finds out, disguises herself as the second fellow, and hilarity ensues. Finally, there was a piece I understood well, due to being told about it in the preparatory lecture last week. It involved a gang of crooks attempting to swindle the owner and staff of a clothing shop. Different to theatrical performances I'm used to, when the show finished everyone dispersed quickly and in an orderly, business-like fashion. No prolonged clapping and curtain raising here. Although, during the performance itself many people shouted out the actors' names. To my untrained ears this sounded like heckling, but in fact it's a form of applause and apparently highly appreciated.
However, the fun was not yet over. We had a bit more knowledge imparted on us by the same teacher who lectured us before, from the comfort of the expensive seats at the front. And, due to his being a renowned scholar, he was also able to gain access to The Underworld, or the area underneath the stage where the various mechanisms and effects were managed. That was a nice treat. To sum up, Kabuki: very long, difficult to understand without prior knowledge of the piece, but interesting and enjoyable to watch none the less. A once-in-a-lifetime experience? Who knows. I think I wouldn't rush to see another performance until I'm living the kind of life where I could afford better seats and a few nibbles during the intervals!
 |
| Inside the theatre |
