The Crocodile Concludes First National Tour, Actors Reveal Behind-the-Scenes Stories
Beijing, China – The highly anticipated play TheCrocodile concluded its first national tour on September 1st at the Beijing Poly Theatre. On September 2nd, director Wang Keren and the cast,including Zhao Wensuan, Kai Li, Deng Cuifen, Li Zonglei, Bai Kainan, Wang Jinghua, and Li Longyin, gathered atthe Beijing Comedy Theatre for a special Report and Sharing session. The event allowed the audience to delve into the behind-the-scenes stories of the play, revealing the secrets behind the captivating performances. The session was also broadcast live,attracting a large online audience.
The event was filled with laughter and heartwarming moments as the actors shared their experiences and insights.
Taiwanese actor Zhao Wensuan, who plays the role of Dan Wudan, faced a monumentaltask of memorizing an enormous amount of dialogue, almost equivalent to a novella. The final monologue alone stretches for over ten minutes. To tackle this challenge, Zhao meticulously hand-copied every line of his script, using a brush pen. He carried this handwritten script with him constantly, practicing his lines tirelessly.His dedication paid off, as he received praise for his flawless Mandarin, a testament to the support he received from his fellow actors.
Hong Kong actress Deng Cuifen also faced difficulties with Mandarin, despite the dedicated coaching provided by actor Li Zonglei. To accommodate her accent, the character she plays, ShouMa, was written as a native of Guangdong province. Deng expressed her gratitude to the audience who grew up watching her Hong Kong dramas, acknowledging their recognition of her Mandarin improvement. To compensate for her accent, Deng focused on her physical performance, using expressive body language to convey the character’s alluring and melancholic nature.Deng shared that this production was the most time-consuming and rewarding experience of her career, having never dedicated so much time to a single project. She plans to celebrate the end of the tour by indulging in a long conversation with her friends in Cantonese and finally enjoying Beijing roast duck after a period of dieting.
Veteranactress Kai Li delivered a stunning performance in The Crocodile, earning praise from playwright Mo Yan, who described her as an exceptional actress capable of portraying both heart-wrenching and explosive characters. The audience was equally impressed with her portrayal of Qiao Ling. Kai Li, known for her role in the popular drama Longing, shared that she always strives for excellence, drawing inspiration from her past as an athlete and soldier. She expressed her desire to continuously challenge herself and reward the audience with memorable performances. Kai Li also thanked director Wang Keren for his guidance, crediting him for shaping her unique style of performance, characterized by absurdityand fantasy. She showcased a particularly captivating scene from the play, eliciting a strong response from the audience. Kai Li also revealed that she added a line not originally in the script, where Qiao Ling shouts Speak Mandarin! to Shou Ma during a heated argument, due to her difficulty understandingthe latter’s accent. This line consistently sparks laughter from the audience.
Each actor contributed their unique talents to the production, with director Wang Keren providing invaluable guidance. Li Zonglei, playing the role of the secretary Liu Mufei, shared how the director arranged for him to receive coaching from a real-life secretary. This individual provided valuable insights, including the proper posture for a secretary, emphasizing the importance of sitting with a slight tilt rather than fully resting on the chair, a detail inspired by a description in Dream of the Red Chamber. Li Zonglei emphasized the collective effort of the cast, highlighting their dedication toportraying the most distinctive aspects of their characters.
Director Wang Keren also meticulously crafted physical details for each character, such as designing a series of movements for Bai Kainan, who plays Niu Bu, to vividly showcase the character’s dramatic transformation. He also incorporated various accents for Li Longyin, whoplays the fortune teller Huang Dashe, to reflect the character’s complex identity and experiences. Notably, Wang Keren introduced a unique group of characters representing souls, adding another layer of intrigue to the narrative. One observant audience member noticed that while Shou Ma lost three children due to an abortion, four young actors accompanied Xiao Tao, the son of the deceased Dan Wudan, as he wandered as a soul. Wang Keren explained that he intentionally used four actors to represent not only Dan Wudan’s lost children but also the youth and lives consumed by desire.
The organizers announcedthat The Crocodile will return to the Poly Theatre for two additional performances on December 14th at 7:30 PM and December 15th at 2:30 PM, promising an even more polished and captivating experience for the audience.
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