The Fugitive Approach to Espionage
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14 發光的城市 A R O U N D T O W N FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009 • TAIPEI TIMES BY ANdreW C.C. HUANG DRAMA Godot Theatre Company’s production STOP of The 39 Steps, takes a light-hearted The fugitive approach to espionage. PHOTO cOURTESY OF NTCH odot Theatre Company is back with another adaptation of a Western classic, The 39 Steps (步步 COMPILED BY CatheriNE SHU G驚笑), a comedic espionage thriller that made its Taiwan debut on Thursday at opular TV host Hu Gua (胡 enjoyed a reputation for being Taipei’s Metropolitan Hall. 瓜) and his ex-wife Hsiu Hsiu a buttoned-down daddy’s girl, Adapted from the novel of the (秀秀) have been on frosty but has “unfolded like a peach same title by John Buchan, which Pterms since their divorce nearly blossom” with a series of alleged inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s classic a decade ago, but the cold front affairs, our sister newspaper the film, the play is a theatrical spoof of may finally be dissipating. Liberty Times noted. Ann has the original story and has won two The former couple’s daughter, been romantically linked to F4 Tony Awards and a Laurence Olivier Barlow, the Chinese version features Hu Ying-chen (胡盈禎), recently member and actor Vanness Wu (吳 Award for Best Comedy. four actors who will portray a total celebrated her birthday at a 建豪) and H. Brothers Media (華誼 This Chinese-language version was of 48 characters. Chin Shih-chieh (金 restaurant in Taipei’s East 兄弟) head Wang Zhonglei (王中磊). translated and is directed by former 士傑), a veteran thespian and winner District (東區) with her mom Two months ago, Ann was Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Artistic at this year’s National Arts Awards, and egregious plastic surgeon spotted strolling to a hot pot Director and Bauhinia Star winner will play the lead character Mr Hanny, husband Lee Chin-liang (李進良). restaurant in heavy rain with a tall Daniel S. P. Yang (楊世彭). This month who unwittingly becomes entangled in Hu Gua and his current love Ting man who held an umbrella over two shows will run simultaneously in an espionage conspiracy. Screen siren Ro-an (丁柔安) were noticeably her the entire way. A reporter PERFORMANCE NOTES: Shanghai and Taipei. The production and tabloid darling Tien Hsin (天心) absent. Gossip reporters asked saw the duo again last week while then embarks on a country-wide tour will portray three different women. if the two were “afraid to show they were out shopping. “On WHAT: Godot Theatre Company, The 39 Steps (步步驚笑) here through the end of next month. Theater actors Pu Hsueh-liang (卜學 up” because of the long-standing closer inspection, it appears that WHEN: Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at The show also marks the first time 亮) and Renzo Liu (劉亮佐) will each tension between Hu Gua and Hsiu Ann’s new boyfriend is Chinese 2:30pm, Monday to Dec. 19 at 7:30pm, Dec. 19 and Dec. 20 at 2:30pm a major Broadway production has tackle more than 20 roles. Hsiu. Hu Ying-chen explained that Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator WHERE: Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City been licensed in Chinese while the The story of The 39 Steps unfolds she planned to have dinner with Hsieh Kuo-liang’s (謝國樑) former (台北市八德路三段25號) original continues to run in New York as Mr Hanny stumbles onto an enemy her father and Ting soon. Her aide, Chang Po-chin (張卜今),” AdmissioN: NT$500 to NT$2,500, available through NTCH ticketing and London. spy ring and a mysterious woman mother added, “if they are willing wrote the Liberty Times. Upon or online at www.artsticket.com.tw “This is theatricalism and dies in his home. On the run, he finds to invite me along, then I will go” learning that Chang’s identity had ON THE NET: www.godot.org.tw minimalism at its best,” said Yang in himself knee-deep in a conspiracy — a statement Apple Daily called been uncovered, Ann wailed over DETAils: Additional performances in Chungli (Dec. 26 and 27), Taichung a phone interview last week. “There that threatens both his life and the no less than “astonishing.” the telephone to a reporter, “I’m (Jan. 9 and Jan. 10), Tainan (Jan. 16 and Jan. 17), Hsinchu (Jan. 23 and Jan. is laughter in every step,” and nation’s safety. Hu and Hsiu Hsiu divorced in going to cry now! 24) and Kaohsiung (Jan. 30 and Jan. 31). For a complete schedule, go to “plenty of tongue-in-cheek that will “This is an early version of the 2001. He and Ting have recently “We really are just friends. In blog.xuite.net/godot2009/the39steps?st=c&p=1&w=1933439 thrill the audience.” James Bond story,” said Yang. “It’s a been spotted dining with his the future, we might do business Following the original script production for audiences from 9 years daughter and her husband. But together,” she added through what written by British playwright Patrick old to 90 years old.” while the relationship between the Liberty Times wrote sounded Hu’s daughter and his girlfriend like tearful sniffling. appears cordial enough, gossip In addition to his political BY IAN BarthOLOmeW rags report that tension surfaced activities, Hsieh is known for his OPERA this summer when Ying-chen six-year relationship with Breeze allegedly tried to engineer a Center (微風廣場) art director, reunion between her mother and Michelle Liao (廖曉喬), the sister father. At her birthday dinner, of the luxury mall’s owner, and To boldly go where no ‘gezai’ opera has gone before Ying-chen let slip that she wanted was recently photographed going to celebrate with her mother first home with a “hot chick” (辣妹) before meeting up with her dad to “watch a DVD.” But Chang’s ver the past couple of years, Taiwan of her professional life in Europe and techniques to build up her story of a and Ting. record now tops that of his former has produced a number of intriguing the US, said that this work was a gift to doomed romance that crosses national Hsiu Hsiu, however, said she’d boss, the Liberty Times remarked. collaborations that have brought Taiwan for all it has given her. and ideological lines. The cast also be happy to tag along to the second He is rumored to have had an Otraditional Chinese opera styles into With Mazu’s Bodyguards, Chen is crosses gender and relationship lines, dinner, adding that “it’s been 10 affair with children’s television collision with Italian opera, avant-garde making a return to the Taiwan stage for with Sun playing the lead male role years, what’s past is past.” When host and singer Momo Chu (朱安禹) theater, Western orchestral music, the first time in 20 years, though her and her daughter, Chen Shao-ting (陳昭 questioned by an Apple reporter, while still a player with the Super contemporary dance and every imaginable work has had a constant presence here, 婷), playing her lover. This rather facile Hu Gua responded “of course” Basketball League’s Yulon Dinos type of multimedia. Mazu’s Bodyguards reaching a new height of popularity with transgression, along with the jarring he’d be happy to see his ex-wife. (裕隆恐龍). (海神家族), which premieres today at the the success of The Personals (徵婚啟事, juxtaposition of sharply contrasting Whether the reunion will come National Theater, brings together theater 1998), a film staring Rene Liu (劉若英), musical styles, all seems to suggest that to fruition or if the two former director and writer Jade Chen (陳玉慧) based on a book by Chen. here is yet another story that will suffer spouses will just continue to play Hu Gua can with gezai opera (歌仔戲) diva Sun Tsui- Mazu’s Bodyguards is a hugely through a too determined insistence on a game of telephone via gossip choose his feng (孫翠鳳), founder of Ming Hwa Yuan ambitious work that aims to deconstruct stylistic innovation. reporters remains to be seen. friends ... Taiwanese Opera Company (明華園歌仔戲 gezai opera and build it again from the Given the number of boundaries While the focus this week was PHOTO: TAIPEi TiMES 團), to create what is described as a New ground up as a medium for contemporary that Chen tries to straddle in Mazu’s on the thawing of the cold war Age gezai opera. theater. This is a distinctly unsettling Bodyguards, there is a clear effort to make between Hu Ying-chen’s parents, Mazu’s Bodyguards is written and experience, as the traditional Chinese this production strikingly modern, with Apple couldn’t help poking directed by Chen and based on her hugely orchestra has been replaced by a fusion all the attendant dangers of pushing limits fun at husband Lee, who is popular novel of the same name published of contemporary classical and electronic further than they have been pushed before. currently on an enforced in 2004. The novel won the Jury Prize at music, removing the musical punctuation three-month sabbatical after the inaugural Dream of the Red Chamber of drums and cymbals that are central to being found guilty of illegally Award (第一屆紅樓夢獎) for Chinese Chinese opera. Sun, whose Ming Hwa Yuan Mazu’s Bodyguards is based Jane Chen’s hugely PERFORMANCE NOTES: inserting silicone breast literature in 2006 and picked up the prize Taiwanese Opera Company is a leading popular novel of the same name. PHOTO cOURTESY OF NTCH implants into a patient. Lee, for Best Novel in the Taiwan Literature innovator in gezai opera, said that this new WHAT: Mazu’s Bodyguards (海神家族) who is also rumored to be a Awards (台灣文學獎) in 2007.