龍貓和亞剛算是幾有緣。 因香港放農曆年假，便和妹妹計劃結伴往日本購物。 當訂好機票便聽到亞剛會做朗讀劇“樁姬”的消息，而龍貓正好會在日本！

那麼巧，龍貓當然不放過去看的機會，雖然還不知究竟亞剛是做什麼。

懷著“我要去”的念力，很快的便解決了票子的問題。 因是工作上的關係，龍貓只可看二月十三日的一場，十四日便要回港。 好，今回就做隻不貪心的龍貓，只看一場吧。

其實這個朗讀劇的資料不多，不像上回“浦田”的在雜誌內有很多報導。 因為其實這個朗讀劇在日本亦是一個新的表演形式，之前是沒有人試過的。 在“Theater Guide”中, 編劇的土田英生先生說在他來說是個新嘗試。 他有這個“概念”，現將之付諸實行。 他看過亞剛的浦田，很喜歡他的聲線，所以當想到這個劇便想到邀請亞剛來演。

Suntory Small Hall是一個只有四百個座位的小型演奏廳，究竟”樁姬“是怎樣的呢？

原來這劇不是[樁姬]這個舞台劇,而是一個完全不同的故事.

亞剛應是那個叫"有谷", 在Suntory Hall做清潔的小伙子. 他因工作上要寫"業務日誌".  初期有谷寫得很短, 在他的上司(係長)?倉的鼓勵下, 他漸漸寫得很多.  而且變為他和係長的通訊錄.  亞剛便是把這本"業務日誌"讀出來.  有谷和係長的故事, 以[樁姬]在一年內四次的上演為段落, 帶出他們兩人怎成為朋友的故事.  另外, 在有谷的記事內, 亦道出一個叫"樁"的女子, 和她相識的古田君的事件.  這事件和[樁姬]的故事很相似.

好像很難明吧? 請看看故事內容可能會好一點.

以上說過, Suntory Small Hall是一個只有四百個座位的小型演奏廳, 或應說是一個 ball room好一點．　廳的前面是一個小台，偏左一點有張椅，旁邊有張桌子，上有一杯水, 一支洋蠋和一本書．在相片頁內亞剛在rehearsal的便是那個Small hall了．

到了七時五分，廳內的燈暗下來．亞剛在左邊出來，坐在椅上，拾起那書便開始讀．．．．．

”業務日誌，二月五日．．．．”　因這業務日誌有”有谷”和”係長”兩個角式，亞剛便用兩個不同的聲調來讀出．　有谷是比較”年輕”的，而係長便用一個比較沉實的聲調來讀，像是兩個人對話般．

另外，在有谷讀出那女子"樁"在洗手間留下的memo時，亞剛的聲線變得溫柔，像是那女子在說出她的故事．他一下子變為"樁"在說話了．　

整個劇亞剛都坐在椅上，沒什動作，有少少的眼神交流，會望向前面的觀眾．而表情方面便會因角式而轉變．所以在最後說出"樁"的悲慘命運時，亞剛的表情便變得很悲哀，他點上洋蠋，周圍的燈光暗淡下來, 他最後還吹息洋蠋以作完結．

寫劇本的土田先生很了不起．因為這劇本的重點是不可太沉悶，其中必定要有一些點子令觀眾笑，不然大家可能會全沉睡了（笑）．　

至於亞剛,他的樣子有點倦，可能是因緊張而睡不好吧．在間場時（即女高音唱歌時）他會合上眼，閉目養神似的．他亦慢慢的呷一口水，總之是慢慢的在動，不會”打擾”到女高音的演出．

這個朗讀劇真的是亞剛的一個大挑戰．因除了聲線的運用外，他還要一個人去控制場面，控制各觀眾的情緒起落．當然，今次亞剛是成功的．

不過，亞剛還是亞剛，在完場後，廳內的燈亮起來，他．．．竟然有點不知”我是否應在這時向觀眾鞠躬道謝”的一刻！　真的，他停了一陣子，然後才向觀眾鞠躬道謝．哈哈！

大家當然不當是什麼，而是拼命的拍手．所以亞剛和女高音和鋼琴家”謝幕”了五次有多．一次一次的出來，有點搞笑！　在最後一次謝幕，亞剛是有點”怎算？她們還未收手啊！”的表情．

但除了向觀眾鞠躬道謝，他們一點說話都沒說．在龍貓而言,這是有點美中不足的地方． 另外, 在場刊內說亞剛是那個在做打掃的"有谷". 所以他在讀自己的業務日誌.  但"演出"的亞剛是"白馬王子"一個, 做打掃的不會穿得這麼靚仔吧? 所以龍貓在現在還是不太了解/領會到亞剛就是"有谷".  而且整個劇只是一個半小時, 貪心的龍貓覺得有點"不夠喉"啊.

在標題上龍貓已說了，對龍貓而言今次的朗讀劇亦是一個挑戰．因龍貓一直不知這劇會以何種形式演出．其實在進場時各人都買了一本”場刊”．龍貓在看完那些超靚的相後便把書放入袋內．原來那”場刊”便是亞剛在讀的那個”業務日誌”！！當時龍貓多想把場刊取出來看！但．．．．還是看亞剛吧！ 所以龍貓是有點看/聽得不明所以的.  加上龍貓的日文程度....哈哈!

龍貓超幸運的位置是可很清楚的近距離看到亞剛, 所以, 老實說, 就是龍貓可一百巴仙明白日文, 亦不可能可成個故事聽完, 因已分神去看那勁靚仔的朗讀男了.  之前看舞台劇還會看其他人, 但今回就真的"眼中只有亞剛", 看得眼都有點發麻呢,騎騎! (哎呀! 誰打龍貓?)

要多謝Fuji TV和土田先生給亞剛一個這麼特別的演出經驗, 待我們一班fans多一次見到亞剛的機會.

亦要再一次多謝亞剛令龍貓的旅程更豐富, 和給了我一個難忘的新年.  年初二便得到這麼好事,今年龍貓必然好運連連,嘻!
 
 

Due to the Chinese New Year holidays, Totoro planned to spend the holidays with my sister in Japan.  After we booked the flight, Totoro got the news that Tsuyoshi will have a new kind of show exactly the same period when Totoro will be in Japan.

As a result, Totoro tried her best to find a ticket.  However, due to the heavy work load, Totoro had to go back to HK on 14 Feb.  So Totoro could only watch the show on 13 Feb.

On the other hand, there was little information about the show. As mentioned by the script writer and the director of the show in an interview in "Theater Guide", this is a new kind of performance, no one have ever done so before.  The director had thought of this kind of performance and tried to make it live.  He watched Tsuyoshi's performance in "Kamata" and likes his voice.  As a result, when he thought of carrying out the show, he thought of inviting Tsuyoshi for the show at once.

The shows hold at Suntory Small Hall, where there are only 400 seats, what will the show be then?

Before the show, Totoro thought that it was about the famous opera [Tsubaki-Hime].  But actually it is only little related to this opera, the story of the show is a different one.

Tsuyoshi is acting as a worker who is responsible to clean the toilets at Suntory Hall.  He has to write down what he does everyday in a diary.  At the beginning he wrote only a sentence.  His senior encouraged him to write more, even wrote something that may not be related to work.  As a result, this guy began to write his diary.  Tsuyoshi read out this diary.  The story is about how this worker and his senior become friends during the year, and by using [Tsubaki-Hime], which held in Suntory Hall for 4 times during the year, as the separator for each section.  In the diary, the guy also told us a story about a girl meeting a boy, while her story is similar to [Tsubaki-Hime].

Do you know what Totoro is talking about?  Maybe you can go to the Story section to know more about the show, then you will know what Totoro is trying to say.

As mentioned, Suntory Small Hall is a venue with 400 seats.  You can refer to the Photos section, the room which Tsuyoshi had his rehearsal is the Suntory Small Hall.  At the front of the hall is the stage.  In the middle, a little bit to the left, there is an arm chair, a table with a glass of water, a candle and a book.

At about 7:05 p.m., the lights in the room dimmed, Tsuyoshi went out from the left, sitting in the arm chair and started reading out the book....

"The diary, 5 February...."

There are two characters in the diary, as a result, Tsuyoshi used different tones to read out the lines.  For the worker, he spoke in a younger tone, while he used a more mature tone to read out the lines of the senior.  So it is more like two persons talking.

Besides, there is a girl appeared in the diary.  When Tsuyoshi was reading out the memo left by the girl, his voice became soft and gentle, just like the girl telling us about her story.

Tsuyoshi was sitting in the arm chair all the way during the show, with no big movement at all.  However, he took a look at the audience in the front from time to time.  His facial expression changed with his voice.  When he was telling us about the sad story of the girl, he also looked sad on his face.  In the last part, he lighted up the candle and the lights around dimmed.  It was the saddest part of the show and at the very last part Tsuyoshi blew up the candle and the show ended.

Totoro think that the script writer is brilliant!  Cause it is very important that the story cannot be boring.  There must be some gags that make the audience laugh, or else all of us will fall asleep.  Haha.

Tsuyoshi looked a little bit tired, maybe he was too nervous and did not sleep well.  During the parts when the lady sang, Tsuyoshi often drank, then closed his eyes.

It is really a great challenge to Tsuyoshi, as he has to learn how to control the sense by himself only.  He has to learn how to use his voice to lead the audience to the story.  Totoro think that Tsuyoshi does very well this time.

On the other hand, Tsuyoshi is still the lovely guy Totoro familiar with.  After the story ended, the lights turned bright again and it should be the time Tsuyoshi thanked the audience.  At that moment, Tsuyoshi did not know when was the best time to bow!  Haha, really!  He hesitated and stopped for a second before he bowed to the audience.

Sure no one care about this and all of us clapped our hands hardly.  Tsuyoshi, the lady and the pianonist bowed for more than 5 times.  They came out and went into the backstage again and again, haha.  At the last time, Tsuyoshi gave us a facial expression that "what can I do, seems that the audience still do not want to leave."  Haha.

However, other than bowing, they did not say a word at all.

Besides, Tsuyoshi should be the guy who is working in Suntory Hall and reading his own diary.  However, he wore suit and looked very handsome when reading out the diary.  As a result, it is hard for Totoro to match the guy with this "kakkoii" Tsuyoshi.  Moreover, the show only longed for 1.5 hours, it is not enough for Totoro la.

As mentioned at the captioned title, it is also a challenge to Totoro as I had no idea what Tsuyoshi will do in the show.  Before the show started, we bought a book about the show.  However, after Totoro took a look at those handsome photos of Tsuyoshi in the book, Totoro put the book in the bag safely.  On the other hand, the book was exactly the one Tsuyoshi read during the show!  Totoro noted so only after the show began.  So, at one moment, Totoro had thought of taking out the book and followed the lines, so as to know what Tsuyoshi was saying.  However, Totoro gave up after a second.  It's better for Totoro to stare at Tsuyoshi.  Heehee.  So Totoro was not fully understand about the story during the show time.

The seat of Totoro was so great that Totoro could look at Tsuyoshi in a clear and close distance.  As a result, honestly speaking, even Totoro were a Japanese, Totoro still could not fully understand the story.  Cause from time to time, Totoro's attention was diverted to look at this "cho-kakkoii" Tsuyoshi.  In other play Totoro would take a look at other actors.  But in this show, only Tsuyoshi was on the stage, so..... in Totoro's eyes, there was only Tsuyoshi, hoohoo!  (Aiya! Who is kicking at Totoro?)

Totoro must thank Fuji TV and the script writer to give Tsuyoshi this new challenge, so that as a fan of Tsuyoshi, Totoro got the chance to meet him.

Sure Totoro must thank Tsuyoshi who gave me an unforgettable trip.  Totoro got this great chance at the very beginning of the Chinese New Year (the second day), for sure the coming year for Totoro will be a wonderful one.  Haha!
 
 
 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY TOTORO 2002