Cover News Reporter Su Yu "In front of the statue of Shakespeare in Shakespeare's former residence, I made a vow to spend the rest of my life completing the transformation from a novelist to a playwright." Mo Yan said. On January 11, the stage creation conference of "Crocodile" p

cover news reporter Su Yu

"In front of the statue of Shakespeare in Shakespeare's former residence, I made a vow to spend the rest of my life completing the transformation from a novelist to a playwright." Mo Yan said.

’s creative lineup brings together many well-known actors, from left: Zhang Kaili, Deng Cuiwen, and Zhao Wenxuan. Photo provided by the organizer

The drama "Crocodile" is Mo Yan's first original magical drama script after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. It was conceived and created over ten years ago. The story revolves around the "crocodile" gift that the protagonist Shan Wuzang received at his birthday party. Through a talking crocodile that grows infinitely, it unearths the deep secrets of human nature and deeply explores the theme of "desire."

Mo Yan created the drama "Crocodile". Photo provided by the organizer

Mo Yan:

Human desires are like crocodiles

"I have been a loyal drama enthusiast since I was a child. I have seen many dramas and opera works through various opportunities, and I have even played some small roles on the stage. , leaving a profound memory of the drama stage. Therefore, I feel that I should write a few drama works to repay the kindness of drama in nurturing literature." Mo Yan said at the meeting.

Regarding the meaning of the name "Crocodile", Mo Yan said that human desires are like crocodiles. If there is enough space and nutrients, they will grow rapidly. In this play, what determines how fast a crocodile grows is the cabinet in which it is kept. For a person, it is the amount of power he holds and the degree of restriction of power by the system.

director Wang Keran said that "Crocodile" is a good script that he has rarely encountered in his more than 20 years of experience in the theater industry, with complex and exquisite "action". "Every character is chasing this 'light' in his heart, and all redemption cannot exist without this 'light'."

"This is a film that combines tradition and modernity, tragedy and comedy, solemnity and A work that combines humor, reality and magic, it runs through the great drama tradition from Shakespeare to the expression of O'Neill's modern drama. In terms of the complexity of human nature, it creates the most complex drama since the New Literature Characters." said Zhang Qinghua, president of the Chinese Contemporary Literature Research Association.

stage creation conference of the drama "Crocodile". Picture provided by the organizer

brings together many artists

Zhang Kaili, Zhao Wenxuan and Deng Cuiwen participated in

In order to better create this annual drama, the creative lineup has brought together many well-known actors. Taiwanese actor Zhao Wenxuan, who plays the male protagonist "Shan Wuxian" in the play, said that this character has intersection with everyone in the play. There are differences in his attitude towards different people, and he can express the complexity of the characters in a variety of ways.

"I think the character I played is very talented, talented and ambitious, but he couldn't withstand the temptation and was finally bitten by desire." Zhao Wenxuan, who has passed his sixtieth year, said, "I am acting at this age now. , I think I can understand it."

"I have encountered many challenges in my forty years of acting, but this challenge is extraordinary. The talented teacher Mo Yan wrote this "Crocodile" so wonderfully! "Zhang Kaili, a national first-class actor at the National Theater, plays "Qiao Ling" in the play. In her opinion, as a work of magical realism, "Crocodile" is both absurd and real, humorous and ironic, contemporary and world-viewing.

Mo Yan and Zhang Kaili. Photo provided by the organizer

Zhang Kaili has played the wife of an official in works such as "In the Name of the People" and "In the World". She said frankly that this time the mayor's wife "Qiao Ling" is a completely different, full and vivid character. The wonderful dialogue between her and the mayor and "Skinny Horse" made people applaud."I will use all my energy to create with heart and sincerity, and work with everyone to contribute a good work."

Hong Kong actor Tang Cui-wen, who plays the role of "Skinny Horse" in the play, said, "What I am looking forward to very much is , this character has a rich and full character image, and Mr. Mo Yan gave each line a lot of meaning. I hope to feel the love and hatred of "Shou Ma" every day during rehearsals, and work with the director to find the true appearance of the character. "

The villain, as the protagonist, breaks the default

and will bring aesthetic impact to the audience

In "Crocodile", the crocodile is a metaphor for greed and a symbol of desire. Shan Wuzang in the play was born into a poor family, but as his status and power grew, his desires gradually expanded, and his standard of living could no longer satisfy his greedy heart. As a result, he began to be bound and controlled by desire, and was constantly devoured by greed, until he was buried in desire.

When talking about the original intention of creation, Mo Yan believes that it has a lot to do with his own experience. "In the mid-1990s, I transferred from the army to work for the Procuratorate Daily, which is affiliated with the Supreme People's Procuratorate. I was mainly responsible for writing TV series with prosecutors as the protagonists. I also participated in literary pen meetings organized by some newspapers. Objectively speaking, I Amateur writers who cultivated the prosecutorial system played a small role."

Chen Jun, director of the drama department of Shanghai Theater Academy, said that the script of "Crocodile" has rich humanistic value and is full of redemption, confession and assistance. Mo Yan's dramas retain the aesthetic characteristics, strengths, experience and wisdom of his novels. I look forward to the coexistence of his novels and dramas.

Yang Zi, associate researcher at the Shanghai Art Research Center, said that "Crocodile" uses a villain as the protagonist, which is one of the few dramas with similar themes. The work explores the depth of human nature, depicts the complex grays in human nature, breaks the audience's "presupposition" of the villain, and at the same time brings a sense of freshness, difference and aesthetic impact to the audience.

It is reported that the play will premiere at the Suzhou Bay Grand Theater on May 3 and launch a national tour, and will be performed at the Beijing Poly Theater from August 30 to September 1.