Colour Marks 

 

Curtain, Lighting, Sets, Props,

Ballerinas, Corps, TG Performers，Mix

 

Curtain Open

Lighting On

 

A Chamber Ensemble playing overture

 

Characters

CHIH - JOSHUA

MO ( Mother of CHIH ) - SOPHIE

RAT - MARSHALL

SPIRITS - CORPS

Story

 

Young man MEI JIAN CHIH, 16 years birthday on tomorrow . After all day hard working, Just went to bed and was woken up by a rat.

 

His vacillations between kill the rat or let him go. But his mother told him a shocking story, a family secret, the death of his father ...

 

 

 

 

0:05 - 0:35  CHIH ENTERS He is holding a flute and looks at the sky，

 

0:35 - 2:17 CHIH SOLO playing his flute.

 

2:17  - 2:29 back home, he takes a sheet and lie down on the floor

 

2:29 - 3:08 RAT ENTERS, SOLO bites things

CHIH turn over and RAT stop one second,

     

3:08 - 3:47 RAT continue to bites everywhere

 

3:47 - 4:50  CHIH wakes up sew the RAT,  

CHIH  gets up 

CHIH and RAT DUET.

CHIH chase RAT,

CHIH pulls up the sheet to catching 

RAT is unmoved inside the sheet.

CHIH takes away the sheet slowly, 

RAT lying on the ground. 

CHIH has a moment's pity for RAT 

he gets a bowl of water, put on the ground to RAT.

 

4:50 – 5:00 RAT jump up and bare his teeth to CHIH, and run away. RAT EXITS.

CHIH stand there, looking at the floor.

 

5:01 -  6:14 MO YE ENTERS

MO saw the sheet and a bowl on the floor.

CHIH and MO DUET with subtitle on screen.

 

MO: "What are you doing, son?" 

CHIH: "A rat. " 

MO: "Oh, a rat. But what are you doing? Killing him or saving him?

After midnight you'll be sixteen,

It looks as if your father 

will have no one to avenge him."

CHIH: "Avenge my father?"

MO:"Come with me"

 

6:14  -  6:44  CHIH following  MO come to a pond side

MO SOLO pray. 

 

Smoke

 

6:44  - 8:08  SPIRITS ENTER CORPS

SPIRIT holding up a sword to MO

 

8:08 - 8:35 MO picks up the sword

SPIRIT  EXITS

MO  gives the sword to CHIH,

CHIH got the sword from his mother and holds high 

MO: "Listen!  Take this sword to avenge your father!"

 

Lighting Off

 

Characters

KING - RICHARD

CONCUBINE - CLAIRE

MINISTER - JOSH

LEADER DANCER - ABBY

DANCERS - CORPS

Guards - KUNG FU ACTORS

GUARD CAPTAIN -  CUN GUO LIN

WARLOCK - MARSHALL

Story

Sixteen years ago,  the King of Chu enjoyed dance and wine at his palace, He losing the battle game with the guards and the warlock come to gives him some medicine. It was said that could be rise his power, but the king feel useless, so he forced his  concubine to drink it...

 

 

Lighting On

 

0;08 – 0:25  GUARDS ENTER Standing on both sides

 

0:25 - 0:40  KING ENTER, sitting on the throne

CONCUBINE ENTERS sitting beside KING

MINISTER standing next to CONCUBINE

 

DANCE LEADER with the DANCERS ENTER

 

0:40  – 3:29  DANCER LEADER SOLO

 

3:29  - 5:17 DANCERS CORPS

 

5:17 - 8:39  CONCUBINE  SOLO

 

8:39 - 10:50  GUARD CAPTAIN SOLO

 

10:50  - 12:56  GUARDS CORPS

 

12:56 -  14:35  KING SOLO

 

14:35  - 15:36  KING orders the MINISTER fighting with him.

The MINISTER not dare to fighting with the KING, 

KING is angry.

KING and MINISTER DUET

The MINISTER deliberately falling to the ground,

KING is very angry for the MINISTER's weakness

 

15:36  - 16:37  KING order GUARD CAPTAIN to fighting with him

The CAPTAIN not dare to fighting, KING angry

CAPTAIN and KING DUET

This time the KING is falling,

 

16:37  - 17:13  KING is very angry：I want to be stronger!

MINISTER bring the WARLOCK ENTERS

WARLOCK and  KING DUET

WARLOCK gives a small bottle to KING,

KING drinks, and then he feels very cold.

 

17:13 - 17:45 WARLOCK  gives KING the second bottle,

KING drinks, and then he feels very hot.

 

17:45  - 18:53 WARLOCK gives KING the third bottle.

KING force CONCUBINE to drink the medicine

CONCUBINE SOLO drinks, and fall in a faint.

 

Lighting Off

 

Characters

CONCUBINE - CLAIRE

MAIDS - CORPS

MIDWIFE - ABBY

KING - RICHARD

MINISTER - JOSH

GUARDS - KUNG FU ACTORS

JIANG - RAFAL

Story

 

The Concubine pregnant because she drank the warlock's medicine, She gave birth to a piece of iron.  The king is very angry at saw this freak and want to kill the Concubine.

 

The Minister says to king, this piece of iron is a gift from heaven. why not to use it to make a sword to defend the kingdom. The best swordman is Gan Jiang. The next day,  Gang Jiang come to the palace, accepted this mission. 

 

Lighting On 

 

0:05 - 2:09  CONCUBINE and MAIDS  ENTER

CONCUBINE is pregnant, 

the MAIDS serve her in a bath. 

SOLO and CORPS

CONCUBINE suddenly feeling pain and fall down

 

2:09 - 2:47 CONCUBINE SOLO  lying on the ground 

 

2:47 - 4:15  MIDWIFE ENTERS and DUET with CONCUBINE 

A baby born

MIDWIFE shock when she saw the baby.

She hurry shows the baby to CONCUBINE, that's not a baby, it's an iron！

CONCUBINE is very scared.

MIDWIFE wants to show this geek to the KING

CONCUBINE stop her

MIDWIFE holding the freak run away. 

CONCUBINE fainted, MAIDS help her all EXIT

 

4:15–  4:58 MIDWIFE SOLO, she is running to the palace 

 

4:58  –   5:24  GUARDS ENTER

MIDWIFE arriving the king's palace, 

GUARDS stop MIDWIFE

KING ENTERS saw the baby shocking, 

KING wants to kill COCUBIBE

 

5:24 - 6:59 MINISTER ENTERS 

MINISTER SOLO He takes the baby and  look carefully 

 

6:59 - 8:04 MINISTER and KING DUET with the screen subtitles

MINISTER: Your Majesty，Your slave begs to inform you, this is a rare treasure

KING: "What?"

MINISTER: "It can make into a sword. Gan Jiang is a famed as a forger of swords, the best in all the land."

KING: "Bring him here!"

 

Lighting off 

The next morning

 

KING is sitting on the throne

GUARDS stand on either side

 

Lighting On

 

8:27  - 9:39 JIANG ENTERS SOLO

Kneeling to the KING

MINISTER gives JIANG the the iron. and with the emperor's order, to make a sword

JIANG  takes over the  iron from the minister.

 

Lighting Off

 

Characters

 

JIANG - RAFAL

MO - SOPHIE

SPIRITS - CORPS

Story

 

JIANG and his wife MO forging the sword.

 

One year passed and iron did not melt in the furnace. They built a new furnace on a lakeside. The second year passed and iron still did not melt. JIANG was very tired  and fell asleep

 

The SPIRITS coming to help. MO she cut off her hair and wrists, let the blood drip into the fire, and the iron melted... 

 

Lighting On

 

0:05 - 1:48 JIANG and MO ENTER

JIANG ignites the fire put the iron into the furnace 

he works with the hammer and the tong

MO pulls the bellows

JIANG and MO DUET They work together to make the swords.

 

A year has passed, but the metal.not melt .

 

1:48  - 2:18 They set up a new furnace at the lakeside behind their house

JIANG and MO DUET They work together to make the swords.

The second year has passed,but the metal.not melt 

JIANG is very tired and lying down asleep.

 

2:24  -  2:34  Suddenly two dragons flying in the sky.

Smoke

 

2:34 - 3:41 SPIRITS ENTER CORPS

 

3:41 - 4:49 SPIRITS lift MO 

They giving a knife to MO

MO cuts her hair and threw it into the furnace.

and then cuts her wrist and lets the blood drop into the furnace.

MO is very weak, lying on the ground.

 

4:49  -  5:27 JING wakes up, takes MO in his arms .

MO points to the furnace.

JIANG sees melted metal in the furnace.

JIANG use the tools to forging the swords and then put the swords in the lake.

 

5:27 -  6:36 SPIRITS  CORPS they holding two swords

SPIRITS give the swords to JIANG and MO

 

6:36 - 7:13 JIANG and MO dance with them

SPIRITS EXIT

 

7:13   -  8:29 JIANG SOLO with the swords

Screen subtitles 

JIANG: "These two swords one is a male, and another is a female.

You paid your blood for them, and I will also pay my blood and my life for them.

Tomorrow I must go to present the female sword to the king, but the day will be the last day of my life.

"The king is suspicious and cruel, he will bound to kill me to prevent me forging swords for other people."

"Give our child this male sword and tell him to avenge me!". 

 

8:29 - 10:04 JIANG and MO DUET EXIT

 

Lighting Off

 

Characters

CHIH - JOSHUA

KING - RICHARD

WARRIOR - RAFAL

CAPTAIN - CUN GUO LIN

GUARDS - KUNG FU ACTOR 

WOLVES

CROWDS 

Story 

 

Just sixteen year old young man - CHIH,  he embark on the journey of revenge.

 

He come to the city of Chu, but his avenge did not succeed。

 

In a wasteland，CHIH met a WARRIOR , the WARRIOR is willing to help CHIH revenge, but he ask for two things: the sword and CHIH's head.

 

 

Lighting on

 

0:05 - 1:42  CHIH SOLO – He embark alone on the road to avenge for his father.

CHIH through the gate of kingdom of CHUH

 

1:42 – 7:10   CROWDS ENTER 

Street Traders, beggar, thief, entertainers, various people in the street. 

Suddenly they all kneel down on sides of the street, 

CHIH follow them and knees down

 

7:10 - 7:46 GUARDS first part  ENTER CORPS  EXIT

 

7:46 - 8:22 GUARDS second part ENTER CORPS  EXIT

 

8:22 - 9:01 CAPTAIN  ENTERS SOLO

 

9:01  –  9:49  CHIH stand up  

BAGGER push CHIH and  express CHIH stepped his leg，

CAPTAIN come up to CHIH and grabbed CHIH's neck.

KING ENTERS through the street with GUARDS

KING EXITS

CAPTAIN push CHIH down.

All  EXIT

 

9:49  – 10:22  CHIH SOLO  sadly out of the town 

 

10:22 –  11:21 CHIH arriving a wasteland.

he feels ashamed for his weak and incompetent.

He is hungry, cold and tired, 

He sit down crying and fell asleep

 

11:21  -  12:17  WOLVES ENTER CORPS

They surround CHIH. 
CHIH wake up, scared,  raise his sword.

 

12:17   -  13:25  WARRIOR  ENTERS

He holds CHIH's arm.

and waving hand lets WOLVES back

WARRIOR and CHIH DUET with screen subtitles.

CHIH: "Who are you?" 

WARRIOR: "I'm going to take vengeance for you."

CHIH: "Did you know my father?"

WARRIOR: "I knew him from the start, just as I've always known you. "

CHIH: "But how will you do it?"

WARRIOR: "I want two things from you." 

CHIH: "What two things? "

WARRIOR: "First your sword, then your head!"

 

13:25  - 15:01 CHIH SOLO

He killing himself fall down.

 

Lighting off 

A staff put the head beside CHIH

Lighting on

 

15:01 - 15:32 

The wolves posing at the front to covering CHIH's body

Warrior pick up the head and sword 

 

 

Lighting off 

 

Characters

 

KING - RICHARD

CONCUBINE - CLAIRE 

MO - SOPHIE

GUARDS

WOLVES

Story

 

The KING fell asleep, and he heard some noise coming from the outside, he get up and go to the balcony to see what happened.

He saws a young man approching to him and holding up a sword to him, but the KING recognized that the sword is exactly the same as his own..

.

Lighting on

 
0:05 - 1:32 KING and CONCUBINE DUET

KING yawns and fall asleep. 

CONCUBINE walks stealthily  EXITS 

 

 

Smoke

 

1:32 - 2:44 KING heard some noise from the balcony

when wind chimes ringing, he out to the balcony

KING SOLO 

 

2:44  -  4:14  CHIH ENTERS  come up to KING, 

CHIN and KING DUET. 

They standing facing each other

CHIH lift high the sword to KING

KING recognized that sword.

 

Lighting Off  

CHIH EXITS

Lighting On

 

4:14 - 4:41 KING wake up, he is very scare,

CAPTAIN ENTER,

KING give a order to the CAPTAIN

 

Lighting Off

KING and CAPTAIN EXIT 

Lighting On

 

4:41   -   4:55 Background Video 

 

4: 55 - 6:44  GUARDS ENTER CORPS 

They through the roofs arriving  to the JIANG'S house.

 

6:44 -  9:49  MO  ENTERS  SOLO at the side

WOLVES  ENTER  approaching the GUARDS.

MO playing the flute to command WOLVES to fight the GUARDS

GUARDS and WOLVES CORPS,

GUARDS are rout and run away EXIT

MO and WOLVES make the poses

 

Lighting Off

 

Characters

 

WARRIOR

 

Story

 

The warrior singing a song with his sharp voice. He through the streets of Chu. 

 

Lighting On

 

0:05 - 2:19 WARRIOR ENTERS SOLO

 

He singing with shrill voice

Through the streets of CHU

Subtitle:

Son avenging for his father

Father avenging for his son

My son, my child,

I am coming

 

Lighting Off

 

Characters

 

KING - RICHARD

CONCUBINE - CLAIRE

LEADER DANCER - ABBY

MINISTER - JOSH

DANCERS

CAPTAIN

CLOWN - MASHALL

WARRIOR - RAFAL

GUARDS

Story

 

The KING is afraid that nightmare and, he is ill.

 

The dancers and a clown entertain the KING. but the KING is still unhappy

 

Until that WARRIOR come and brings a shocking magic. 

 

Lighting On

 

0:05 - 1:31 KING, CONCUBINE, MINISTER, CAPTAIN and GUARDS ENTER 

KING is ill due to that nightmare

all comforting the kING

 

1:31 - 3:28 DANCE LEADER with DANCERS ENTER 

SOLO CORPS

 

3:28 - 4:58 CONCUBINE SOLO

 

4:58 - 6:54 CAPTAIN and GUARDS CORPS

 

6:54 - 8:40 CLOWN ENTERS SOLO 

Everybody are laughing,

but the king is still sad.

 

8:40 - 9:00 MINISTER kneel to KING with the screen subtitles.

Minister: Your slave begs to inform you

that a magician is coming,

he should be able to amuse Your Majesty."

KING: "Bring him in!"

 

 

9:00 - 9:49 WARRIOR ENTERS he bow to the KING，

with the screen subtitles.

Warrior: I need a golden dragon and a golden cauldron

King: "A golden dragon? That's me. A golden cauldron? I have one."

GUARDS carrying out a cauldron and lit fire

 

9:49 - 10:12 Set Video

 

10:12 - 10:16 WARRIOR SOLO takes out a child's head and lift it up

KING recognized that child in his nightmare

WARRIOR put CHIH's head to the cauldron.

and call KING approaching the cauldron.

KING approaching

WARRIOR quickly cut the King's head and the head of himself.

 

Lighting Off

 

 

 

CHIH‘s spirit - JOSHUA

WARROIR's spirit - RAFAL 

KING's spirit - RICHARD

 

Story

 

A terrible battle of three spirits 

 

Lighting On

 

0:05 - 2:08

CHIH,WARRIOR and KING Trio

Fierce battle

 

2:08 - 3:46 

They gradually move back, torn round to circle, and finally all hands put to the chest and closing their eyes

 

Lighting Off

Characters

 

MO - SOPHIE

SPIRITS - CORPS

BOATMAN - JOSH

MENG - ABBY

JIANG - RAFAL

CHIH - JOSHUA

KING - RICHARD

 

Story 

MO heard the sad news, the SPIRITS coming and bring these two swords.

 

The fire began around, MO holds these two swords and jumping in the fire to die.

 

MENG gave MO a forgotten soup.

 

A boat from far, MO get in the boat and go to the depths.

 

There is a beautiful place, people forgot everything, even hatred

 

 

Lighting On

 

0:05 - 0:54 MO ENTERS SOLO 

She lost her husband and now lost her son, sorrow

 

0:54 - 1:08 set video Two dragons flying on the sky.

 

1:08 - 2:14 SPIRITS ENTER CORPS

They bring the two swords to MO

 

2:14 - 3:29 Fire burning around

 

SPIRITS and MO SOLO,CORPS

SPIRITS lift MO 

MO jumping to the fire and died

SPIRITS EXIT

 

3:29 - 5:24 MENG ENTERS

MENG holds a bowl of soup

this soup will makes people to forgotten everything.

MENG wakes MO UP 

MENG and MO DUET

MO drink the soup

MENG EXITS

 

5:24 - 7:40 BOATMAN ENTERS

MO and BOATMAN DUET 

The boat to the depths

BOATMAN EXITS

 

7:43 - 8:28 CHIH, JIANG, KING ENTER

They are all wearing the white,

standing or siting 

MO siting down.

they all forgot everything.

CHIH SOLO playing the flute,

other people listen music.

The final as these pictures below 

 

 

Lighting off

 

The End

 

The story based on Lu Hsun's Old Stories Retold. an ancient mythical. Adapted by Terrie Tai

 

King of CHUH kingdom ordered a best swordmaker of his kingdom GAN JIANG  to forge a great sword for him. The desired result was achieved after three years. When Gan Jiang persents the sword to the King, he was the first to killed by this sword.the king massacred the swordmaker (so that no better sword would ever get made by the wretched craftsmen). 

 

Before to persents the sword to the king, GAN JIANG  had already predicted the king's reaction, so he secretly made two gendered swords - one is a male and another is a female, so he left the male sword and behind a message for his wife and their unborn son

 

Mei Jian Chih is a posthumous child of Gan Jiang, upon his reaching his sixteenth birthday, his mother sent him to avenge his father's death.

 

Finally, the flames of revenge burned everything, love, life, flesh and blood, but the hatred thus been removed?

 

 

MEI JIAN CHIH( for short CHIH ) – Male, medium build

Sixteen years old young man, avenge for his father.

 

GAN JIANG/WARRIOR  ( for short JIANG/WARRIOR ) - Male, bit tall build

These two characters are the same person, played by the same dancer. He is MEI’s father, a sword maker. The Warrior is the ghost after his death.

 

KING – Male, Any image

An inclement ruler. He commissioned GAN JIANG to forging a sword for him and killed GAN JIANG after, just a reason not to let him make good swords for others.

 

MINISTER/BOATMAN - Male, Any image

The MINISTER is highest position below the king who always gives the ideas to king.

Boatman is a ghost who sent the soul to the underworld

 

RAT/WARLOCK/ CLOWN - Male, Any image

WARLOCK  is King's healer ，pharmaceutical and exorcist

 

MO YE ( for short MO ) – Female, MEI's mother. Sophie Wright

In the early part, she is a beautiful young woman, she loves her husband GAN JIANG, they have some duet that expresses their love. 

 

In the latter part, she has become a witch, let her young son to embark revenge.

 

DANCER LEADER/MIDWIFE/MENG PO (  for short MENG ) - Female, Any image - Ella

MEN PO is a Chinese traditional ghost, dead people will drink her soup

and forget everything.

________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

CONCUBINE  – Female, glamorous and enchanting. - Claire Guntrip

She is a dancer of the king,  She drank the warlock's medicine, then she is pregnant, and gave birth to a piece of iron, and the king used this iron to forging the swords.

 

 

 

DANCERS/MAIDS/SPIRITS - From London Ballet Company

 

 

GUARD CAPTAIN (for short CAPTAIN)

 

GUARDS

 

WOLVES

 

CONCUBINE  – Female, glamorous and enchanting.

She is a dancer of the king, She drank the warlock's medicine, then she is pregnant, and gave birth to a piece of iron, and the king used this iron to forging the swords.