Sha Mu Lei Te

Alternative title: Shamlet
Synopsis: A comic interpretation of Hamlet performed by the Pingfong Acting Troupe. The production tells the story of an amateur theatre troupe which goes on a tour with Hamlet. After they debut to a lukewarm reception, they vow to strive harder, but are plagued by problems among the cast. They rehearse the most well-known parts of Hamlet again and again but personal vendettas turn the play into a chaotic mess.
Language: Chinese - Mandarin (PRC)
Country: Taiwan
Medium: Video
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Recording date: 1996
Duration: 162 mins

Director

Lee Kuo-hsiu

Cast

Wang Yue

Theatre company: Pingfong Acting Troupe
Production type: Stage Recordings
Plays: Hamlet
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Rehearsals; Amateur theatre; Touring productions

Notes: The production can be watched at
http://web.mit.edu/shakespeare/asia/collections/catalogue2.html (accessed 8/2010).
General: A production in Huaju, a form of Chinese drama with spoken dialogue rather than the sung poetic dialogue of traditional Chinese dramatic forms.
History: The production premiered in 1992.
Reviews: Huang, Alexander C. Y. ‘Shamlet: Shakespeare as a Palimpsest.' in Chaudhuri, S. Shakespeare without English: 21-45. Examines the play as an example of presentism and a palimpsest in addressing "the relationship between the formation of transnational culture and canonical foreign texts".

British Universities Film & Video Council