Hamlet Moriawase ハムレット森あわせ

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Hamlet (Okada Masaki) vs Laertes (Aoyagi Shō), photo by Hosono Shinji 


In which I quoted Simon Godwin’s reason for choosing Hamlet for his first work in Japan. In which I presented some Hamlet quotes in Japanese. And in which I posted some Tweets about Okada Masaki’s and Simon Godwin’s Hamlet (because apparently there are two other Japanese Hamlets floating around the Tweeter-sphere these days).

In other words: “assorted Hamlet”, Hamlet Moriawase. よろしくね！

First thing first: The ONLY interview so far that mentioned the importance of Masaki in Simon Godwin’s decision for choosing Hamlet:



Godwin says one of the main reasons he decided on “Hamlet” for his Japan debut was “because of this wonderful actor Masaki Okada. He wanted to play Hamlet, and I think it’s very important with these Shakespeare plays that you have the actors to play the parts first before taking the project any further.”

Thank you, Universe…(and thank you Nobuko Tanaka/JP Times for the interview!)

I mean, a director can Hamlet or other plays because of whatever reasons. However, having Masaki as the main reason for Simon’s decision… that says something. It means Simon was truly impressed with Masaki’s performances before he decided on it. And because the decision of having Masaki as Hamlet was made in late October 2018, IF Simon watched selected works of Masaki, he would’ve watched Chiisana Kyōjin or Jojo, perhaps …Total Eclipse (directed by Ninagawa Yukio) and/or Ningen Gowasan to reach that decision. Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū wouldn’t have been available by then, but those performances I mentioned had Masaki playing strong characters (well, Haiji in Ningen was a happy-go-lucky guy, but you can see how Masaki loves stage play there too!).


Update 24 May 2019:

It seems Simon Godwin actually did see Masaki's performance in Ningen Gowasan. Masaki confirmed it in this Tweet.





And this Tweet below gives us a very wonderful endorsement from Simon for Masaki as Hamlet. Also, click this link to read my translation of another interview of Simon Godwin about his Japan Hamlet production.





Selected Hamlet quotes


The next bit is assorted quotes of Hamlet in Japanese… and the real lines. Mostly I put it here so that I recognise them when I hear them (fingers crossed) in late May…


弱き者よ、汝の名は女なり
Yowaki mono yo, nanji no na wa on'na nari
Frailty, thy name is woman (Act 1 Scene 2)


この世の関節は外れてしまった
Kono yo no kansetsu wa hazurete shimatta
The time is out of joint (Act 1 Scene 5)


デンマークでこの俺と髭比べにやって来たのか？
Denmāku de kono ore to hige kurabe ni yatte kita no ka?
Com'st thou to beard me in Denmark? (Act 2, Scene 2)


ポローニアス「私がお分かりになりますか？」
ハムレット「もちろんよく知っている。おまえは魚屋だ。」
Porōniasu `watashi ga o wakari ni narimasu ka?'
Hamuretto `mochiron yoku shitte iru. Omae wa sakanayada.'
Polonius: Do you know me, my lord? 
Hamlet: Excellent well. You are a fishmonger (Act 2 Scene 2)


世の中には幸せも不幸もなく、ただ考え方一つがあるのみである。
Yononakani wa shiawase mo fukō mo naku, tada kangaekata hitotsu ga aru nomidearu.
There is nothing either good nor bad, but thinking makes it so (Act 2 Scene 2)


生きるべきか死ぬべきか、それが問題だ
Ikirubeki ka shinubeki ka, sore ga mondaida
To be, or not to be: that is the question (Act 3, Scene 1)


尼寺へゆけ！
Amadera e yuke!
Get thee to a nunnery! (Act 3, Scene 1)


芝居が目指すのは、昔も今も、いわば自然に向かって鏡をかかげ、美徳にも不徳にもそれぞれありのままの姿を示し、時代の実体をくっきりと映し出すことだ。

Shibai ga mezasu no wa, mukashi mo ima mo, iwaba shizen ni mukatte kagami o kakage, bitoku ni mo futoku ni mo sorezore arinomama no sugata o shimeshi, jidai no jittai o kukkiri to utsushidasu kotoda.

Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature: for any thing so o'erdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature: to show virtue her feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. (Act 3 Scene 2)


ことばは宙に舞い、思いは地に残る
Kotoba wa chū ni mai, omoi wa ji ni nokoru
My words fly up, my thoughts remain below (Act 3 Scene 3)


人間の命、いざ消えるとなれば、「ひとつ」と数えるひまも要りはせぬ
Ningen no inochi, iza kieru to nareba,`hitotsu' to kazoeru hima mo iri wa senu
(have no idea what act and scene this one is, but it’s about the impermanence of human life)


Twitter comments 

These are just selected Twitter feeds from people who have watched Hamlet in Bunkamura. There are many, so many more out there, just in Japanese. You can search them by using the words ハムレット岡田 because there are at least two other Japanese Hamlets swirling around these days. One is from the SKE48 (an all-girls band playing all-female Hamlet) who finished the performance just before Simon Godwin's Hamlet. The other one is from Kikuchi Fuma 菊池風磨 (the singer of Sexy Zone) who will play Hamlet in September.

Now... some tweets that I RT-ed (but there are many more...):



The above Tweet is important because Aime and friends who observed changes every time they went to see this Hamlet. It goes in line with what Masaki said in one of his earliest interviews of Hamlet:

"a day’s condition changes the impression of a role for that day. Perhaps today’s role is rather sullen, perhaps the colour of the stage or the colour of the voice changes, those are very delightful."
今日はこの役ちょっと不機嫌なんだなとか、お芝居の色、声の色が変わる、それがすごく素敵で。〜岡田将生、俳優




I love the above tweet because Rosemary said:

今の年齢の岡田将生 氏にしか出来ない瑞々しいハムレットになっていた。
“Ima no nenrei no Okada Masaki-shi ni shika dekinai mizumizushī Hamuretto ni natte ita.”
“It was a youthful Hamlet that no one but Okada Masaki at his current age can play”



The above poster commented on how the changes between the delicate scenes and violent scenes were amazing…Most importantly, she said that Okada Masaki was not just beautiful (we know that), but he also was amazing on stage.



The above post was made by a stage/art critique who said that this whole Hamlet production (including the duel between Aoyagi Shō’s Laertes and Masaki’s Hamlet) was a masterpiece.




The above post gave some spoilers on the setting, which I have kind of guessed but very much interested to watch now. The poster said it gave a feeling that s/he was in Barbican London, which was a praise on its own.




The above poster said how Masaki switched gear towards the middle of Act 1, with anger and hatred exploding from within.  I can easily imagine that...




Tweeter Yuyu posted his/her impressions of watching Hamlet twice on the opening day (9 May) and on 22 May. This is what s/he said, among others:


The first day: It was an attractive and fragile human called Hamlet whom everyone wanted to support. 
Two weeks from the first show: Okada Masaki became Hamlet himself.
No, wait. There was no Okada Masaki. 
There was only Hamlet.
Hamlet with the unwavering confidence and strength.
It was the first time I witnessed so much of an actor’s growth. 

初日は、岡田将生らしいハムレット。
人間らしくて、脆くて誰もが支えてあげたくなる魅力的なハムレットだった。 
そこから、2週間後。
岡田将生がハムレットになっていた。
いや、そこにいたのは岡田将生ではなく、ハムレット自身だった。
揺るぎない自信と強かさを持ったハムレット。
役者の成長がこれほど分かる舞台は初めてだった.

And last but not least: There was a Richter 5 earthquake on 25 May during the grave digging scene. Epicentre was not in Tokyo, but the tremor was felt in Tokyo. Okada Masaki was very calm during the scene and he even calmed the audience as well. I'm so proud of him...


Stay safe, you all!


I'll add more Tweets if/when I have time. For now, suffice to say, I'm so dokidoki because I'm too excited on the prospect of seeing Hamlet...

Thank you, Universe...

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