Green Snake @ C Venues

Watching two exquisitely dressed women perform a dialogue in a language one cannot begin to imagine to dream to understand two words of, is an interesting experience. The two leading ladies in the National Theatre of China’s Green Snake shimmer and shine as they smilingly gaze upon the audience and deliver their lines with poise.

Their glittering white and green dresses, and the ocassional hissing sound they make, first initiate those whose Mandarin needs brushing up into the story: two snake spirits have taken on human form, and plan to stay that way. The outfits of the protagonists and the other characters, mostly monks, have a traditional feel to them but what unfolds is a nevertheless modern adaptation of the ancient Legend of the White Snake. After some technical difficulties, the surtitles kick in and they describe a long and winding tale about the challenges of being human, the nature of true love, and the problem of our carnal desires. Understanding the dialogue is crucial in a play that is heavily text-based, and the halting nature of the surtitles makes the two-hour piece quite challenging to watch.

The response of more linguistically refined audience members, however, suggests many lines display a brand of wit that goes untranslated. And apart from that, the physical comedy of a snake lady molesting various monks turns out to be universal. The appeal of Green Snake may be limited to audiences who do not face language constraints or with an interest in Chinese mythology, but as a piece of theatre it’s well put together and very skilfully performed.