*** Music – in particular old songs -- play an integral part in Only You. Can you share something about your particular song choices and why you chose pop music as a structural peg? I would like to take this chance to thank a friend working in the Singapore radio station who assisted in helping me trace down some old recordings from Rediffusion, including clips of Lee Dai Sor (a famous Cantonese storyteller). Lee Dai Sor was very popular in Singapore and Malaysia during my growing up years and every Sunday, he will be on radio at least twice, regaling us with stories. Basically, the production uses a large proportion of my memories. Things of the past like the radio, old songs, and on-air dedication that were a big part of everyone’s lives then but have ceased to exist now. Phone dedications were popular among the Chinese community in South East Asia then, and to me, there is a sense of warmth in using a radio programme and songs as a medium to convey one’s wishes to their friends in another state. The popular songs of yesteryear and today are vastly different, and it’s relation to the human race has changed too. How we access music has changed too, in the past, as you walk down the street, you can hear the radio programmes being broadcast, but today, everyone is plugged into their own earplugs. Hence, when I work in my memories into the production, it’s unavoidable that these old songs are weaved in as well. All my favourite songs can be found in this production, songs by Li Xiang Lan, Zhou Xuan, Wu Ying Ying, Ge Lan, Miao Li amongst many other singers of the 60s-70s. We have also produced a CD with these songs, with narration by the actors and me. We will be selling the CD in Singapore too. The connection between this production and old songs is very strong, and even the title is from Li Xiang Lan’s classic song, Only You. Your last movie was Visage back in 2009. Are you taking a break from film-making? With regards to film-making, perhaps I’m quite different from other people as I’m not very proactive. Very early on, I’ve realised that film-making is a very difficult process, meaning to say that it takes a lot, in terms of hard work and effort. What’s more, you may not necessarily produce a good piece of work that will win the praise of others. Hence, very early on, I’ve decided that in my life, I will be happy with making just 10 films. However, life has been good to me, continually giving me opportunities. In the span of twenty years, Visage is actually my 9th feature film, but I consider it as my 10th piece of work as I have another short film. After shooting Visage, I started to feel more laid back and didn’t want to do anything. I’m a passive person and almost all my films are commissioned. I have another project coming up. It started with Taiwan Public Television approaching me to film a television series for them. I realised that I like the premise tremendously, and I decided that it would be a pity if it’s made only into a TV series. They approached me around three years ago, after Visage. Hence, I decided that it should be made into a film, and it will be my 11th film or 10th feature film. Taiwan Public Television was very gracious when they learnt about my decision and sold me the rights and the screenplay, leaving it up to me if I want to turn it into a television series or film. After that, I started to raise funds for the film. To date, we have raised almost enough money and if physically I’m up for it, production should start in autumn or winter this year.  We already have a title for the film and it’s called 郊游 (pronounced as “Jiao You”), which means taking a trip out to the countryside. In this creative context, can you share how Only You come about? I was invited for this project, it was around the end of 2010, after Visage. I feel that I’ve always only been an audience of The National Theatre and Concert Hall of Taiwan (NTCH) and I’ve never presented any work in the National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center. However, they were very kind and made an exception for me by allowing Visage to hold its premiere screening there as this work was commissioned by a museum. After which, they approached me to work on a theatre production. At that time, I wasn’t sure of what to do, but they shared that they have a plan in mind. They hope that annually, NTCH can, starting with me, collaborate with a Taiwanese director and involved them in theatre productions. I think that by approaching me, there is less of a risk, after all my background is in theatre. The theme they came up with is “Monodrama”, and left it to me to develop it further. I felt that the theme was very apt and is very close to my style as I like to explore the concept of being alone in my work. Actually, I was moved, after all, I was once part of the theatre scene, having started there and worked there. There was this incident, many years ago, I went to watch Lee Kuo-Hsiu’s play, and it was at a very old theatre, near the Botanical Gardens. I used to perform in this theatre in my university days, but now it’s not often utilised as it’s a small space and also very old and worn. When I went backstage to look for Lee Kuo-Hsiu, the moment I stepped into backstage, I started to cry. I didn’t know what came over me, but I felt like I’ve arrived home. People were wondering if it’s because the play was very touching, but I said I cried because the atmosphere backstage made me feel very excited, it was as if I’ve met a relative after a long time. So this allure of theatre, if you’ve been part of it or had a relationship with theatre, you will be very enamored by such an atmosphere. Of course, after I’ve switched to film, I didn’t have much time to think about doing theatre again. Thus, when they approached me, the timing was right, so I accepted the invitation. Is there any connection between the three monodramas and your movies or do they come from different places? I feel that in all my works, from film to theatre, everything that I do, they all stem from my inner feelings. If I didn’t have my life experiences or feelings, I wouldn’t know what to work from.  Although I do read novels, listen to storytelling, and watch other films, I don’t have the habit of adapting from novels, almost never. I feel that these things don’t resonate with me, the work that I want to present must be something of my own. For this production, I realised that there are a lot of things to think about. Actually, I’m not thinking about big issues, after all it’s not a big production held in a venue that can fill over a thousand people. I prefer such small places, because to me; there are more possibilities with small spaces. I don’t have to pay special attention to how the box office fares or the views of the general audience, from the young to the old. I do not need to think too much, after all, people make the choice if they want to come and watch the show. Now that I’m returning to theatre, I’m always thinking about what new offerings I can bring to theatre. I’m always thinking in this manner. I do not have the mindset that with my return to the theatre, I must make it a success, I want to make a profit, I want more fame. I’m always thinking if I can offer something different to the current theatre scene, or to the audience. However, these new ideas will not deviate far from my innermost thoughts towards living and life. So, the content will come still from me, but as for the style of presentation, I will see if I can evoke a different kind of emotion from the usual offering. Currently, we know that theatre around the world, like films, is influenced by Hollywood or Broadway. Everyone loves fireworks and glitz and envy huge productions that are widely popular and have big sets. In the recent years, the profitable theatre offerings in Taiwan are usually the musicals and comedies. The audience is very receptive towards these productions. But if you take a deep look, you will realise that these productions rely heavily on imitation. These days, the most convenient thing to do is imitate and the audience are usually very tickled by it. It makes people feel light-hearted and the audience finds it funny, but what’s missing is the element of creativity. For students of theatre, we will know that the stage is not really meant for such productions on popular culture. We seldom see people attempting productions like Waiting for Godot and Chekhov. Personally, I like Chekhov as his material is very quiet, and I wonder why the audience are not exposed to such productions and each time they enter a theatre, they expect a rowdy affair. So I decided to work on a quieter piece this time and the theme “Monodrama” is very fitting. In terms of presentation, this production somewhat mirrors life and yet it has a certain framework to it. After I read the reviews in Taipei, I was very happy as the reviewers managed to pick that out and they felt strongly that Only You is very different from the theatre offerings in Taiwan for the last 10years. They recognised that there are possibilities for new ideas. Will you be pursuing more theatre again or is this a one-off thing? While people think that I am very innovative, but in reality, I’ve been going in the same direction. I’m not one to develop myself horizontally, and be multi-faceted, neither do I want to be a thousand-hand Buddha. I stay true to my personality and the style that I’m used to, and see how I can delve deeper. My actors are the same, and my style stays pretty much the same. However, if you are a fan of my work, you will see that I’ve been changing and the changes are very subtle, not unlike the changes in one’s life. It’s not something that you can experience in a short time. You need to observe for a long time, and experience it. For example, one will not know how they will look like at age sixty, until they’ve reached that age. If you keep changing your looks by undergoing plastic surgery, then when you are seventy, how you look like isn’t a true reflection of how you should look like if you were to age naturally. I enjoy observing these changes in life, and in my work, I keep practicing the same style and am keen to see how much I am able to develop it further. It’s always been this way. This experience of returning to theatre has been a nice and comfortable one, but it has been quite taxing on me too. It was quite draining to work on this production as it’s very lengthy, a total of six hours and I had five months produce three full-length pieces. I am stretched mentally and physically. Each time we rehearse, it’s for three pieces, but there’s nothing I can do about it, except to be tired at the end. However, deep down, I feel good and peaceful because in retrospect, this production has shown me what I can accomplish. Your work is reflection of your life, each time you work your guts out for a production, and the end product will be a testament to your ability, what you can achieve, and what you are able to achieve. I’m happy that with each given opportunity, regardless of whether it’s for theatre or film or other creative pursuits, I approach it with a light heart. If there’s an opportunity and time permits, I will do it. Sometimes, when I look at the world and environment around me, I feel that I have been given good opportunities. The process from start to completion has always been very comfortable. Actually I have been approached by a French company to work on a new theatre project, but I feel that with every work, you need time to work and develop it. From your personal experience, what were the differences between making a film and directing a theatre piece? For theatre, it’s happening in real time, so until the day of the performance, you can still communicate with the actors and crew on how to work on certain elements. That is unless you stop thinking about it. To me, a theatre piece is an organic thing and it keeps growing. For film, after shooting and editing, the form is fixed and there’s usually not many opportunities to make any changes. However, for a theatre piece, after the run, it is over. I do not encourage recording a theatre piece and re-watching it, as that’s not the way it’s about or should be experience. I feel that in my earlier years, I feel a great sense of loss when the theatre run is over and the actors move on, especially after all the hard work. I don’t have the habit of recording it and re-watching the play as I feel that it’s not who I am. The audience will know that while watching the production, everything happening in front of them is in real time, and once it’s over, it will only remain in their memory. If it’s a production that they like, what remains will be the fond memories. For films, if it’s preserved well, one can re-watch it over and over again, and this is the difference between the both. Only You has a very interesting structure – three monologues by three regular collaborators that are, judging by the very interesting titles, seems to be biographical or about the collaborators. Perhaps you can share how you went about constructing the pieces? The themes in Only You are a reflection of what I’ve learnt about life and how I feel towards certain things. I have a small social circle; I don’t have many friends and life revolves around work, making films and other trivial things. I dislike going online and I reject the virtual world as to me, it is not real. As it is, life can be quite fake, so I am baffled as to why some people are obsessed with having a lot of virtual friends, like in the American films. You can have over 50,000 people wishing you Happy Birthday online and spend tonnes of time checking out who’s checking your profile page, but in reality, you do not know these people. In my life, everyone in my social circle is very important to me. For example, the actors like Lu Yi-ching and Lee Kang-sheng are very close to me, and we do other things together, so we are like family. So, when I started work on Only You, they are able to express my thoughts. Lu is two years younger than me and we have many discussions on the state of our health, especially now that we’re over fifty years old and have some little ailments here and there. Lee Kang-sheng is my next-door neighbour, and I am privy to his latest obsession. For example, in recent years, he is into rearing sea-water fishes and has started diving etc. While I do not dislike his hobby, I have some reservations about it. If he goes diving at night, I will worry about his safety, if there are poisonous snakes and if he can even see in the darkness. I cannot understand why he can’t be contented with simply rearing fresh water fishes like goldfish! Each time he wants to change the water in the tank, he will need to head out to the sea. Although I can’t really comprehend this obsession of his, the fact is that what he does in his life does somewhat affect my emotions. So, when I decided to do Only You, I asked these actors out and had a chat with them, finding out if there are particular themes or characters that they’d like to express the play. It was only from our deeper conversations that I realised that while Lee may be my neighbour, I do not know a lot about his life or even what time he goes to bed. His mother complains that he sleeps only when day breaks and wakes up in the afternoon. But I don’t know what keeps him up in the wee hours, so for the show, I started to delve deeper into his private life, and I found out that he stays up to work on his fish hobby or watches the Taiwanese glove puppetry shows. I do the same with Lu and Yang, finding out more about them. In my discussions with them, I will approach the matter from another angle, for example, I will tell Lee that rearing fish is not environmentally friendly and Lee will share his own perspective. Slowly, I find out more about these actors’ lives and realise that the way they think converges with my thinking too. For example, Lee likes going to the sea as it’s a peaceful and mysterious place and he looks forward to discover more about it. Also, that’s the only place I cannot reach him on the phone! This mentality is also similar to me, as I do yearn for some things in my life too. For Lu, she does a lot to care for her body, going for Qigong, learning different things, but when I ask deeper questions, I realised that what she is looking for cannot be bought nor learnt. So eventually, she gives up wanting it. For Yang (Kuei-mei), she may seem like a big star, but what she’s lacking is a life of her own as she is extremely busy taking care of the needs of her family while juggling work and taking on different characters in movies. So, there isn’t any real story, but I put together the bits and pieces of what we’ve discussed to thread a storyline. For Yang, I wrote the role of a ghost in a transitional state between earth and the netherworld, looking back to see what she has been pursuing in her life.  For Lu, her role speaks of a person coping with her current state of health, and having to accept the helplessness of aging and falling sick. For Lee, his role is a little special as he resembles my dad physically, so to me, although my dad is no longer around, he seems to be manifested in Lee. And I start thinking if this is an indirect way of getting to know my dad better. So I will probe further, and see if there a link between Lee, myself and my dad. I look back at how I ended up being a director, and the work that I do and ask myself why I do what I do. After all, my work doesn’t fall into the mainstream genre and people often criticise my work, and yet I keep at it, and why is that? Eventually, this leads me to think about the religious figure, Xuan Zhang the monk. If you look at the historical records of Xuan Zhang’s life around 2000 years ago, you’d wonder what made him go to India for the Buddhist scriptures. After all, he did not have the patronage of the officials, he was travelling by foot and the journey through the desert was harsh, plus there was no guarantee that he will succeed. Yet, his objective was to get the scriptures back to enlighten the people in China with the teachings. I feel that in different eras and religions, there are some figures who dared to dream, despite all odds, like Xuan Zhang, Jesus and Muhammad amongst many others. What they do isn’t the mainstream, but I feel that in their pursuits toward their ideal world, they have something to teach the rest of the world. Hence, I decided to connect the story of Xuan Zhang to Lee’s story. What was it like working with your regulars film collaborators for theatre pieces? Why this three-in-one structure in the first place? It’s a natural thing to work with these actors. Initially, I planned for a fourth piece of work and I wanted to work with Chen Hsiang-chi but unfortunately she was not available. As a matter of fact, Only You can be developed into many pieces, but I decided that three pieces are enough or else I will never get to rest! The difficulty was putting together a complete work as I didn’t have a script to start with. We pieced the production together as we worked on it and there were many times when we got stuck. To me, this production is akin to going to work; I don’t think about the script or work on it when I’m at home. NTCH has commented that we spent a lot of time rehearsing as compared to other groups that used their venues. They are also very surprised on our level of commitment. However, they didn’t realise that we actually start from zero, and with each rehearsal every day, the story develops. There is another element for this production, a dance element. We invited Cheng Tsung-lung who was previously from Cloud Gate Dance Theatre to help us in this production. He is very talented and skilled and when I saw his work, I liked it tremendously and invited him to join us. The process was a very interesting one; initially he was supposed to choreograph a dance for each actor, but as we progressed, it changed from that to developing interesting and visually attractive moves that will complement the old songs. That’s why I said that after this production, I realised that there are many new possibilities that I can explore for my future work. I may not approach say a musical film with the same style that I am accustomed to but add in new elements. Are these three pieces meant to be seen as a complete trilogy by audiences – as in they are meant to be seen as a whole? For me, I’m ok either way, as ticket availability and budget might be a consideration for the audience. After catching the first piece, some may have the impulse to watch the trilogy. Of course, I’d like the audience to catch all three pieces so they can have a feel of the complete creative concept behind Only You. However, even if they just catch one piece, it will still be impressed upon them that this play is very different from other theatre productions out there. (Tsai Ming-liang's Only You trilogy runs from April 25 to 29. Details for all three shows here, here and here.)