Dream of Red Windmills
Monday, May 14th, 2007I’ve always envisioned adapting Moulin Rouge into a play, and whilst I was trying to fall asleep the idea manifested itself and took on a variation of its own. Dream of Red Windmills - set in 1930’s Shanghai.
It opens with our protagonist, Baoyu, who has fled the turmoil of early 20th century China to Penang. The curtains rise, we see him in the parlour of a pre-war building in Penang (I’m divided between Penang or the French-styled buildings in Vietnam), lamenting the death of his love, Daiyu. He begins to re-tell the story of their love and the consequences that led to her death - all along the lines of Moulin Rouge but with identities of their own.
Instead of the Indian musical, we have a Chinese opera-cum-costume drama take on it. Instead of the Moulin Rouge, we have the Red Chamber by The Bund. Instead of The Duke, we have Du, a high-ranking member of the triads. I’m getting excited thinking of it. The costumes of the cabaret girls, particularly of Daiyu, switch between beautiful qipao’s and showy garter belts. Burlesque performances and can can dances, our doomed heroine opens her show with a melodious introduction to ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ to an audience of petty bourgeoisie, French soldiers and members of the underworld, including our Du. The famed exoticism of the East (perpetuating the idea of an exotic East or merely portraying the beautiful decadence of an era long gone?), opiate instead of absinthe, smoky dance halls, the beginnings of jazz and swing. Our version of Toulouse-Lautrec quite literally falls upon Baoyu, who is a poor country boy who has come to the Paris of the East to sell his poetry. If you have watched Moulin Rouge, you would be familiar with the story already. But imagine the costumes! A new take on the film - for theatre! The cost will be extremely enormous and production tedious, but can you see it in your mind how the extravagance would be worth it?
What say you?
