汤煲好了，笔下也出来了
——何冀平谈如何“煲"出好剧本

文本刊记者 张亚萌 Zhang Yameng 译曹宇光Cao Yuguang

汤煲好了，笔下也出来了
——何冀平谈如何“煲"出好剧本

Writing In Comparison Of Soup Cooking——He Jiping’s Talk of How to Present a Good Script

文本刊记者 张亚萌 Zhang Yameng 译曹宇光Cao Yuguang

何冀平，提她的名字，不如提她的作品更有知名度——《新龙门客栈》《天下第一楼》《新白娘子传奇》《黄飞鸿》《楚留香》《龙门飞甲》《投名状》《德龄与慈禧》《甲子园》《明月几时有》……编剧何冀平明显属于作品比本人名气更大的那一类创作者。谈及她的创作，谈及北京与香港两地的文化滋养，她的声音乍一听有港普味道，偶尔又露出一点京腔京味。所以，我们也必须和她聊聊香港，再说说北京了。

“香港是我的第二个故乡”

上世纪80年代，何冀平中央戏剧学院戏文系毕业后，被北京人艺点名要去做编剧。第一个剧就是以香港为背景的《好运大厦》，以一个自内地到香港的年轻人的眼光勾连大厦中几家人的命运，展示80年代的香港生活。“那时候我父亲在香港，我有机会去探亲，对香港生活很新奇，就写了一部香港几家人的故事，讲述一个从内地来的男孩跟周围发生的‘碰撞’。人们对香港好奇，首演80场，买戏票的人挤塌了售票亭子。”

1989年，何冀平随家人定居香港。“离开北京时，报纸上有文章：一个离开了自己乡土文化的作家，还能创作出什么？我自己也很迷茫，在一个连语言都不通的地方，我还能写什么。”当时，她的一个亲戚问她写《天下第一楼》用了多长时间，她说大约三年；对方说：“在香港，你一定会饿死。”“来香港之前，从文艺界到家庭环境、社会地位都算与众不同，到了香港，一下子跌进低谷，云泥之别。”她说。

1991年，《天下第一楼》到香港公演。徐克看了演出，连夜做了两件事，一是吃烤鸭，一是找何冀平，只给她提供了一页纸的提要，要求一个半月内完成。“你能把一个饭馆写得那么好玩，我相信你也能写好一个客栈。”徐克这样对她说。

《明月几时有》海报Poster of the FilmOur Time Will Come

“我一向不太喜欢武侠，徐克找我，是难得的机遇，我一口应承，尽快把武侠的书大致翻了一遍，就开始结构剧本，我头一次写电影剧本。手段风格永远是外部的，不论是电影还是舞台，戏剧的基本元素不会变，《新龙门客栈》的成功，除了武侠片的风尚，是有了人物，一两个独特性格的人物能带动整部电影。”的确，在以前都是打打杀杀的香港武侠电影中，何冀平突然加入有个性的人物，加上林青霞、张曼玉、梁家辉的出色演技，令《新龙门客栈》成为华语影史经典。何冀平也在香港一战成名。

1997年，何冀平应香港话剧团之邀做驻团编剧，走进香港戏剧主流剧场，第一部《德龄与慈禧》上座率100%，要设两排加座，“这时我知道，我在香港不会饿死。从熟悉的北京转战到香港，从如日初升到从头做起，我没有停止创作，反而高速前行，一是正值创作期精力旺盛，二是得遇机遇，三是不肯服输。27年过去，我依旧两岸三地应邀不止，这连我自己也没有想到。”

同样因为在香港，她用计算机比较早，现在写作离不开计算机。“写作是枯燥的事，用笔写的时候，久久不肯坐下来，计算机能吸引我坐下来，敲键盘有快感。”成长在北京，中国传统文化为她打下根基，香港的商业化及国际化使她开阔了自己的思路。“我把两者结合起来，慢慢形成自己的风格，也得到香港社会的认同。”“我到香港定居已近30年，30年来我没有离开本行，香港的生活，文化秩序，香港人的拼搏、敬业、创业精神，演艺界从老板到明星，到每一个工作人员的工作态度都在影响我，溶化在我的创作中，我把自己融入香港社会，社会也接纳了我。此心安处是吾乡，香港是我的第二个故乡。”何冀平说。

“艺术，是最个人化的，但又来不得半点个人”

一边是创作者对传统文化的倡扬，一边香港又上演着包括文化因素在内的诸多社会原因造成的乱象，两相对照，何冀平表示，传统文化是一个国家的宝，青年人不喜欢国宝，是教育和引导出了问题。“忧虑之余应该是行动。习主席在中国文联十大、中国作协九大开幕式上的讲话专门提到历史题材的写作，讲得很详尽，文化艺术界要重视历史题材创作，有些历史题材创作存在些问题。作为编剧，我们有责任创作适合年轻人观看、有中国传统内容和形式的作品，让他们了解自己国家的历史和传统是什么，传承还是靠他们。”

《曙色紫禁城》是何冀平在香港创作的话剧《德龄与慈禧》的京剧版，讲述从西洋归来的17岁女孩与72岁的慈禧相遇、相交、相知的故事。“我写的时候，已经身处香港这样一个中西文化既共融又冲突的环境中，香港人基本都是中西文化的合体，所以我的《德龄与慈禧》得到了香港人的喜爱。”

原来让何冀平名动话剧界、被称为“当代现实主义经典作品”的《天下第一楼》，也和香港有关。一些香港的朋友来内地旅游，“我也不知道带他们干什么，就两样：爬长城、吃烤鸭。吃的时候，香港人问烤鸭是怎么做出来的，但那时候服务员一句也说不上来，我开始有了创作的冲动。”何冀平着手创作，走遍北京，访问正宗挂炉烤鸭第三代传人田文宽，她走入全聚德，开始体验后厨生活。

剧本几易其稿，对于结尾，她想了很久没有结果。“在去西北路途上，我随手翻看一本对联大全，看到‘好一座危楼，谁是主人谁是客？只三间老屋，半宜明月半宜风’，猛然间，一通百通。”这部被当时的北京人艺院长曹禺先生看过五遍连声称赞，被誉为一部“硬邦邦的好戏”的《天下第一楼》，甚至滋养了《新龙门客栈》的创作——那个小靼子有一手片羊的手艺，直到最后片人腿、战胜东厂大头目，这个情节就来自“片烤鸭”。“生活无处不在，作家要有心、敏感、灵活、应变。虽然邀约的题目各式各样，但我有根本，以不变应万变，不变的就是属于我个人的，对生活和世界的认知。”种种细节，都是何冀平对生活的“有感而发”。

2012年，何冀平又“回归”北京人艺——为人艺创作话剧《甲子园》。“离上演还有9个月，张和平找到我，要求这部剧‘北京、现代、原创’，这对离开北京多年的我不是容易事，但人艺的请求，我不能推却。可能是多年香港商业运作的磨练，我知道这部庆贺60周年的剧本需要什么因素，一稿一千字大纲就得到认可，决定上马排练。”《甲子园》请来北京人艺第一代也是第一流的诸位老演员，他们的作风品德深深感动着每一个人，成为当年的文化盛事。“像朱琳，第一天排练，她已经背下所有台词；蓝天野每次上台，连排练都充满激情；郑榕一字一句研究台词……人艺精神，又一次在《甲子园》中展现，那些天的人艺前台后台，简直是话剧业界的楷模。演出后总结会上，许多人都哭了，这样的精神实在久违了。”何冀平感慨，“人艺精神尚存，但有失传危险。艺术，是最个人化的，但又来不得半点个人。”

“有时一下就撞出新天地来”

几十年秉持人艺人的品格，何冀平也忘不了17岁在延安插队，开始业余创作的经历：“演给老乡看，也娱乐自己。”有一次，她写的小话剧在打麦场上演出，汽灯突然坏了，四下漆黑。为了看戏，老乡们把自己平时舍不得用的马灯全拿出来，在台口挂了一排。这个情景使她非常感动；多年来，她的作品在世界各地舞台演出，但她心中始终亮着那串马灯。

当下由冷门变得火热的编剧一行，不少青年人以为来钱快、出名快、整天见明星，就是做枪手，写一集电视剧抵得上普通人一年工薪，挤破头要入行，何冀平提醒，不要忽略剧本是所有文学种类中最难的一种。“写剧本要‘面对空白的稿纸，直写到额头瞪出血来’——每一部创作都不同，没有前车可鉴，没有熟路可走，做一个好编剧不是容易的事；得沉得下心，甘于寂寞孤独，不为利所引，不为名所图，还要得遇机缘，有明眼人赏识，各种条件具备了，还要看你有没有真本事。”她观察当下青年编剧的创作，“不能不说写剧本是要有天分，不是下多少功夫，死钻死凿，就能有同等收获的行业；这与作者本身的经历、后天的修养、看世界的角度都有关联，如果不是做此行的材料，就不要再去‘瞪出血’了。”何冀平认为，真有潜力的，要下功夫，在实践中磨练、奋斗，能写出一两部有影响的，或传世之作，才算不辜负一腔苦心，做一个合格编剧。

她忆起老师谭霈生所说的：“做编剧首先拼的是生活，然后是技巧，最后拼的是修养。”“你写的一定是你内心感受最深的东西。”她透露，她有一个十几层抽屉的柜子，里面放着她同时或做过的作品的素材和写作过程，希望能有所借鉴，可是从来没有——“因为每一个创作都是全新的。遇到瓶颈，我会放下不写，其实是没有放下，即使是玩、吃、旅行，脑子没有放下要写的作品，永远在心头。就是因为心里有，随时遇到的人和事都会触动，引我联想，有时一下就撞出新天地来了。”在她的写作世界里，也不全是“瞪出血”这么吓人的事——“香港人喜欢煲汤，我也喜欢喝汤，一大煲五颜六色的材料放在微火上慢慢炖煮，心中五味杂陈，香味飘出来，汤煲好了，笔下也出来了。

Rather than her simple name, Ms. He Jiping enjoys a far”more reputable popularity with her script creations such as filmsNew Dragon Inn, Once Upon a Time in China,Chor Lauheung, The Warlords and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate aswell as playsTop Restaurant in China, The Legend of White Snake, Deling and Cixi,Jiazi HouseandOur Time Will Come. Obviously, she is a typical playwright who focuses on every works in creation. In her narration of her creation and the cultural nutrition she has got from Beijing and Hong Kong, Ms He Jiping uttered her Cantonese-accent Mandarin which sense occasionally we can a bit of Beijing dialect style. In this sense,we must talk about wer experience with Beijing as well as Hong Kong.

'Hong Kong is my Second Hometown'

Upon graduation from Script Department of Central Academy of Drama in the 1980s, He Jiping was hand-picked far admission by Beijing People Art Theatre (BPAT) as a script writer. Her virgin assignment was the dramaGood LuckPlaza in the background city of Hong Kong. Trom the perspective of a youngster who moved from the mainland to Hong Kong, the drama narrated about stories of several households in the same plaza to showcase the city life in Hong Kong in the 1980s. “As my father lived in Hong Kong at that time, I had opportunities to visit him there. Out of my curiosity in people’s life in Hong Kong, I wrote this story of several local households and their interaction with a young boy who moved from the mainland. Thanks to the mainland audiences’ similar curiosity about Hong Kong, all the tickets of the first=rourol 80 performances were immediately sold out and crowds eager to buy a tickets almost collapsed the booking office.” He Jiping recalled.

In 1989, He Jiping migrated to Hong Kong along with her family. “I read an article in a newspaper when I was about to leave Beijing.Its writer wondered what a writer who has left his or her mother culture will possibly present in creation. As to this question, I was actually quite confused then and couldn’t help asking myself the same question.” He Jiping admitted. A relative of hers asked how long she had spent on the playTop Restaurant in China, and at her answer of three years, asserted that she would be starved to edath for such a long preparation if in Hong Kong. “Before I moved to Hong Kong, I enjoyed an outstanding position in literary and art circles,as mellas family background and social status.When I moved to Hong Kong,I experienced the lowest time in my career, both of which constituted a sharp contrast.” she sighed.

In 1991, the playTop Restaurant in ChinaWent on public show in Hong Kong. After viening the this play, Hark Tsui, a bigshot in HK films, dicl two things overnight. One was to take a taste of Beijing Roast Duck, and the other was a personal interview with He Jiping. Providing nothing but a page of outline, Hark Tsui requested her to complete that a full script within one month and a half. “Since you have made such an interesting play of a restaurant, I am confident that you will present a wonderful inn.” Hark Tsui said to her.

“Despite my less interest in swordsman series, I still agreed to his request because it was indeed a precious opportunity for me to go into cooperation with such a bigshot asHark Tsui.Within a short time, I read lots of swordsman novels and started to draft the outline film script for the very first time. Either in films or in stage plays, styles or measures art may vary, but all the basic elements of drama always persist. Besides the fashion of swordsman film, the success of the filmNew Dragon Innwas mainly attributed to couple of living characters whoseunique personality brought along the whole film.” Typical Hong Kong swordsman film used to be full of fierce fights. He Jiping designed some characters of outstanding personality into this new play. Plus the excellent acting by Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Ka Fai, the filmNew Dragon Innbecame a classic in the Chinese film history and He Jiping gained her reputation immediately in Hong Kong.

In 1997, He Jiping was invited to Hong Kong Repertory Theatre as its standing playwright and then started her exploration into the mainstream theatres in Hong Kong. Her first playDeling and Cixiwitnessed a full occupancy with two rows of additional seats. “Then I realized that I would never get starved in Hong Kong. From my prime time in the familiar Beijing to beginning from scratch in the strange Hong Kong, I never ceased but accelerated my creation. First of all, I was totally energetic during my golden age of creation, Secondly, I seized some rare opportunities And lastly, I never gave in to any difficulty and hardship. Within the past 27 years, I have been busy with constant invitations from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan,which is even far beyond my expectation.” He Jiping said.

As she lived in Hong Kong, she was among the foreranner Chinese playwrights who can use computers.At present, her writings all rely on her computer. “Writing is always boring.When we used pens in writing, a long time might have passed before we could settle down. The computer can attract me to sit down and I can feel the excitement when typing with the keyboard.” The traditional Chinese culture gained during her grown-up in Beijing has laid her a solid foundation, while the commercial and international trends in Hong Kong have opened wp her mind. “In combination of the above treasure, I have gradually formed a style of my own and gained recognition from the local community in Hong Kong. For nearly three decades since I migrated to Hong Kong, I have never been away from my writing. The life and cultural order in Hong Kong, the perseverance, professional commitment and creative spirits of local people, and attitudes of everyone in the performing circles from superstar to ordinary staff have exerted significant influence upon my character and writing. With matual harmony and acceptance between Hong Kong community and me, I have enjoyed a peace of mind here and thus Hong Kong has become my second hometown.” she concluded.

'Most Personalized Art Never Allows Self-will'

On the one hand, there exists artists’ advocacy for traditional culture, and on the other hand, some kind of chaos involving so many social factors such as cultural element still take place in Hong Kong. In reply to this phenomenon, He Jiping held that traditional culture is a national treasure of China and that the reason why youne people dislike this national treasure lies in the problems withothe education and guidance system. “Besides our great concern, action must be taken as well. In President Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th CFLAC and the 9th CWA National Congress, a detailed elaboration has been made concerning the writing of some historical subjects. Chinese literary and art circles must pay close attention to historical subject creation and must realize there still exist some flaw in the current creation. As a playwright,we are responsible for creating works of traditional Chinese contents and formalities, which are prepare to the young people and enable them to understand the history and tradition of their country and recognize their mission for inheritance.” He Jiping held.

As Peking opera version of the dramaDeling and Cixithat He Jiping had created in Hong Kong, the playForbidden City in Dawn Lightprovides a narration of encounter and close relationship between a 17-year-old girl who returned from her study in Europe and America, and Empress Dowager Cixi at the age of 72. “When I took up this writing, I was already within such a context of both harmony and conflict between cultures of China and West as Hong Kong. As Hong Kong people mostly know both cultures, my playDeling and Cixihas gained quite some popularity here.”

As a matter of fact, the playTop Restaurant in China, which has brought He Jiping to fame in drama and has been praised as “Classic Masterpiece of Current Realism”, has something to do with Hong Kong as well. When some of her friends in Hong Kong came to the mainland for tourism, “I had no idea how to show my hospitality to them except two things—visiting the Great Wall and enjoying Beijing Roast Duck. While taking Roast Duck, my friends would ask how the Roast Duck was made, but the waiter in the restaurant was unable to give a single word for explanation. Then the impulse for creation concerning how to make Roast Duck came in my mind.” When she was finally set for this creation, she traveled throughout Beijing for interviews,including that with Tian Wenkuan, the official 3rd generation heir of Roast Duck in Stove. She even began her personal experience in the kitchen of Quanjude, the top brand restaurant of Roast Duck in Beijing.

Despite several drafts in constant change, He Jiping still failed to come up with a perfect ending. “On my way to the Northwest,I came across a collection of Chinese antithetical couplets and found the following lines ‘In such a dangerous place, who will be host and guest? Those three old mansions accommodate bright moon and breeze’. Within an instant, I was totally enlightened as to the ending.” Mr. Cao Yu, then president of BPAT, gave high acclamation even after five times of viewing and called thisplay as “a watertight masterpiece”. This play even added more charm to the creation of the later film New DragonInnas the setting of that Manchurian swordsman who could slice lamb and even human legs into pieces drew inspiration from “slicing Roast Duck”. “Life fills all our spaces. A writer must be mindful,sensitive, flexible and ready for changes. Though solicated subjects vary greatly, I have my fundamental solutions in return,which are my personal knowledge and experience of life and the world.” All the details in her writing come from her genuine experience of life.

In 2012, He Jiping was commissioned to create the dramaJiazi Housefor her temporary return to BPAT. “When there were only 9 months left before the official debut, Zhang Heping, then president of BPAT, came to me and reiterated his requirement on the three features of the drama—Beijing, contemporary and original. Though it was not an easy job for me, I had no reason to refuse their request. Probably thanks to my years of experience in commercial management in Hong Kong, I was fully aware of the key elements in this prospective script in celebration of the 60th anniversary of BPAT. Upon recognition of my outline of merely 1000 words, BPAT was determined to rehearse it as soon as possible.” Many senior actors and actresses of the 1stgeneration of BPAT, in the first-class artistry as well, were invited into this play Their professional virtues deeply touched everyone in production, which became a cultural phenomenon at that time. “For example, Zhu Lin mastered all her lines by heart on the first day of rehearsal, Lan Tianye was invariably filled with passion on stage and Zheng Rong studied his lines by words and by sentences. The professional spirit of BPAT was fully demonstrated in this play and all those actors and actresses of BPAT on the front and back stages became models of Chinese drama. Many people were moved to tears in the summary meeting after the performance, because such spirit was so precious.” He Jiping sighed, “Such spirit still remains but it is already at the risk of extinction. Art might be the most personalized profession, but it never allows self-will”.

New Horizon in my Artistic Creation

For decades, He Jiping has maintained her professionalism of BPAT and she never forgets her experience as an amateur playwright when she worked in the countryside of Yan’an at the age of 17. “Our plays wereshown to our fellow farmers, and became our own entertainment as well.” Once her mini-drama was in the course in a threshing square when the gas lamps were out of order and of complete darkness. To watch the plays,farmers brought out all of their barn lanterns that they were reluctant to use at ordinary time, and hung them in line before the stage, which has a touching scene in her mind forever. many years, her works have been presented on varied stages all over the world, but that line of barn lanterns always shine in her heart.

Currently, screenplay has changed from an unpopular position into a popular profession, and quite a few young people take it for granted that a playwright enjoys such advantages as earning quick money, gaining quick fame and associating with superstars easily. Even as a substitute playwright, the payment for a single episode of TV drama will equals a worker’s annual wage. In this case, they try their utmost efforts in spite of reality. As He Jiping reminds, script creation might be one of the most difficult types in literature. “To compose a script, the playwright shall face the blank sheets in the beginning, and maed endeavors until the blood almost bursts out of his or her forehead skin. As every creation in literature varies and there is no ready lessons to refer to, short cuts to take, it is by no means an easy job to be a good playwright. A qualified playwright must settle down in the loneliness without being attracted by fame or profits,and be fortunate to be recognized by wise producers. With all prerequisites satin fied, he or she must depend on his or her talent.” According to He Jiping’s observation of the current script creation by young people, “I’m obliged to admit that a playwright must be a genius. Two playwrights’ equivalent efforts but at different levels result in different outcomes The authors’experience, accomplishment and perspective of the world outlook. If you happes to be an unqualified playwright, even the blood running out of his orher forehead skin makes no sense.”As far as He Jiping can see, those of great potential must make painstaking efforts in practice before they come up with one or two scripts of great influence, and even legend that will bring their dreams into reality only these works make them qualified.

He Jiping still remembers a sentence by Tan Peisheng, her tutor,“playwrights compete with each other firstly on life experience,secondly on writing techniques and lastly on personal refinement”. “What you have written must be something that you feel more profoundly at heart.” As she told me, she kept a cabinet of dozens of drawers within which she placed her draft materials and writing process for future reference. However, she hasn’t used any of them yet. “Because every writing is a brand new process. On the occasion of bottleneck, I will suspend my writing. As a matter of fact, I never suspend writing in my mind even in times of entertainment, delicacy and travel. Bearing this point in mind, the persons and stories that I have come across will probably lead to further inspiration and even a new horizon in my artistic creation”. Certainly in her writing world, there are far more occasions than the scary scence of “blood in forehead skin”. “Like many local people in Hong Kong, I like savoring soup. With a big pot of colorful materials stewed slowly, I can sense the complex of varied feelings. As the fragrance wafts out of the pot, the soup as well as my writing is ready”.