虛擬與熱情：在康定斯基的《萊姆豪斯之夜》與二十世紀初期大眾娛樂中尋找華人他者

藉著討論英國康定斯基劇團2010年的作品《萊姆豪斯之夜》，本文檢視作品中折射出的劇場再現與社會現實之間的複雜關係。1918年11月28日清晨，女演員比莉凱勒登（Billie Carleton）被發現暴斃於自家臥房。女演員的複雜情史因案情偵查而受大眾審視，然而此事之成為媒體焦點，卻是因為致死之非法藥物據傳來自於當時倫敦華人最多的萊姆豪斯，從而加深了公眾對於中國移民社群的刻板印象，而此事件也成了二十世紀上半，若干著名小說家及電影製作者對「黃禍」想像的靈感，其中包括以描寫東倫敦老華埠而知名的作家湯瑪斯柏克（1886-1945）。康定斯基劇團以女演員猝死案為本，追隨著警探柏克（與作家柏克同名的劇中主角），結合史料研究，從倫敦劇場及大眾文學汲取元素，虛實交雜拼貼製作出《萊》劇，述說關於東倫敦、文化差異、種族偏見、愛情與音樂劇的故事。本文以戲劇史的角度出發，並借重德勒茲對熱情（passion）的詮釋，探討劇中警探柏克在虛構的1918年孜矻尋找謀殺線索，和其本身對於東方的虛幻迷戀等呈現，所提出對於倫敦劇場的東方風情的疑問，以及當時英國大眾文化對於異文化的想像、挪用與論述。

關鍵字

大眾娛樂；英國當代劇場；英國戰間劇場；東方風情劇；德勒茲研究

並列摘要

Focusing on Kandinsky's ”Limehouse Nights” (2010), this article examines the entangled threads between theatrical representation and social reality. In ”Limehouse Nights”, Inspector Thomas Burke-inspired by the British author of the same name famous for his depiction of working class in East London-tried to solve the death of Ginny Cazenove, who died in 1918 of overdosing of drug allegedly obtained from a Chinese vendor in Limehouse. The allegation not only reaffirmed the popular stereotype about Chinese immigrant community, but has also become a source of inspiration for novelists and filmmakers in their imagination of the ”yellow peril”. Building on the actual case of Billie Carleton who died of overdosing in 1918, Kandinsky intentionally intermixed in the production the real author and the fictional detective Thomas Burke, both of whom shared a fantasy for Chinese culture. ”Limehouse Nights” thus narrated a story about cultural difference, racial stereotypes, love and musical comedies set in the interwar period. By investigating the shifting trends in theatre, this paper draws on Deleuze's interpretation of passion and examines Inspector Burke's attempts to solve the case under the circumstances, as well as his own obsession with the Orient. The article critically discusses the Oriental flavour seen on London stage at the time, and the imagination, appropriation and discourse of other cultures in British popular entertainment.