美国国家公共电台 NPR Who's Got A Plan For Brexit? This Hit Musical Does

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Many Britons worry that Britain's exit from the European Union will be bad for business. But Brexit has been great fodder¹ for performing arts - a drama at the National Theatre, a spy novel and two musical comedies. NPR's Joanna Kakissis has our story of "Brexit: The Musical" and its unlikely creator.

JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE²: I'm having tea with London lawyer Chris Bryant at a cafe in Edinburgh, Scotland. I'll explain why we're in Edinburgh a bit later. But first, let's go back to last summer, when Bryant, who specializes in EU trade law, was counseling clients nervous about Brexit.

CHRIS BRYANT: Queries³ were coming in from all directions, left, right and center, every single sector⁴ of the economy. And, also, it was complicated by the fact that there were a lot of things that we just simply did not know and still do not know.

KAKISSIS: All this turmoil⁵ took a toll⁶ on Bryant's nerves. But instead of yoga or meditation⁷, he turned to his trusted form of therapy, songwriting.

BRYANT: I like to write songs as a way of relaxing so I can focus my mind entirely⁸.

KAKISSIS: He'd been doing this since his teens.

BRYANT: A friend of mine made a joke, saying, you write musicals as a hobby. You should write "Brexit: The Musical." And, immediately, it put the seed in my mind that I thought it could be quite a way of helping⁹ just to make sense of everything that's going on.

KAKISSIS: He wrote the first song, "Democracy," in just a few hours.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSICAL, "BREXIT: THE MUSICAL")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (As characters, singing) It's democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: (As character, singing) How we going to keep it where we all get to have our say?

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (As characters, singing) It's democracy.

KAKISSIS: Then came the plot, which included clueless politicians, amnesia¹⁰ and a missing secret plan that would get the U.K. out of this mess. Then more songs, including this one.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

VIRGE GILCHRIST: (As Theresa May, singing) They call me a bloody¹¹ difficult woman.

KAKISSIS: That would be current Prime Minister Theresa May.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GILCHRIST: (As Theresa May, singing) It's only 'cause I have to deal with bloody difficult men.

KAKISSIS: Bryant had a hunch¹² that this musical would appeal to a wider audience beyond his family and friends. So he showed it to a prominent theater producer.

BRYANT: And she thought, yeah, it's got legs. It's got a great potential. And her suggestion comes was that we come to Edinburgh to do it. She brought in the director, the musical director, casting director, choreographer¹³, everybody that we need.

KAKISSIS: His musical was staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last month.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GILCHRIST: (As Theresa May) When I say Brexit means Brexit...

KAKISSIS: That's actress Virge Gilchrist as Theresa May. She confronts fellow conservative politicians Boris Johnson and Michael Gove because they'd campaigned for Brexit to get ahead politically.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GILCHRIST: (As Theresa May) Well...

(LAUGHTER)

GILCHRIST: (As Theresa May) ...I hope you two are proud of yourselves. You better have a damn good plan to get out of this mess.

JAMES WITT: (As Boris Johnson) Ah, Theresa, about that...

GILCHRIST: (As Theresa May) What?

WITT: (As Boris Johnson) You see, we haven't got a plan either.

KAKISSIS: Actor James Witt plays Boris Johnson as a clown in Union Jack¹⁴ underwear and a platinum¹⁵ blonde wig¹⁶.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WITT: (As Boris Johnson, singing) Everything has blown up in my face. I go from hero to national disgrace.

KAKISSIS: But Witt also wanted to show a darker side.

WITT: So he's a different persona. He's got two personas, I think, which we don't see on TV much because the media is so sanitized. And, really, the stage is the only place where you can tell the truth anymore, I think.

KAKISSIS: In the audience is Les Edwards, a 70-year-old property manager who voted for Brexit and now has doubts. The musical made him laugh.

LES EDWARDS: We have a great gift for making satire¹⁷ and making fun of ourselves. It's good fun to do it.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GILCHRIST: (As Theresa May, singing) By George, that's really something. Looks like you've saved the day.

KAKISSIS: Chris Bryant watched in awe¹⁸ as his musical became a sold-out hit in Edinburgh. Now it's back to reality as a trade lawyer, wondering what the U.K.'s Brexit plan will be.

BRYANT: We do have a plan in the musical, which I won't reveal. And I think our plan in the musical is a better plan than the government has.

KAKISSIS: In "Brexit: The Musical," I'll just say that a song saves the day. Chris Bryant can vouch¹⁹ for that. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, Edinburgh.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WITT: (As Boris Johnson, singing) By George, you're making me stressed...

1 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 queries   

n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问

参考例句：

• Our assistants will be happy to answer your queries. 我们的助理很乐意回答诸位的问题。
• Her queries were rhetorical,and best ignored. 她的质问只不过是说说而已，最好不予理睬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

6 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

7 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 amnesia   

n.健忘症，健忘

参考例句：

• People suffering from amnesia don't forget their general knowledge of objects.患健忘症的人不会忘记关于物体的一些基本知识。
• Chinese medicine experts developed a way to treat amnesia using marine materials.中国医学专家研制出用海洋物质治疗遗忘症的方法。

11 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

12 hunch   

n.预感，直觉

参考例句：

• I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉，他并不真正想去。
• I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。

13 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

14 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

15 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

16 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

17 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

18 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

19 vouch   

v.担保；断定；n.被担保者

参考例句：

• They asked whether I was prepared to vouch for him.他们问我是否愿意为他作担保。
• I can vouch for the fact that he is a good worker.我保证他是好员工。