ABSTRACT

The current boom in popularity of rakugo can be connected to a new trend in the relationship between performer and material. The move away from a focus on norms and rules guiding the performer in his or her treatment of a set, inalterable, performance text has been observed and even labelled a paradigm change. This article analyses the case of one of the most prolific performers of contemporary rakugo, Shunpūtei Shōta, focussing on the relationship between a persona constructed and reinforced by his presence in the media and his approach to rakugo and paying close attention to examples of his presentations of the rakugo story Toki Soba (‘The “Time-Soba-Noodle” Con Game’). The article thereby engages with a wider question regarding the approach to rakugo a performer is expected to take: should rakugo be thought of as a genre of classical performing arts, koten geinō, that needs to be preserved in a set form or as a form of contemporary entertainment, where entertaining the audience is the performer’s main goal? The article will demonstrate how Shōta engages with rakugo, breaking with formerly established norms and focussing on presenting rakugo in a way that entertains and attracts different audiences to the genre.

摘要

当前落语的流行热潮可能与表演者和材料之间关系的新趋势有关。不再关注指导表演者处理固定的、不可改变的表演文本的规范和规则的转变已经被观察到，甚至被标记为范式变化。这篇文章分析了当代落语最多产的表演者之一，Shunpūtei Shota 的案例，重点是他在媒体中的存在所构建和强化的角色与他对落语的态度之间的关系，并密切关注他的演示实例在单口相声的故事岐荞麦面（'时间荞麦面'骗局'）。文章进而与更广泛的问题，从事有关的方法来单口相声表演预计将需要：应单口相声被认为是古典表演艺术的一个流派koten艺能，需要在一组形式或作为的形式保存下来当代娱乐，娱乐观众是表演者的主要目标？本文将展示如何将太合与落语，与以往既定的规范和突破重点放在呈现单口相声的方式，招待，吸引不同观众的流派。