Metamorphosis

The greatest service Metamorphosis does to its source material is to highlight the power behind Franz Kafka’s tale of Gregor Samsa, a man who wakes up as a giant bug. Unfortunately this reminder only comes in stark contrast to the flabby padding that Taiwan’s Contemporary Legend Theatre have added.

Yes, the giant bug is present—in an impressive, sumptuous costume—but so is an extended sequence where Wu Hsing-kuo plays himself and tries to rouse the empty outfit from its depressed funk, imploring it to live again. This he does over and over again until it loses all flavour and meaning, like an over-masticated piece of gum.

The bug in this scene is supposed to represent Peking Opera, the highly mannered art form of the show, and Wu is refusing to let it die. All very noble. But after half an hour of this, the palpable unrest in the audience suggests this is one bug everyone would happily crush underfoot.

The scene where Wu—who is the only actor ever on stage—dresses as a woman suffers from a similar fate. He adds mere arch window-dressing to Kafka’s musings on love and family. It limps on for what feels like an interminable period of time.

Herein lies the problem. Metamorphosis is overlong and overindulgent. It deliberately jettisons story and plot, which is perfectly acceptable, but lacks the character, charm and self-discipline to carry it off. It is fitfully mesmerising, especially with the digital projections that bookend the performances, but by running nearly an hour over, it is bloatedness not beauty that lingers.