Categories
Theater

Noda’s Bee stings back

20 years after its creation, The Bee will be performed in November at Honda Theater (Tokyo). This provocative play, where the would-be victim becomes the agressor, has been very successful. Dark, ironic, repulsive, twisted… The atmosphere is quite different from the more consensual Fahrenheit -320. Noda is one of the few directors who book a theater for a month and sell out. If you want to try to see a play, written jointy with Colin Teevan, you shall book quickly (normal sales start on October 18). It will be in Japanese only, but the plot is pretty simple, and if you know your yakuza / cop movie vocabulary, it shall be all right.
From November 2 to December 6.

Categories
Theater

Minority report ? Japanese one woman show, when you feel lonely at midnight. With subtility and (English) subtitles

Through her work with Kegawazoku in the 2000s—a group described as creating frenetic, chaotic stages—Junko Emoto, a devoted entertainer who continually reinvents herself, bringing a festive energy and humor, challenged conventions surrounding femininity and bodily representation. From October 16 to 18, we can experience her performance, “A Play to Watch When You Feel Lonely at Midnight”.

In this work, Emoto weaves words and humor that resonate from one lesbian to another into the theatrical landscape. This is an attempt to invert the structure of empathy, which is often centered on the majority. As highlighted by TMT, Lesbian audience members may find themselves connected to the work, while non-lesbian audience members may experience a sense of discomfort. Yet beyond any theoretical framework, what matters most is the visceral experience this play leaves behind—the feeling that it is a powerful form of entertainment.

As a devoted entertainer who continually reinvents herself, she brings a festive energy and humor that feels unmistakably alive, expanding the possibilities of performance and entertainment.

An unusual and challenging experience, with English subtitles.

Booking is slightly complicated, there is one option in English for foreign credit cards, with an additionnal booking fee. As usual for TMT, I recommend to give a phone call, but you can also book on-line.

Categories
Japanese tradition Theater

Unfulfilled ghost and monster, contemporary musical theater with Noh background

From February 3 to March 1st, KAAT presents a new release of Tokichi Okada Unfulfilled Ghost and Monster. A musical drama referring and employing Noh form, this is an update of Okada‘s original work created at KAAT already in 2021. As in his latest work, Dance Juror’s dance, the director and playwright incorporates other performing arts in his work, in this case he enhances further his play with music. Although the play will be performed in Japanese only, according to existing information, it will for sure be one of the remarkable plays in 2026, and definitely worth attending. Tickets will be on sale from November 23.

For other spectacles, check here for end of 2025, and here for first quarter of 2026.

Categories
Theater

The flag and the apron

Myrtle Arts will present Kurumizawa Shin latest work, 日の丸と割烹着, from February 5 to February 11. The playwright stemmed from memories about his grand mother, and tackles the subject of the Pacific war, when housewives associations supported the departures of young soldiers to the front. Works from Kurumizawa often are critical of Japan social issues, while being deeply moving. Also on the list of Teatro recommended plays. In Japanese only.
https://myrtle.co.jp/arts/

Review of the play here.