Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan (The Ghost Story of Tokaido Yotsuya) at New National Theatre Tokyo

Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan (The Ghost Story of Tokaido Yotsuya) is a masterful dramatic kabuki work by TSURUYA Nanboku IV, and first premiered in 1825 at the Nakamuraza Theatre, one of the three theatres in Edo at the time. It has since been recast in many other genres such as rakugo, modern drama, film, television, manga and animation. It has also significantly influenced drama overseas.

The 71-year-old Nanboku wrote this drama as a spin-off from Chushingura, based on the actual bloodshed of the Genroku Era and well known legends. The premiere was a tie-in with Kanadehon Chushingura. Love and hatred between man and woman are plainly presented together with the dark burden of karma. The stage props make for a visual spectacle, and, to use modern parlance, the entertainment factor in the staging is strong. The cast's energetic presentation of the characters is also bound to stimulate. In this much loved familiar work, the audience very much empathies and identifies with the characters.

MORI Shintaro will be directing for the first time at the Playhouse. His Waiting for Godot of 2011 and Edward II of 2013 were both bold and meticulous in their staging, and we look forward to how he will use the Playhouse space to its fullest advantage.