Royal Court Theatre Announces NEW PLAYS: JAPAN Set For Next Year

It has been announced that The Royal Court Theatre will present New Plays: Japan 新作: 日本from Thursday 26th - Saturday 28th January 2023. These staged readings bring brand new plays from three of the most exciting new voices in Japanese theatre to the Royal Court.

Adventurous in form, politically challenging and distinct in their worlds, these plays will be staged in translation as script-in-hand performances.

This series presents a selection of the work developed in a group for Japanese playwrights run by the New National Theatre Tokyo with the Royal Court and facilitated by writers and artists from both theatres.

The week of performances will include a panel discussion with all three writers and artistic director of NNTT Eriko Ogawa on Friday 27th January and an omnibus of all three plays on Saturday 28th January. Tickets are on sale now.

The series will include Not Yet Midnight (真夜中とよぶにはまだはやい) by Tomoko Kotaka, Onigorou Valley (その先、鬼五郎渓谷につき、) by Saori Chiba and 28 hours 01 minute (28時01分) by Shoko Matsumura.

Ali McDowall, playwright said 'It was an enormous privilege to be able to work with this group of writers- I learned things during the time I spent with them that I'll use in my own work forever and will always cherish the time I spent with them. Their plays were- without exception- vibrant, searching, and endlessly innovative and I'm honoured to have played a small part in bringing some of Japan's new writing to the Royal Court.'

Eriko Ogawa, Artistic Director, New National Theatre Toyko, said 'I am beyond excited that we are presenting New Plays: Japan as the culmination of the writers group The Royal Court Theatre and the New National Theatre, Tokyo have worked on together. Despite the challenges faced during the pandemic, 14 playwrights coming together to create and discuss new plays for a year and a half had great significance for them, writers of their generation, and for Japanese theatre as a whole. In addition to these Japanese productions, three plays will be staged in London. I cannot express how thankful I am for the team at the Royal Court for their continuous support towards the writers.'

Not Yet Midnight (真夜中とよぶにはまだはやい)

by Tomoko Kotaka

translated by Sayuri Suzuki

A night time power cut opens up moments of pause across one city. Three office workers are interrupted with their hands in the till. In a playground, a young couple begins to unravel. And a shop clerk tries and fails to move her last customer on.

Onigorou Valley (その先、鬼五郎渓谷につき、)

by Saori Chiba

translated by Susan Momoko Hingley

When two decontamination workers take a drive up into the hills above Fukushima, they enter an uneasy world governed by legend and forces beyond the human. A supernatural folk horror set in the deep woods of Onigorou Valley, seven years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

28 hours 01 minute (28時01分)

by Shoko Matsumura

translated by Sayuri Suzuki

Aoji is expecting her first baby. She wakes in the night. Her neighbour Uso calls round with an orange. And so begins a strange sequence of events that will test and shape her idea of what it is to be a mother.

New Plays: Japan 新作: 日本 is a co-production with the New National Theatre Tokyo, supported by The British Council.

To post a comment, you must register and login.