Two rising stars of Kabuki make their international debuts in a triple bill of classic Kabuki dance works at Sadler's Wells.
Shochiku Kabuki comes to Sadler's Wells Theatre on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January, bringing Kabuki back to London for the first time in 17 years. It's a triple bill of classic dance works performed by Ichikawa Somegorō VIII and Onoe Tatsunosuke III, and it marks the international stage debut for both of them.
The programme pulls from the traditional repertoire: Fuji Musume (The Wisteria Maiden), Yuki no Shakkyō (The Snowbound Stone Bridge), a lion dance, and Meoto Dōjōji (A Man and Woman at Dōjōji Temple). Kabuki dates back to the early 17th century as an all-male art form that brings together song, dance and acting — the ka, bu and ki that give it its name — and was named a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.
Somegorō and Tatsunosuke are next-generation stars who first appeared on stage at the ages of two and three, respectively. For Somegorō, this is a family return: his grandfather and father both performed in London in 1990/91, and he recently played Hamlet in Tokyo and Osaka under British director David Leveaux. Tatsunosuke starred in the anime crossover Kabuki Symphony No. Q: Evangelion. This is the 11th kabuki production in London and the 8th at Sadler's Wells.
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There are two performances: Saturday 30 January at 7:30 pm and Sunday 31 January at 2 pm. Tickets start from £15, and English surtitles are provided throughout.
