Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
Vicky Featherstone
Part Of
New Plays: Japan
Co-Production
The New National Theatre Tokyo
Translated by
Sayuri Suzuki
Original Language
Japanese
Dates Performed
Thursday 26th January – Saturday 28th January 2023
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Play Details
Synopsis
A confined, claustrophobic space, floating in darkness
Aoji is a pregnant woman who is struggling with the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy and her own troubled past. Throughout the play, Aoji interacts with her neighbor, Uso, and Uso’s husband, Kogera, in a series of surreal and increasingly unsettling scenes that blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
As the play progresses, Aoji’s inner turmoil and anxieties about motherhood and her own upbringing are brought to the surface. Uso, who initially seems friendly and supportive, becomes increasingly manipulative and disturbing, pressuring Aoji to give up her child and questioning her ability to be a good mother. The play explores themes of gender roles, family dynamics, and the psychological toll of pregnancy and childbirth, ultimately culminating in a harrowing and surreal depiction of Aoji’s labour and delivery.
Cast & Creative
Cast
Ashley Alymann
Cast
Camilla Aiko
Cast
James Bradwell
Cast
Hanako Footman
Cast
Nino Furuhata
Cast
Andrew Futaishi
Cast
Yojiro Ichikawa
Cast
Meg Kubota
Cast
Natsumi Kuroda
Cast
Kumiko Mendl
Cast & Translator
Susan Momoko Hingley
Cast
Kanako Nakano
Cast
Kirsty Rider
Cast
