culture
'Murakami saw his book come alive!': the Japanese company bringing the author’s science fiction masterpiece to the stage
A play based on the writer’s dreamlike novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is touring the world, riding a wave of interest in Japanese culture. Its creators talk about how they adapted the famously cryptic tale
TL;DR
- Tatsuya Fujiwara, a prominent Japanese actor, returns to London's Barbican theatre to perform in a stage adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'.
- The play, directed by French choreographer Philippe Decouflé, tells two parallel narratives: a cyberpunk thriller and a surreal fantasy set in a walled town.
- The production has toured internationally, with notably different audience reactions observed in Japan and Singapore, prompting confidence for the London run.
- The play taps into a current global interest in Japanese culture, with many recent exhibitions and stage adaptations of Japanese works in the UK.
- Adapting Murakami's cryptic and allegorical novel for the stage presented challenges, leading the creators to emphasize visual and physical expression over dialogue.
- Director Philippe Decouflé collaborated with Japanese writer Ako Takahashi and utilized dance, including ballerinas as unicorns and street dancers, to bring the story to life.
- Murakami himself attended rehearsals and expressed happiness with the production, noting that it reminded him of his own creation.
- The production highlights the evolution of Japanese dance and the professionalism of Japanese performers.
- The success of the play is viewed as a potential catalyst for greater engagement with Japanese theatre, mirroring its status in the UK.
- The play is scheduled to show at the Barbican theatre in London from October 8 to 11.