New Japanese plays One Small Step & Tattooer to premiere at the Charing Cross Theatre in London

Japanese theatre company Umeda Arts Theater are bringing two new plays to London’s Charing Cross Theatre this autumn 2024.

The world premiere of One Small Step, written and directed by Takuya Kato, will run from 27 September to 9 October 2024.

Tattooer, written by Takuya Kaneshima and directed by Hogara Kawai, runs from 14 to 26 October 2024 at Charing Cross Theatre. The play’s world premiere will take place in Tokyo in September.

Both plays will be performed in English.

One Small Step has been developed in Japan and the UK through workshops and readings with UK artists. In the play, Takashi and Narumi are a married couple, working for a major contractor on a project to migrate humans to the Moon, where a city is being established where humanity’s ideal new life can begin. But they suddenly encounter an unexpected setback to their plans…

Tattooer is inspired by a short story by Junichiro Tanizaki, the world-renowned Japanese literary figure, and Irezumi tattoos, which have attracted worldwide attention as a popular Japanese art-form through mediums such as anime and video games. In the play, Seikichi is a young tattoo artist and former Ukiyo-e artist of high repute. His longtime wish is to “carve his soul into the skin of a beautiful woman” but he has been unable to find a willing partner. The story begins when Seikichi finally meets his ideal canvas…

Umeda Arts Theater recently co-produced Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

Writer/director Takuya Kato said: “One Small Step might appear to be futuristic but in reality it’s the story of a future that’s already nearly here. It’s also a story that raises important questions about the roles of the mother and motherhood, which is an issue that working couples all over the world face in their private lives. I’m very excited to be able to develop this new piece in the UK and explore that the differences between our two cultures are more similar than we may think.”

Playwright Takuya Kaneshima said: “Tanizaki’s story “Shisei” depicts a secretive, closed relationship between the tattooer and the tattooed. But there are fractures in this relationship, which connect unexpectedly with the outside world. In this play I wanted to explore the complexity and vulnerability of relationships glimpsed in Tanizaki’s work.”

Director Hogara Kawai said: “Tattooing is the act of scarring the skin with a needle and filling it with colour. By filling scars with colour, they become art. What kind of picture would emerge if you could ink the “scars” you have acquired in your life? What would the art that resides in your body look like? In exploring this beautiful play, I am looking forward to finding out.”

Book tickets to One Small Step

Book tickets to Tattooer

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Main photo: Charing Cross Theatre 2024 - One Small Step & Tattooer