A 19th-century Japanese troupe invades America with fake Shakespeare and zero budget — chaos ensues.
In 1897, actor, director, producer and theatre company leader Kawakami Otojiro set off on a tour of the USA with his wife Sadayakko and theatre company members, but in a foreign country where he could not speak the language, he had to struggle against a succession of adversities, including lawyers absconding with the proceeds and actors going on strike. One day, however, Otojiro arrives in Boston on his arduous tour and sees a packed house for a performance of The Merchant of Venice by the famous British actor Henry Irving. In just one night of rehearsals, they concoct a Japanese version of The Merchant of Venice, and perform the play to a foreign audience with bullshit dialogue and a reckless performance that can be cut short by "Sucharaka poko poko" when they get stuck on a word.
Acting
Yusuke Santamaria channels pure desperate showman energy.
Writing
Mitani's script turns historical disaster into comic gold.
Production
Painstaking recreation of 1897 touring theatre chaos.
Director
Koki Mitani
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kawakami Otojiro and Sadayakko were real pioneers who introduced Japanese theatre to the West; their 1899 Paris performances influenced Picasso and Debussy.
Director Koki Mitani is obsessed with theatre history — this was his passion project after decades of stage comedies, and he reportedly made the cast rehearse in period corsets and bindings.
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