“Blood Brothers” Tells a Tangled Tale of Nature Versus Nurture
It’s an age-old question: Which is more important in determining the course of our lives, nature...
Read MoreGraduated from Chuo University with a BA in German literature, having written her dissertation on the playwright Bertolt Brecht’s theory of drama. In 2000, she got MA in arts management at City University in London. Afterwards, she began contributing theatre articles to Japan’s leading English-language newspaper, The Japan Times, for which she has now been a regular writer on contemporary drama and dance for more than 15 years. She also writes articles for a number of Japanese-language theatre magazines — including Theater Guide, Higeki Kigeki and Theatre Arts — as well as the programs for a range of stage productions in Japan and England.
Posted by Nobuko Tanaka | 4th Apr 2022 | Japan, Musical Theatre, Review
It’s an age-old question: Which is more important in determining the course of our lives, nature...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 15th Jan 2022 | Applied Theatre, Japan, News, Theatre and Age
After 15 years of entertaining audiences in Japan and abroad, the actors of Saitama Gold Theater...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 8th Dec 2021 | Japan, Review, Theatre and Opera
For his first foray into the realm of opera, dramatist Toshiki Okada is tackling Ikuma Dan’s...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 5th Dec 2021 | Interview, Japan, Transcultural Collaborations
After its premiere at north London’s Almeida Theatre in 2019, Robert Icke’s The Doctor earned...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 30th Nov 2021 | Adaptation, Interview, Japan
Rena Matsui always knew she wanted to enter the acting world, and launching her career by...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 12th Oct 2021 | Japan, Musical Theatre, News
It was enough for theater fans to learn that after more than 50 years, the Tony Award-winning...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 28th Sep 2021 | Interview, Japan, Translation
When Keito Okamoto was offered the title role in French dramatist Florian Zeller’s latest work,...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 25th Jul 2021 | Adaptation, Japan, Review, Theatre and Politics
William Shakespeare is one of the world’s most influential playwrights, but his life continues to...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 11th Mar 2021 | Japan, Review, Theatre and Art
Colorful graffiti marks the facade of a shuttered shopping mall. People navigate their way around...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 6th Mar 2021 | Interview, Japan, Theatre and Politics
He may live in New York, but playwright J.T. Rogers has spent a lot of time in Japan over the past...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 6th Feb 2021 | Japan, News, Transmedia
In his 1964 anthem, “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Bob Dylan sings: “As the present now / Will...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 11th Dec 2020 | Japan, Review, Theatre and Dance, Theatre and Politics
Sometimes a gesture of gratitude comes in the form of a carte blanche. Akira Shirai, the departing...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 14th Nov 2020 | Covid-19, Festivals, Japan, News, Transcultural Collaborations, Transmedia
Maybe 13 is an unlucky number? Contemporary theater’s annual Festival/Tokyo is known for its focus...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 7th Nov 2020 | Acting, Japan, News
Kennosuke Nakamori’s sonorous voice fills a small room as he practices the lines of a traditional...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 6th Nov 2020 | Japan, Review, Theatre and Art
A Midsummer Night’s Dream has the makings of a fairy tale: a forest full of meddling fairies,...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 22nd Oct 2020 | Interview, Japan, Theatre and Politics
Back in January, when English director Lindsay Posner visited Tokyo for preparatory meetings to...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 14th Oct 2020 | Festivals, Interview, Japan
Performing arts festivals and opportunities to enjoy live entertainment have been few and far...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 8th Aug 2020 | Covid-19, Interview, Japan
This past week, health officials called for more than 800 theatergoers to be tested for COVID-19...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 24th Jul 2020 | Devised Theatre, Japan, News, Transmedia
As the new reality of daily life amid a global pandemic settles in, many people are getting...
Read MorePosted by Nobuko Tanaka | 15th Jun 2020 | Covid-19, Japan, News, Transmedia
Troupes turn to telework in a bid to keep audiences entertained The performing arts are built on...
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