I have always held a particular interest for stylized theatre which is why my own company, Mahogany Opera, explores different methods of theatre and incorporates elements from various cultures- our last production, Russian Tales, was inspired by Meyerhold and Russian Constructivism.  However, it was the production prior to this that made the greatest impact on my work.  In 2005, I directed Britten’s Curlew River at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh which then toured in 2006 to East Anglia and Southwark Cathedral, London.  It is based on the Noh play, Sumidagawa, which Britten saw on his visit to Japan in 1956.  Britten was wary not to create a pastiche of Noh and so transferred the setting to an English medieval mystery play.  My production attempted to find parallels between medieval English culture, particularly religious friezes and that of medieval Japanese culture, particularly Noh theatre.

In my research for this production I read Zeami’s treatises, and the theories that he expounded struck me deeply; the principle of jo, ha, kyu that structures everything from the stamp of the foot to the arrangement of an evening of plays, the idea that what occurs on stage should act as a trigger for the audience’s imagination, his suggestions on how to pace and develop a career, his explanation on the mechanics and contradictions of acting.  These ideas, and many more, act as a useful handbook not just for the Noh actor, but for anyone working in the field of theatre.

So that is why I went to Japan, to learn more about Zeami and Noh and to use that knowledge in my own work with opera.  Little did I know that this was only the tip of the iceburg. I was soon to stumble upon many other elements of Japanese culture which opened up yet more interesting and complex questions…

FWW

Next Installment- Part 2: The Noh Plays

Share on Facebook