Kabuki Review by Sekidobashi Sakura

Osome & Hisamatsu

'Osome Hisamatsu Ukiyo-no Yomiuri'

Bando Tamasaburo plays seven roles

Essay

October 2003 in Kabukiza Theater

★story　★English-top　 ★Japanese-top

This play was written by Tsuruya Nanboku, and was first performed in 1813. Tsuruya Nanboku is well known as a playwright who wrote many erotic and grotesque dramas. Tamasaburo played seven roles this time. It means that it goes without saying that it is interesting. Although it was interesting very much, there was one thing that I couldn't accept. Tamasaburo didn't need to play as Hisamatsu.

Kabuki has a quick change technique, and this play has it many times. It is like a working of the pit staff at F1-race. It is very speedy, and is done beautifully. However, kabuki's quick change is used in order to do itself. There are many kabuki plays which a popular actor plays many roles in one play. Although it makes audiences be excited very much, but sometimes it seems unreasonable. In this time, Tamasaburo played seven roles, but sometimes he needed a double of him, because Osome and the others had to appear on the same scene together. He needed even his own voice that was recorded already. I think that it wasn't a reasonable direction, because it was a live stage play.

Osome and Hisamatsu are lovers, so that it is natural that they appear on the same scene together. I think that Tamasaburo should have avoided playing as Osome and Hisamatsu at the same time. The six roles are women except Hisamatsu. I think that audiences can enjoy Tamasaburo's act as the six women who have different character. It is the most exciting element in this play. But I think that its exciting focus could have been lost because of Hisamatsu.

However, Tamasaburo was very beautiful on the stage. It isn't wrong to say that I love him. I would like to say 'Thank you' to Tamasaburo.

Well, there is a treasure sword Goo-Yoshimitsu in this play. And another treasure sword Kurikara-maru appeared on 'Kinkakuji' that was performed at the same day. Kabuki has many treasure swords like that, but they all are stolen, and makes people unhappy. This play also isn't an exception. A Japanese sword is the only one weapon to be made in order to kill a person only. Recently, it is told as an art object rather than a weapon. But its beauty is based on the essence as a weapon. Kabuki fans might have been caught by its beauty already. (2003,10,4)

★story　★English-top　★Japanese-top　★page-top