CAST

★

When the stage curtain opened, the audiences’ seats were reflected to the big mirror that was made by many mirrors. The stage setting with many mirrors showed the duality of the twins that were the elder brother Sebastian and younger sister Viola effectively or impressively.  

"Twelfth Night" means the day when four wise men appeared from east in order to bless the Christ's birth at the twelfth day from his birthday. I think that you know it better than me, because I’m not a Christian. I liked this play best in all of William Shakespeare’s works, and I had been waiting for long years that any theatre company performs it. The expectation became real at Kabukiza Theater this time. I think that its summary isn’t needed for this site, because my American friend said that this play was the same as original completely except characters’ name, so I don’t write it. 

Kikunosuke performed as Sebastian Shiba Shuzennosuke and Viola Princess Biwa, twins of brother and sister at the same time. In kabuki plays, sometimes an actor performs the plural roles in order to show the impossible sudden transformation. I don’t like it, because sometimes another actor appears on the stage as that actor. It isn’t the sudden transformation. This time another actor and Kikunosuke appeared on the stage at the same time three times. I was disappointed, because even Ninagawa Yukio couldn’t avoid it as a director. However, everything went well except it, and I enjoyed this play very much.

Malvolio Maruo Bodayu that Kikugoro performed was the most impressive in this play. When Kikugoro acted as Feste Sutesuke, he was Kikugoro. But when Kikugoro acted Bodayu, he was Japanese Malvolio himself. I want to show his great performance to Shakespeare very much. 

Moreover, Kamejiro who performed Mariah, Maa performed the slightly wicked woman attractively.  Although I thought that it would be probably cute if Shinobu performed as Maa, Kamejiro was better beyond anticipation. I will expect Kamejiro’s performance after this. 

This play got a good reputation highly at various media from the beginning, and there were the auxiliary seats in the Kabukiza Theater. The auxiliary seat was patent of Tamasaburo before, but recently Noda Hideki version Kabuki plays have it, and also Ninagawa Yukio version Kabuki play has it this time. It is very interesting but sad a little that Kabukiza Theater gets many audiences by the outside directors only. And it moves me that Tamasabuto makes the auxiliary seats with his charm only. He is a real great actor. He didn’t appear on the stage this month, though.