Touchdown: Whole Hog Theatre in Japan & The Japan Times

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Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli

If you are following the Whole Hog Theatre on Twitter, you will know that the Leamington Spa based theatre group that is putting on the world’s first stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s「もののけ姫」(Mononoke Hime/Princess Mononoke, 1997) has been making its way to Japan, where the play will have a run in Tokyo during Golden Week (April 29 to May 6, 2013).

As they touched down in Japan today, they were greeted by an article on their project in The Japan Times:

Review: The Whole Hog Theatre’s「もののけ姫」(Princess Mononoke) Stage Adaptation

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adaptation, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, Tokyo, Whole Hog Theatre

All images © Polly Clare Boone of Whole Hog Theatre.

Year: 2013
Country: UK
Language: English
Director: Alexandra Rutter
Company: Whole Hog Theatre
Adaptation from:「もののけ姫」(Mononoke Hime/Princess Mononoke, Japan, 1997)
Screenplay: not specified on programme or website
Concept arts and set design: Polly Clare Boon
Puppet design: Charlie Hoare
Soundscore: Hisaishi Joe, arranged by Kerrin Tatman for the play
Cast: James Blake-Butler, Lilith Brew, Adam Cridland, Oliver Davis, Andy Elkington, Jack Gyll, Jackie Lam, Amelie Leroy, Mei Mac, Miyake Yuriko, Jess Neale, Maximilian Troy Tyler, Victoria Watson, Samuel Wightman, Elizabeth Mary Williams
Runtime: approx. 130 min (including 20 min intermission)
Official website: http://www.wholehogtheatre.com (London performances),
http://www.princess-mononoke.jp (Tokyo performances – 日本語)

Teaser (16 sec, for Tokyo performances):

Seen during the play’s first run at the New Diorama Theatre in London. I attended the Friday evening performance. Further Princess Mononoke performances are scheduled for Tokyo (April 29 – May 6, 2013) and London (June 18-29, 2013). London tickets are sold out. 

Note: I provide no synopsis of the story here – this review presumes you are familiar with Miyazaki Hayao’s film already and hence is also full of spoilers.

How does one even begin to imagine a stage adaptation of an animated film of the calibre of「もののけ姫」(Mononoke Hime/Princess Mononoke, Japan, 1997), made by the masters of Studio Ghibli and well loved the world round? It is not a challenge that most – even those with plenty of experience and unlimited budgets – would want to take on, but the Whole Hog Theatre, a young performance company from Leamington Spa, England, with only a handful productions (Dangerous Liaisons, Constanzo and Five Kinds of Silence) to their name, was undaunted by the task and simply went ahead anyway.

News Bites, from All Corners

Tokyo Waka.

All kinds of things were happening this week, not quite substantial enough for each to make it into a post of their own and a bit too much to squeeze them into the Bonus Bits section of the Trailer Weekly, so, instead, I’ve assembled them into this post.

More Princess Mononoke Performances…in Japan

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adaptation, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, Tokyo, Whole Hog Theatre

Kodama, happily speechless at the announcement.

Exciting news from the Whole Hog Theatre today: They are taking their stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke to Japan! Early this morning they tweeted the following:

Update: Further Performances for Princess Mononoke Stage Adaptation

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adaptation, London, Studio Ghibli

Hot off the press: The lovely people from the Whole Hog Theatre have officially announced twelve further London performances for their stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke between 18-29 June, 2013.

Kickstarter to Take Princess Mononoke’s Stage Adaptation to the World

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adaptation, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Shinkai Makoto, Studio Ghibli

As you may know Studio Ghibli’s 「もののけ姫」(Mononoke Hime/Princess Mononoke, 1997) is being adapted for the stage for the first time ever. Whole Hog Theatre, a small British company specialising in adaptations, is taking on the challenge and will be staging the performance in London in April 2013, with only a handful days programmed.

Review:「生きてるものはいないのか」(Ikiteru Mono Wa Inai No Ka/Isn’t Anyone Alive?)

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Asian Movies Meetup, London

Year: 2012
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Director: Ishii Gakuryu (Ishii Sogo)
Adaptation from: an absurd play of the same title by Maeda Shirō (前田司郎)
Screenplay: Maeda Shirō, Ishii Gakuryu
Cinematography: Matsumoto Yoshiyuki
Cast: Sometani Shota and others (see below)
Runtime: 113 min
Trailer: on YouTube
Film’s official website: Ikiteru.jp (in Japanese)

Seen at the pre-DVD release preview screening organised by the Asian Movies Meetup Group at the Roxy Bar & Screen in London. Ikiteru Mono Wa Inai No Ka is next screening, in London, as part of the Terracotta Touring Programme on October 9, 2012. DVD release (UK) via Third Window Films will follow on October 22, 2012.

Adam Torel, the managing director of UK Asian film distributor Third Window Films, introduced Ishii Gakuryu’s latest work with the words that Ikiteru Mono Wa Inai No Ka sharply divides its viewers: they either love or hate the film. This may generally be so, but I found myself somewhere in between these two camps – I like the film, but I certainly don’t love it.

Trailer Weekly #43

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BFI Film Festival, Hosoda Mamoru, Korean Film Night, Year of 12 Directors

Juuuuust posting this in time before Sunday is over – I had nearly finished the Trailer Weekly a few hours ago, but then a Japanese friend of mine came for dinner and I was (happily) distracted for a while, enjoying lovely company and yum food (oven grilled summer veg from the farmers’ market + couscous with sour cherries and pistachios + Korean style edamame & cucumber salad + cherries + Greek coffee).

This week’s Trailer Weekly begins with lots of USAmericana (including some big budget films), but trailers from Japan and Korea follow as well.

Update on Mononoke Hime’s Stage Adaptation

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London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli

As I reported recently, Studio Ghibli’s「もののけ姫」(Mononoke-hime/Princess Mononoke, 1997) is being put on the stage by the UK-based The Whole Hog Theatre company. Although the performance will not take place until April 2013, tickets were snatched up in less than 72 hours after they went on sale last week. Clearly, there is a lot excitement about the very first theatrical adaptation of the Studio Ghibli animation.

Trailer Weekly #42

This is going to be an anime Trailer Weekly. Just because. A super short one too, but I’m literally falling asleep here and just cannot concentrate (「スローダンス」/Slow Dance, Japan, 2005 is to be blamed for this. I was watching till 3 a.m. – up to and including episode 9 – and had to get up at 6:30 for work). Apologies for any typos. I will fix them tomorrow.

Mononoke Hime… in the Theatre

It’s the world’s first theatrical adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s 「もののけ姫」(Mononoke-hime/Princess Mononoke, 1997) and it’s currently in the making – with the support of Studio Ghibli.

Review: 왕의 남자 (Wangeui Namja/The King and the Clown)

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KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Year of 12 Directors

Year: 2005
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Director: Lee Jun-ik
Screenplay: Choi Seok-hwan
Adapted from a play by: Kim Tae-wung
Cinematography: Ji Gil-Wung
Soundscore: Lee Byung-woo
Cast: Gam Wu-seong, Lee Jun Ki, Jeong Jin-yeong, Kang Seong Yeon
Runtime: 119 min
Trailer: on YouTube

Seen at the Korean Cultural Centre (KCCUK) during the Lee Jun-ik (이준익) month of KCCUK’s Korean Film Night programme “2012: Year of the 12 Directors”. The review is about the extended version of the film, not the theatrical release.

It’s the final lines of Wangeui Namja that best sum up the film: All the world’s a stage. Date-wise the Shakespearean quote is a little misplaced, given that the setting of Wangeui Namja is the early 16th century Joseon, but As You Like It, where it is taken from, was written around 1599 or 1600. That said, the metaphor very likely preceded the Bard of Avon, if not in exact words than at least in its conceptual form.

June Events Calendar

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Barbican, Edinburgh, Film Festival, ICA, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London

UPDATED 9/6/2012 – BFI links fixed!

A great range of events this month. Lots of fabulous films. The ICA in particular is showing plenty of love for Korean cinema and then there is of course the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which has all kind of gems on offer.

May Events Calendar

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Film Festival, ICA, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Studio Ghibli

There are loads, so get ready:

Globe to Globe: Shakespeare in Korean, Japanese and…

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London, Translation

2012 brings the Olympics to London. But the Olympics don’t just mean sports but will see other events in the British capital as well. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the Southbank is hosting one of the most exciting ones: