Japanese director takes Shakespearean spirit to Seoul

Japanese director’s visually rich production does not need much explanation


From “Romeo and Juliet” to “Hamlet,” any Shakespearean play turns into a beautiful, visually stimulating production with much exotic touch once touched by the magic of this Japanese man.

Yukio Ninagawa, Japanese theater director best known for his Japanese adaptations of Shakespeare plays and Greek tragedies, is presenting his show for the first time in Korea this month. What he brings to Seoul, after seven years of negotiations, is a spectacular adaptation of Shakespearean tragedy, “Antonio and Cleopatra.”

“‘Antonio and Cleopatra,’ is very typically Shakespearean in many ways,” the 76-year-old told reporters during a press conference in southern Seoul, Tuesday. “I personally interpret it as another version of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ with much older characters. It deals with politics, jealousy, and love that ends in a tragedy.”

Ninagawa, who started off as a small-scale theater director in 1955, broke into Japan’s big theater scene by directing Shakespearean classic “Romeo and Juliet” in 1974. Since then, he has devoted his life to creating Japanese adaptations of Shakespearean plays, including “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “King Lear,” and “As You Like It.” Many of his works have been staged abroad, including New York’s Lincoln Center and Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in the U.K., and received highly-acclaimed reviews. He has also directed contemporary Japanese plays, as well as other European classics.

“I belong to the generation who was taught to consider European classics as the ideal,” he said. “I thought it was important to connect these texts with our own identity as Asians, and interpret it in our own context.” 

Ninagawa, who is known for his visually conscious directing style, incorporating Japanese-inspired stage art, intense use of audio effect and the original Shakespearean script, said he believes all plays must draw in their audience during the first three minutes of the show.

“I make shows that are very visually conscious ― that immediately draw people in ―because a lot of the times I am making Japanese adaptations of plays that are originally written in English,” he said. “So there are a lot of things that cannot be delivered in the Japanese language. I use a lot of visual and symbolic devices in the show so the audiences can understand its context just by seeing what’s there, not by being told.”

The upcoming show, “Antonio and Cleopatra” stars actress Aran Kei, a third-generation ethnic Korean in Japan, as Cleopatra. Kei had been a long-time member of prestigious Takarazuka Revue, an all-female musical theater troupe in Japan, from 1991 to 2009. She is one of the reasons why Ninagawa decided to do the show in Korea, the director said.

“Her experience living as an ethnic Korean in Japan has been very inspiring for me and I have a lot of respect for her,” Ninagawa said. “For the role of Cleopatra, in particular, we needed an actress who is extremely self-driven, courageous and beautiful. Kei has all these qualities and (casting her) is my tribute to her and our friendship.”

Considered one of the most celebrated theater directors in Japan, and having “countless popular TV and movie stars lined up” to be cast in his shows, Ninagawa said he does not regard himself as the leading figure in Japan’s theater scene.

“I am not the director who represents Japan,” the director said. “I only represent a part of Japan’s theater scene. I am not liked by all. Some have really liked my work, and some have not.”

The director said he stays close with young generations in the scene ― he thinks it is because he does not give “unnecessary advices.”

“I have no tips or advices for younger generations,” he said, jokingly. “When I was young, I thought everything old people said was totally useless. So I try to stay quiet. I think it is better that way.”

Ninagawa said he used to “throw things” at his performers when things didn’t go very well during the production process, but tries to stay gentle these days. “I used to play baseball, so I knew how to throw things right ― even if I threw things, no one would actually get hit,” he said, laughing.

“I still wear shoes that don’t have any strings so I can take them of quickly when I want to throw one in the air,” he joked.

The director, who is in Korea for the second time, said though he didn’t get to watch a lot of Korean plays, he has been moved by many Korean films, especially the ones by Lee Chang-dong, Kim Ki-duk and Park Chan-wook. He also said he is impressed by Korean mountains that are made of rocks.

“The Korean landscape reminds me of the one of Greece in many ways,” he said. “I also thought Changdeok Palace would be a good place to stage a Greek play.”

“Antony and Cleopatra,” performed in Japanese with Korean subtitles, is running from Nov. 24 to 27 at LG Art Center in central Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 70,000 won. For tickets and information, call (02) 2005-0114.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)