Hideki Noda (playwright) explained

Hideki Noda
野田秀樹
Birth Date:1955 12, df=yes
Birth Place:Saikai, Nagasaki, Japan
Occupation:Theatre director, actor, dramatist
Yearsactive:1976 - present
Domesticpartner:Yoko Fujita

is a Japanese actor, playwright and theatre director who has written and directed more than 40 plays in Japan, and is working to bring modern Japanese theatre to an international audience.

Biography

Noda was born in Nagasaki, Japan. He briefly attended Tokyo University to study law but eventually dropped out. Noda debuted his first play, An Encounter Between Love and Death during his second year of high school. His second play, The Advent of the Beast, was well received by critics in 1981. This led to his invitation to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, which he already participated in three years earlier. In 2008 he was also appointed artistic director of Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in Ikebukuro, and became a professor in the Department of Scenography Design, Drama, and Dance at Tama Art University.[1]

When he was four years old, his family moved from Kyushu to Tokyo. When he reached the age of 16, Noda wrote and staged his very first play. With his high-school friends, he decided to title it, Ai to Shi o Mitsumete (Gaze into Love and Death). Later on in 1976, Noda founded his theatre company named Yume no Yuminsha (Dreaming Bohemian), while he was still in Tokyo University as a law student. Yume no Yuminsha became the emblem of the country's vibrant youth theatre firmament and the leader of a nationwide cultural movement in the early 1980s known as Sho-gekijo (Small-scale Theatre Movement).

In 1992, Noda went to London to study theatre. When he returned to Japan, he started the independent company Noda Map, to promote and produce his own plays.[1] He is currently held in high regard within the Japanese theatre community. Japanese theatre director Yukio Ninagawa said of him, "Hideki Noda is the most talented playwright in contemporary Japan."

At the age of 27, Noda won Japan's most prestigious theatre accolade, the Kishida Prize for Drama for Nokemono Kitarite (Descent of the Brutes). Tickets to his plays became the hottest of all to get a hold of. Further pushed by Japan's economy, Yume no Yuminsha broke all kinds of records by drawing as much as 26,000 audience to a one-day event at which Noda staged his version of Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelungs presented as a Stonehenge trilogy at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.

In 2006, Noda Hideki wrote The Bee which is coauthored by Colin Teevan. This play was adapted to theater from Tsutsui Yasutaka's novel Mushiriai (Plucking at Each Other). In 2006, The Bee was first staged in English by Soho Theatre and NODA MAP, and in 2007 in Japan by NODA MAP.He is currently in charge of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, where he works as a director. His plays focus on including celebrities to attract a wider audience rather than experimenting with different forms. Even though he primarily focuses on who he casts to play characters, "he brings in new audiences aplenty and also surreptitiously manages to sneak in satirical themes that only someone with his calibre could."[2]

He became artistic director at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in 2009.[3]

Style

The most notable characteristics of Noda's plays are his use of limericks and word play.[4] He frequently uses obsolete and old terminology from famous pieces of classical literature as if they were modern-day terms. This helps to create a separate world in which his plays can exist – apart from the reality of the audience. His plays, while often dealing with cliché or everyday topics, try to present the issues in a new way, and his use of old and odd language helps to emphasize the play's theme.

Noda was initially interested in revitalizing Japanese theater and to break away from the stylised theatre of Noh and Kabuki. His objective was to be as strange and entertaining as possible, touching on modern values, concerns and social issues. This resulted in a unique and highly stylized visual performance of design and movement. He often takes classical Japanese literature and plays and re-vitalizes them in a modern form.

Works

Noda's work falls into two periods: first from 1976 to 1992, with his Dream Wanderers theater company, and second in 1993, mainly with his Noda Map production company.

From 1976 to 1992, Noda became famous for this "theater as a sport" approach to performance, showing off the high-speed, complex spectacles that celebrated "boyhood" to the audience. Some of his major productions are The Prisoner of Zenda Castle (Zenda-jō no toriko, 1981) and Here Comes the Wild Beast (Nokemono kitarite, 1984), which was characterized by zany wordplay, rapid-fire delivery, and frenetic movement.

The turning point in Noda's career was in late 1992 while he was living in London. A year later, he founded Noda Map where he worked at kabukiand opera and produced his own plays. Noda's plays have moved beyond the child's dream world to social issues such as nationalism, colonialism, sexuality and crime. The major full-length works are Kill (Kiru, 1994) and Pandora's Bell (Pandora no kane, 1999).[5]

Plays

His first international work was Red Demon, which he performed in Japan for the first time in 1997 and then in English at the Young Vic Theatre in London in 2003. The cast included Marcello Magni, Tamzin Griffin and Simon MacGregor, with Noda himself playing the Red Demon. The play has also been performed in Thai and Korean. Each version was translated and re-worked in an attempt to be more appealing to each specific culture. For example, the Thai version of the play included music that was neither in the original Japanese version, nor in the English version.

The story is that of a man who is washed up on an isolated island with no means of communicating where he is from. The sheltered islanders mistake him for a demon. The result is a black comedy that revolves around the theme of tolerance vs. discrimination.

The English version was criticized by the Japanese media as no longer resembling Noda Hideki's work – the translation lost the poetry and nuance that the Japanese work emphasized. Noda Hideki, while having studied abroad, is not known for his English-speaking ability and had the script translated and rewritten by English writers Roger Pulvers and Matt Wilkinson.

Noda has been collaborating with the playwright Colin Teevan and the actress Kathryn Hunter, producing English versions of The Bee (2006) and The Diver (2008) in London. He was also a member of the cast for these productions.[1] The Japanese version of The Diver was performed in Tokyo in 2009 with Shinobu Otake.[6]

Yume no Yuminsha garnered enough popular reception to be invited to the Edinburgh international Theatre Festival in 1987 with Nokemono Kitarite, and in 1990 with . Also in 1990, the company was invited to the first New York International Art Festival to perform Suisei no Siegfried (A Messenger from the Comet).Noda was getting more involved in working with other dramatists and actors outside of Yume no Yuminsha; which led to acclaimed stagings of his radical takes on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Both were collaborated with Toho, one of the Japan's leading production companies.[7]

Noda Map

Noda Map works! Noda Map #! Name! Period! Ref
1Kill 1994/01/07 - 1994/03/13 [8] [9]
2Gansaku tsumitobachi 1995/04/01 - 1995/06/11 [10] [11]
3Taboo 1996/04/04 - 1996/05/26 [12] [13]
4Kill (1997) 1997/07/03 - 1997/08/31 [14] [15]
5Rolling Stone 1998/04/04 - 1998/05/13 [16] [17]
6Hanshin 1999/04/02 - 1999/05/16 [18] [19]
7Pandora's bell 1999/11/06 - 1999/12/26 [20] [21]
8Canon 2000/04/01 - 2000/05/28 [22] [23]
9Oil 2003/04/11 - 2003/06/15 [24] [25]
10Hashire Merus 2004/12/03 - 2005/01/30 [26] [27]
11Gansaku tsumitobachi (2005) 2005/12/06 - 2006/02/18 [28] [29]
12Rope 2006/12/05 - 2007/01/31 [30] [31]
13Kill (2007) 2007/12/07 - 2008/01/31 [32] [33]
14Piper 2009/01/04 - 2009/02/28 [34] [35]
15The Character 2010/06/20 - 2010/08/08 [36] [37]
16To the south 2011/02/10 - 2011/03/31 [38] [39]
17Egg 2012/09/05 - 2012/10/28 [40] [41]
18Miwa 2013/10/04 - 2013/12/08 [42] [43]
19Egg (2015) 2015/02/03 - 2015/04/19 [44] [45]
20Gekirin 2016/01/29 - 2016/04/04 [46] [47]
21Ashiato hime ~ jidai sakugo fuyu yūrei ~
(Footprint Princess) 		2017/01/18 ~ 2017/03/12 [48] [49]
22Gansaku sakura no mori no mankai no shita
(In the forest, under cherries in full bloom) 		2018/09/01 ~ 2018/11/25 [50] [51]
23Q: A Night At The Kabuki 2019/10/08 ~ 2019/12/11 [52] [53]
24Fakespeare 2021/05/24 ~ 2021/07/25 [54] [55]
25Q: A Night At The Kabuki (2022) 2022/07/29 ~ 2022/10/30 [56] [57] [58]
26Usagi, Nami wo hashiru
(Rabbit Runs on the Waves)		2023/06/17 ~ 2023/08/27 [59] [60]
27Sei sankaku kankei
(Love In Action) 		2024/07/11 ~ 2024/10/10 [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] [66]

Awards and honors

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Profile on Nodamap website. http://www.nodamap.com/en/profile.html Retrieved on 2009-07-10.
  2. Web site: 2012: The Year in Japanese Contemporary Theatre. Tokyo Stages. 14 May 2015.
  3. News: Artistic Director. 23 August 2016. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre.
  4. Profile on Performing Arts Network Japan. http://www.performingarts.jp/e/data_art/theater/p-10453.html Retrieved on 2009-07-10.
  5. Book: Rimer; Mōri; Poulton. J Thomas, Mitsuya, M Cody. The Columbia anthology of modern Japanese drama.
  6. Nodamap website. nodamap: Diver J Retrieved on 2009-07-10.
  7. Web site: Profile - NODA MAP. Noda Map. 14 May 2015.
  8. Web site: 舞台パンフレット 野田地図（NODA・MAP）「キル」（1994年1月～3月/シアターコクーン・近鉄劇場） 作/演出/出演 野田秀樹 出演 堤真一/羽野晶紀/小田豊/新橋耐子/渡辺いっけい/鷲尾真知子/深沢敦/苅部園子/西牟田恵/山西惇 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715102805/https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0068UYU8Y?language=ja_JP . 15 July 2024 . 15 July 2024 . Amazon . ja.
  9. Web site: キ ル . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715102224/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/2 . 15 July 2024 . 15 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  10. Web site: 贋作　罪と罰 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231003075455/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/4 . 3 October 2023 . 15 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  11. Web site: 野田秀樹『贋作・罪と罰』 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715103636/http://www.misawa-ac.jp/drama/works/w_11.html . 15 July 2024 . 15 July 2024 . Misawa Actors Company . ja.
  12. Web site: TABOO . https://web.archive.org/web/20231202152551/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/6 . 2 December 2023 . 15 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  13. Web site: ★野田地図NODA・MAP第3回公演★TABOO★劇場パンフレット・チラシ★野田秀樹/唐沢寿明/羽野晶紀/渡邉いっけい/篠井英介/松重豊★粗品進呈★ . https://archive.today/20240715110624/https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/p863684100%23 . 15 July 2024 . 15 July 2024 . Yahoo Auctions . ja.
  14. Web site: キ ル . https://web.archive.org/web/20231202162103/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/10 . 2 December 2023 . 15 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  15. Web site: 1997年公演　野田地図　キル　パンフレット＆チラシ . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715111826/https://paypayfleamarket.yahoo.co.jp/item/z228530200 . 15 July 2024 . 15 July 2024 . Yahoo Pay Pay Flea Market . ja.
  16. Web site: ローリング・ストーン . https://web.archive.org/web/20231202160913/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/12 . 2 December 2023 . 15 July 2024 . Noda Map . Japanese.
  17. Web site: ローリング・ストーン(1998) . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715120702/https://engeki.kansolink.com/shows/nodamap8.html . 15 July 2024 . 15 July 2024 . Engeki Kansolink . ja.
  18. Web site: 半神 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328024813/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/16 . 28 March 2023 . 15 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  19. Web site: 半神(1999) . https://web.archive.org/web/20240223033325/https://engeki.kansolink.com/shows/nodamap6.html . 23 February 2024 . 15 July 2024 . Engeki kansolink . ja.
  20. Web site: パンドラの鐘 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328013728/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/17 . 28 March 2023 . 16 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  21. Web site: 22 June 2022 . 1999年の「パンドラの鐘」NODA・MAP版と蜷川幸雄演出版をWOWOWで放送 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716010314/https://natalie.mu/stage/news/482567 . 16 July 2024 . 16 July 2024 . Natalie Stage . ja.
  22. Web site: カノン . https://web.archive.org/web/20221021122200/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/19 . 21 October 2022 . 16 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  23. Web site: '00 ＮＯＤＡ・ＭＡＰ第八回公演 カノン . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716011526/https://stage.corich.jp/stage/278 . 16 July 2024 . 16 July 2024 . Stage Corich . ja.
  24. Web site: オイル . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018162933/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/25 . 18 October 2022 . 16 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  25. Web site: '03年 ＮＯＤＡ・ＭＡＰ第９回公演 オイル . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716013113/https://stage.corich.jp/stage/283 . 16 July 2024 . 16 July 2024 . Stage Corich . v.
  26. Web site: 走れメルス . https://web.archive.org/web/20221021125104/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/26 . 21 October 2022 . 16 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  27. Web site: 走れメルス（NODA・MAP） . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716013955/https://art.juqcho.jp/2005/20050105.html . 16 July 2024 . 16 July 2024 . Art Juqcho . ja.
  28. Web site: 贋作　罪と罰 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221019121541/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/28 . 19 October 2022 . 16 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  29. Web site: 『贋作・罪と罰』 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716020652/https://sasurai.biz/000358.html . 16 July 2024 . 16 July 2024 . Sasurai Biz . ja.
  30. Web site: ロープ . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018130048/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/30 . 18 October 2022 . 16 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  31. Web site: 27 December 2006 . 〈評〉ＮＯＤＡ・ＭＡＰ「ロープ」　主題は暴力、現代への豪速球 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716205406/https://www.asahi.com/culture/stage/theater/TKY200612270215.html . 16 July 2024 . 16 July 2024 . Asahi . ja.
  32. Web site: Kill . https://web.archive.org/web/20221019005601/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/33 . 19 October 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  33. Web site: 30 December 2007 . 2007年12月30日 (日) NODA・MAP「キル」Bunkamuraシアターコクーン . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717085227/http://www.kangekiroku.com/2007/12/nodamapbunkamur_d300.html . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Kangeki Roku . ja.
  34. Web site: パイパー . https://web.archive.org/web/20221021125108/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/35 . 21 October 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  35. Web site: NODA MAP 第14回公演　「フェスティバル/トーキョー09春」参加作品 パイパー . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717093928/https://stage.corich.jp/stage/9321 . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Stage Corich . ja.
  36. Web site: The Character . https://web.archive.org/web/20220703084412/https://www.nodamap.com/site/en/play/37 . 3 July 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map.
  37. Web site: NODA・MAP 第15回公演 ザ・キャラクター . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717095015/http://t.pia.jp/feature/stage/character/character.html#cast . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Pia . ja.
  38. Web site: 南へ . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018105749/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/39 . 18 October 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  39. Web site: 7 January 2011 . NODA･MAP「南へ」の製作発表こぼれ話（1） . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717095951/http://community.pia.jp/stage_pia/2011/01/noda-1.html . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Pia Community . ja.
  40. Web site: Egg . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704121812/https://www.nodamap.com/site/en/play/44 . 4 July 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map.
  41. Web site: Home / F/T12 F/T Affiliated Program / egg . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717101546/https://www.festival-tokyo.jp/13/en/program/12/egg/ . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Performing Arts Festival launching from Tokyo . ja.
  42. Web site: MIWA . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704124534/https://www.nodamap.com/site/en/play/43 . 4 July 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map.
  43. Web site: NODA・MAP 第18回公演 ＭＩＷＡ . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717103337/https://www.geigeki.jp/archive/theater028/ . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Geigeki . ja.
  44. Web site: Egg . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704131105/https://www.nodamap.com/site/en/play/42 . 4 July 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map.
  45. Web site: 2015 NODA・MAP “Egg” . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717105243/https://okushutaro.com/en/visual/noda-11/ . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Oku Shutaro.
  46. Web site: GEKIRIN . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704114819/https://www.nodamap.com/site/en/play/45 . 4 July 2022 . 17 July 2024 . Noda Map.
  47. Web site: 7 September 2015 . NODA・MAP新作『逆鱗』に松たか子、瑛太、井上真央、阿部サダヲ . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717112447/https://www.cinra.net/news/20150907-nodamap . 17 July 2024 . 17 July 2024 . Cinra Net . ja.
  48. Web site: 足跡姫～時代錯誤冬幽霊～ . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018162929/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/46 . 18 October 2022 . 20 July 2024 . Noda map . ja.
  49. Web site: NODA・MAP「足跡姫」～時代錯誤冬幽霊～ 作・演出　野田秀樹　宮沢りえ×妻夫木聡×古田新太 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231209085851/https://www.wowow.co.jp/detail/110631 . 9 December 2023 . 20 July 2024 . WOWOW . ja.
  50. Web site: 贋作 桜の森の満開の下 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221021191013/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/48 . 21 October 2022 . 20 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  51. Web site: GANSAKU SAKURA NO MORI NO MANKAI NO SHITA 中劇場　PLAYHOUSE . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720202802/https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/season/s122/s122.html . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . New National Theater Tokyo . ja.
  52. Web site: Q: A Night At The Kabuki . https://web.archive.org/web/20221019121514/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/49 . 19 October 2022 . 20 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  53. Web site: 16 October 2019 . Queen-approved theatrical modern play inspired by ‘A Night At The Opera’ opens in Japan . https://web.archive.org/web/20240302033150/https://www.nme.com/news/music/queen-approved-kabuki-play-inspired-night-opera-open-japan-2549505 . 2 March 2024 . 20 July 2024 . NME.
  54. Web site: フェイクスピア . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018130049/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/50 . 18 October 2022 . 20 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  55. Web site: OBSCURED TRUTHS COME TO LIGHT IN HIDEKI NODA’S “FAKESPEARE” . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720213059/https://thetheatretimes.com/obscured-truths-come-to-light-in-hideki-nodas-fakespeare/ . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . The Theatre Times.
  56. Web site: Q：A Night At The Kabuki . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715234744/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play/52 . 15 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  57. Web site: A Night At The Kabuki . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720203740/https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/a-night-at-the-kabuki/ . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Sadlers Wells Theater official site.
  58. Web site: A Night at the Kabuki . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720211148/https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/a-night-at-the-sadlers-wells-t-21348 . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . British Theatre Guide.
  59. Web site: 兎、波を走る . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715234744/https://www.nodamap.com/site/play . 15 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Noda Map.
  60. Web site: 4 April 2023 . New NODA MAP play “Rabbit Runs on the Waves” starring Issey Takahashi, Takako Matsu, and others . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720224323/https://niewmedia.com/en/news/06133/ . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Niew Media.
  61. Web site: NODA・MAP第27回公演 『正三角関係』 作・演出：野田秀樹 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715234734/https://www.nodamap.com/site/news/495 . 15 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Noda Map . ja.
  62. Web site: 正三角関係 Love in Action . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715234734/https://www.nodamap.com/seisankaku/ . 15 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Noda Map Love in Action official page . ja.
  63. Web site: 14 July 2024 . 【レポート】NODA・MAP新作『正三角関係』で、松本潤が13年ぶりに舞台に立つ . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720231049/https://lp.p.pia.jp/article/news/376881/index.html?detail=true . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Pia . ja.
  64. Web site: 18 April 2024 . Hideki Noda and Noda Map Return to the UK With Love in Action . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720233030/https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Hideki-Noda-and-Noda-Map-Return-to-the-UK-With-LOVE-IN-ACTION-20240418 . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Broadway World.
  65. Web site: Love in Action . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720233904/https://loveinactionlondon.com/ . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Love in Action London official site.
  66. Web site: Love in Action Written & Directed by Hideki Noda . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720233931/https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/noda-map-love-in-action/ . 20 July 2024 . 20 July 2024 . Sadler's Wells Love in Action official page.
  67. Web site: https://info.yomiuri.co.jp/contest/clspgl/bungaku.html. ja:読売文学賞. Yomiuri Prize for Literature. Yomiuri Shimbun. 30 September 2018. ja. 4 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190404094519/https://info.yomiuri.co.jp/contest/clspgl/bungaku.html. dead.
  68. Web site: December 19, 2022 . IATL'S New Fellow: Hideki Noda, Artistic Director of Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre . August 4, 2023 . International Association of Theatre Leaders (IATL).
  69. Web site: December 20, 2022 . the 2023 Distinguished Artist Award Recipient - Hideki Noda . August 4, 2023 . International Society for the Performing Arts.

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