Shakespeare in the Theatre: Yukio NinagawaShakespeare in the Theatre: Yukio Ninagawa

Yukio Ninagawa (1935–2016) was Japan's foremost director of Shakespeare whose productions were acclaimed around the world. His work was lauded for its spectacular imagery, its inventive use of Japanese iconography and its striking fusion of Eastern and Western theatre traditions. Over a career spanning six decades, Ninagawa directed 31 of Shakespeare's plays, many of them, including Hamlet, on multiple occasions. His landmark productions of Macbeth, The Tempest, Hamlet, Pericles, Twelfth Night and Cymbeline became seminal events in world Shakespeare production during the last 30 years. This is the first English-language book dedicated exclusively to his work. Featuring an overview of the extraordinary number of Shakespeare plays he directed, this study considers both his Shakespearean work and his productions of Greek tragedy, including Oedipus The King and his landmark production of Medea in 1978. His productions of Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Macbeth and the eight productions of Hamlet which he directed all receive close attention. The volume closes with a detailed analysis of the Sai-no-Kuni Shakespeare Series - in which he set out to stage all of Shakespeare’s plays in his hometown of Saitama, north of Tokyo. Written by Conor Hanratty, who studied with Ninagawa for over a year, it offers a unique and unprecedented glimpse into the work and approach of one of the world’s great theatre directors. "When London theatres re-opened in 1660 upon the restoration of the monarchy, they naturally wanted to perform Shakespeare's plays. Particularly under the leadership of Sir William Davenant, founder of the Duke's Company, Restoration theatres did so in a radically new way. At last, women played women's roles. Theatres moved totally indoors. Massive stage spectacles were preferred over bare platform stages. Music and dance were fully integrated into the productions. And Shakespeare's plays were strongly rewritten: King Lear survived, the witches in Macbeth sang and danced, and Miranda in The Tempest gained a sister. Shakespeare in the Theatre: William Davenant and the Duke's Company reveals how - and why - the first generation to stage Shakespeare after Shakespeare's lifetime changed absolutely everything. The Duke's Company was one of the two London theatre companies established by royal patent in the Restoration. As leader of the Duke's Company, Davenant's influence on its approach to Shakespeare was profound and lasting. He controlled every aspect of theatrical production: deciding the repertoire, writing his own Shakespeare adaptations, casting actors in roles, running rehearsals, training actors, and equipping his theatre with machines and scenery to produce lavish stage spectacle. This book provides the first performance-based account of Restoration Shakespeare, exploring the precursors to Davenant's approach to Restoration Shakespeare, the cultural context of Restoration theatre, the theatre spaces in which the Duke's Company performed, Davenant's adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, acting styles, and the lasting legacy of Davenant's approach to staging Shakespeare."-- "Yukio Ninagawa (1935?2016) was Japan's foremost director of Shakespeare whose productions were acclaimed around the world. His work was lauded for its spectacular imagery, its inventive use of Japanese iconography and its striking fusion of Eastern and Western theatre traditions. Over a career spanning six decades, Ninagawa directed 31 of Shakespeare's plays, many of them, including Hamlet , on multiple occasions. His productions of Macbeth, The Tempest , Pericles , Twelfth Night and Cymbeline became seminal events in world Shakespeare production during the last 30 years. This is the first English-language book dedicated exclusively to Ninagawa's work. Featuring an overview of his extraordinary output, this study considers his Shakespearean work within the context of his overall career. Individual chapters cover Ninagawa's approach Shakespeare and Greek tragedy, in particular his landmark productions of Macbeth and Medea, and his eight separate productions of Hamlet . The volume includes a detailed analysis of the Sai-no-Kuni Shakespeare Series ? in which Ninagawa set out to stage all of Shakespeare's plays in his hometown of Saitama, north of Tokyo. Written by Conor Hanratty, who studied with Ninagawa for over a year, it offers a unique and unprecedented glimpse into the work and approach of one of the world's great theatre directors."-- Provided by publisher Cover Contents List of Illustrations Series Preface Foreword Thelma Holt, CBE Acknowledgements A Note on the Text 1 Introduction 2 Foreign Stories, Japanese Images 3 Hamlet 4 The Sai no Kuni Shakespeare Series 5 Conclusion Appendix Notes Bibliography Index