“Few people could touch your soul with Intellectual engagement, love, friendship and kindness like Graham. It will take time to accept Graham’s passing - he will always be part of who I (and many others) have become. ’Death can be as heavy as Mount Tai, or as light as a feather…’”
Intercultural Japanese Noh Theatre published by Bloomsbury Press
Intercultural Japanese Noh Theatre
Texts and Analyses of English-language Noh
Ashley Thorpe (Author), Allan Marett (Author), Greg Giovanni (Author), Jannette Cheong (Author),Deborah Brevoort (Author), Carrie J Preston (Author), Richard Emmert (Anthology Editor), Ashley Thorpe (Anthology Editor)
Discover Japanese culture and one of the world's oldest performance artforms in an exhilarating new way: through English-language noh theatre.
Intercultural Japanese Noh Theatre: Texts and Analyses of English-language Noh provides a unique perspective on intercultural engagement with Japanese noh, a classical dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Unlike many projects approaching noh from the 'outside in,' this volume dives 'inside out,' tapping into the expertise of both professional Japanese noh performers and dedicated non-indigenous practitioners. Through selected play texts and insightful essays, this collection introduces a new realm of noh to global readers, academics, and theatre enthusiasts interested in Japanese culture.
The opening chapters, guided by Akira Matsui, a master actor of the Kita school of noh, offer a contemporary view from within the professional noh world: the subsequent seven playtexts, chosen for their representation of shifts in practice and global resonance, are introduced by the writers, providing insights into their creative motivations. Following each play, experts analyse its performance aspects, from movement and music to costume and language, exploring the implications of integrating Japanese noh professionals with international amateurs.
This volume not only contextualizes the chosen noh texts but also serves as a window into a dynamic form of intercultural engagement with noh theatre. By blending tradition with global perspectives, it illuminates the multifaceted nature of noh in a globalized context. For those interested in the longevity of performance art and new intercultural approaches, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of English-language noh and its rich complexity on the global stage.
Published: 09 Jan 2025
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 248
ISBN 9781350473140
Imprint: Methuen Drama
Dimensions: 234 x 156 mm
Series: Methuen Drama Play Collections
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
From Tradition to Modernity: Exhibition and Programme of Activities
The publication of our book prompted us to design a wide range of activities with key collaborating partners in the UK and Japan for Autumn 2024!
Publication of our book: Noh and Kyogen Masks, Tradition and Modernity in the Art of Kitazawa Hideta
After four years in the making it was a delight to see our book about Kitazawa san’s work published by Prestel Publishing a branch of Penguin Random House in September 2024!
Featuring breathtaking photographs of masks created by a renowned twenty-first-century craftsman, this book provides a unique perspective into noh and kyogen, two of the oldest surviving forms of theater in the world.
Kitazawa Hideta is a traditional Japanese master craftsman, Shinto-temple carver and mask maker for both classical noh and kyogen theater. This gorgeous volume features more than sixty of his performance masks, presented in striking full-page photographs that allow readers to appreciate their level of detail. These meticulous creations are carved from hinoki wood, decorated with layers of gesso-paint, and thin watercolor antiquing, and sometimes include materials such as horsehair and gold paint. Readers are introduced first to classical and then to contemporary noh and kyogen masks and are invited into Hideta’s workshop to explore the characteristics of the wood he uses, and the processes of creating, restoring, and wearing the masks. An overview of the basic elements of noh and kyogen theater, and reflections from museums that have worked with Kitazawa, complete this vibrant, immersive journey that celebrates the work of a contemporary artist who is not only preserving a centuriesold theatrical tradition, but also remaking it for modern audiences.
Hardcover, 224 pages, 24,0 x 30,0 cm, 9.4 x 11.8 in, 168 color illustrations
ISBN: 978-3-7913-7753-7
Published:
UK September 03, 2024
US November 05, 2024
UNESCO UK ASPnet Seeds of Hope Project Launched
UNESCO UK ASPnet Coordinator, Ann Beatty launched the new Seeds of Hope Project globally in Poland (June 2024) at the UNESCO ASPnet Conference.
The international response is growing and so far the following countries have started work on the project:
Poland
The Netherlands
Greece
Finland
Germany
France
Slovenia
Singapore
South Korea
Japan
China
Argentina
Brazil
The Gambia
Senegal
Cape Verde
Jamaica
Ghana
Lebanon
Cuba
Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative, Kyoto September 2023
This year UNESCO Associated Schools Programme Network celebrates its 70 Anniversary. A major Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative activity took place in Kyoto, September 2023 that brought together 60 students, educators and UNESCO co-ordinators from Belgium, Japan, Oman, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, The Netherlands, The Gambia and the UK. The UK student representatives chosen were 10 Coventry Ambassadors!
You can view a short film of the children’s visit here.
UNESCO Associated Schools Programme Network (ASPnet) Arts and Culture for Peace Initiative launched
Another initiative developed with the support of the Between the Stones Project was the launching of the UNESCO ASPnet Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative in 2022. You can now access this either directly from the UNESCO UK site or through the BTS Menu.
Coventry Young Ambassadors complete their Cities of Peace Schools Projects!
We are delighted to announce the completion of the Between the Stones - education work with the five Coventry Primary Schools! This culminated in the Coventry Young Ambassadors Festival of Japanese Arts & Culture which included an exhibition of the work associated with our project. You can view the latest account on the Garden News Updates as the final project contributed to the legacy of a full-size karesansui garden - the Coventry Young Ambassadors Islands of Peace Japanese Garden.
More information can also be found on the Cities of Peace Schools Projects page!
Congratulations to all the children and teachers involved in these projects over the three year period! Our thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters who followed the journey and supported these projects!
You will all be pleased to know that UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet) have been so impressed with these projects that they are in discussion with the National Coordinators from the UK and Japan about a pilot project to extend the project to other schools.
Here is the message from Julie Saito, Director for the UNESCO ASPnet
Coventry Young Ambassadors Islands of Peace Japanese Garden at the Coventry War Memorial Park
Was opened by the Lord Mayor of Coventry and His Excellency Ambassador Hayashi on 2 July 2021 as part of the Coventry Young Ambassadors Festival of Japanese Arts & Culture, the Japan-UK Season of Culture, and Coventry UK City of Culture 2021.
Opposites-InVerse three years on...
The original archive film footage from the special Noh time like the present… tribute programme in honour of Akira Matsui sensei’s 70 year, is now available to view online.
At the time we produced this work we did not have a website. The Between the Stones website includes a section on past collaborations between Richard Emmert, Jannette Cheong and Unanico Group so we are delighted to be able to share this rare archive footage of Opposites-InVerse with you.
Opposites-InVerse is in three parts:
Part One: Opposites in Opposition
Part Two: Opposites Attract
Part Three: Opposites in Balance
Between the Stones supporters contribute funds to the building of the Coventry Japanese Peace Garden
Following some major contributions of funding from BTS supporters and sponsors, Rebecca Bollands, who is working with Graham Hardman from the Japanese Garden Society to realise the Coventry Peace Garden, has said that there is now sufficient funding for the garden build to go ahead!
The project had already received significant funding support from Coventry City Council and the National Lottery Awards for All and some other funders, but was lacking about a fifth of the funds necessary to ensure the garden build.
A huge effort followed from Between the Stones supporters and sponsors to raise a substantial part of the final sums needed to ensure the garden build can go ahead. We are especially grateful to Mitsubishi Corporation, Corporate Management Support Office (EMEA), the Japan Society and other Between the Stones supporters, who feel that the garden is a wonderful legacy that has the potential to benefit local, national and international visitors for many years to come. They are all especially moved by the project because it is inspired by work with the next generation, the children of Coventry, and this, plus the ‘Islands of Peace’ focus of the garden, sends a hugely significant message to everyone.
While the main garden build can go ahead there are still a few featured items that could be added so do contact us if you would like to make a contribution to the establishment of the UK’s first Japanese Peace Garden inspired by children!
Our thanks to all sponsors and contributors for your wonderful vision and belief in this project!
Between the Stones Project Report published
The Between the Stones Project Report is now available on the website. The report covers the period from 2018 until June 2020. It includes the project processes, inputs, outputs and key project benefits and delivery of the project objectives.
We adopted a simple, yet challenging approach to the project. It was important from the beginning that, although connected developmentally, each activity should be of value in, and of, itself. The project was divided into three phases all focused on Getting to Noh from page to stage.
Like all projects quality, time and cost were central challenges. The phased approach was used to help us tackle these generic challenges with the specific artistic focus: ‘Would it be possible to develop a new, contemporary noh drama in English with our Japanese and other collaborators using traditional techniques, within the time and cost constraints presented, and include a wide range of education and outreach activities?’
The report illustrates our best efforts in this respect. It includes comments sent to us throughout the three phases of the project, as well as comments from the artists.
We hope you enjoy reading about the unique intercultural journey of this not-for-profit international arts collaboration project.
If you missed any of the live performances you can view the film of the last performance of the European tour at the Musée Guimet, Paris on the website.
Additional resources are also available on the website:
the podcast of Simon Callow and Jonathan Dove in discussion with Richard Emmert and Jannette Cheong
an audiobook of actor Hugh Quarshie reading Between the Stones, as well as his article ‘my need to noh’
an opera vocal rendition of the Courage Song from Act 2 of Between the Stones by bass-baritone Piran Legg, using the original noh score, and you can see the same section of the live performance and read the libretto.
Getting to noh: education and outreach work is listed with special mention of the two-year Cities of Peace Noh Theatre Project
the final activity of the Cities of Peace project will be the creation of the Japanese Peace Garden.
The Courage Song, sung by bass-baritone, Piran Legg
Opera singer, bass-baritone, Piran Legg, also worked with us as part of the Noh time like the present… tribute to professional noh actor, Akira Matsui in 2017 during his 70th year. During the noh time like the present programme Piran sang in the Opposites-InVerse piece written and composed specially for Akira Matsui by Jannette Cheong and Richard Emmert.
The Courage song is sung in Act 2 of the new contemporary noh drama, Between the Stones. Here Piran uses the original noh score with his Opera vocal rendition of the song.
Actor Hugh Quarshie reads Between the Stones
Actor Hugh Quarshie worked with us in 2017 as part of the Noh time like the present… tribute to celebrate the lifetime achievement of professional noh actor, Akira Matsui in his 70th year - performing alongside Matsui sensei in Samuel Beckett’s Rockaby.
Hugh discusses ‘my need to noh’ in an article he wrote at around the same time.
Hugh read Between the Stones to support those remembering tragic loss whenever and wherever it takes place - for individuals, communities or, indeed, across the world. Our common humanity gives us a shared empathy in such circumstances and lies at the heart of Between the Stones.
If you know someone who has suffered from a tragic loss we hope this this beautiful reading will help to lift their spirits.
Hugh Quarshie with Akira Matsui in Rockaby by Samuel Beckett during the dress rehearsal for the performance at the LSO St Luke’s, February 2017. Photography by Clive Barda
Between the Stones Film
We are delighted to share the archive film recording of the Between the Stones performance at the Musée Guimet, the National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris (recorded on 4 February 2020). This was the last performance of the European 2020 Performance tour. The film has English subtitles.
For more information about Between the stones click here
Kinue Oshima as the maeshite (the Woman Gardener, Act 1) Between the Stones.
The Building of the Coventry Children’s Japanese Peace Garden in 2020-21
Using the children’s inspiration and ideas that came from their work with the Between the Stones project, the Japanese Garden Society are now designing and building the Coventry Young Ambassadors’ Japanese Peace Garden ‘Islands of Peace’ as a permanent garden be located in the City of Coventry at the War Memorial Park with the help of volunteers from the Park and the Japanese Garden Society.
Initial funds have been found to support the building of the Coventry Children’s Islands of Peace Garden. If you would like to help fund the building of the garden and find out more about the building of the Coventry Children’s Garden please contact: Rebecca Bollands: deputy@howes.coventry.sch.uk
This link will take you to the webpage where you can See all the children’s work with the Between the Stones team. You can also find out much more about the inspirational children’s work in developing the initial ideas for the garden here, as well as see the concept design for the final garden.
BTS European tour completed successfully
““I was very much moved by the beautiful rendition of your text. It was wonderful to see how the various elements, which you and your collaborators have been working on with such passion and dedication, have coalesced so seamlessly.”
We were delighted to be able to complete the European tour of final phase of the Between the Stones project as an official event of the 2020 Japan-UK Season of Culture.
““I’m SO glad we squeezed this wonderful event in before the world closed down.” ”
Though we were aware of the major difficulties in China, and increasingly in Japan, the wider COVID-19 crisis was only 3 days old when the artists arrived in London on 27 January 2020. Now, at the time of writing this news update, the number of deaths from the virus in Europe and around the world has soared. These circumstances are unprecedented in modern history with all public events cancelled or postponed indefinitely; making the timing of the tour more fortuitous than any of us could have imagined. Not only was the tour able to proceed successfully, but it also included a number of unique aspects - perhaps most especially the first debut international visit of 11-year old Iori Oshima. We will list all of these in the tour report.
However, it is quite extraordinary to consider that one of the major unique factors that we may all reflect on in the years to come is that we may be one of now only a few world premiere live theatre events pre-pandemic 2020 to have taken place in London (perhaps in the world) in 2020 with all theatres in major cities now closed to the public. It is a bitter-sweet acknowledgement and one from which we take no joy. The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic affects us all. So while we are pleased to have completed the tour successfully, our thoughts are much more focused on people around the world struggling to cope with this pandemic.
The story of Between the Stones gives focus to the tragic loss of loved ones. Giving this poignancy in 2020, we would like to send our love and best wishes to all who have suffered and continue to suffer. We would also like to pay homage to those essential workers who are struggling to keep us all safe and well around the world.
Please stay safe everyone!
The 2020 European Performance Tour was only possible with the support and encouragement of The Japan Foundation Performing Arts Japan Programme for Europe 2019-2020, Mitsubishi Corporation International (Europe) Plc, Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V., the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation (who funded Phase 2 - without this funding Phase 3 could not have happened), the Japan Society, and finally, the support of Embassy of Japan in London and our many other past and present collaborators and friends.
Our sincere thanks to them all for their shared vision, and incredible encouragment and support over the lifetime of the project.
The Between the Stones Team
Simon Callow and Jonathan Dove in conversation with Richard Emmert and Jannette Cheong
In late November 2019, actor and director, Simon Callow and composer Jonathan Dove had an informal ‘Getting to Noh’ discussion with Rick (who joined us ‘virtually’ from Tokyo (in the middle of the night!) and Jannette. The podcast can be heard here.
2020 Tour Programme is finalised
We are now able to announce the Full European Tour Programme for 2020. Tickets are on sale in Ireland, and at the Southbank Centre in London, but not yet in Paris. Do keep checking the Musee Guimet’s website this month as we have been told they are soon to be on sale!
The last time we were able to put together such a programme was 10 years ago so do join us at one of these rare and unique programmes! The world premiere of Between the Stones is on 29 January 2020 at the Southbank Centre, Purcell Room, London. 10 years ago we were able to feature Kinue Oshima in the lead role and Jubilith Moore as the ‘waki’ role as the ‘traveller’ in Pagoda. In 2020, we bring them back together for Between the Stones and this time joined by 11-year old Iori Oshima who will play the Spirit of Winter Butterflies in Act 2. Iori is already known in Japan as a rising child actor (kokata) but this will be his first international tour! He will also be joined on stage with his father Teruhisa Oshima who will also be breaking new ground by singing in English in the chorus…
Coventry Young Ambassadors: Second Peace Project
Project 2: Short Plays and Travel Songs: Examples of Work were performed at Coventry Cathedral for Hiroshima Day, 6 August 2019
It was such a wonderful pleasure to be able to see some of the children perform the work they had completed for Project 2: Short Plays and Travel Songs at the Coventry Cathedral Hiroshima Day Ceremony on 6 August 2019. Everyone was deeply moved by the children’s work.
2019 Phase 2: Development Workshop & Getting to Noh Activities
1-11 February 2019
Teruhisa & Kinue Oshima and Richard Emmert
Performance presentation at the Embassy of Japan London. 6 February 2019. Photograph by Clive Barda
We have now completed the development workshop in London, as well as a range of education and outreach activities in London, Coventry, Dublin and Paris. Most of these took place within the period from 1-11 February, with the addition of a ‘Getting to Noh’ talk at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for the Japanese Garden Society and members of the public. You can read comments in other related news updates below.
The Development workshop was a wonderful opportunity for Teruhisa and Kinue Oshima, Richard Emmert and Jannette Cheong to work together for four days on the new ‘Between the Stones’ noh. The creative team discussed character focus, choreography, music, mask, costumes and essential props and accessories and how these could be developed to enhance the central essence of the piece.
This was an exciting phase of the project for Jannette and Rick especially, as this aspect of the development is the direct result of having the opportunity to discuss the work with Teruhisa and Kinue Oshima and to include their thoughts and ideas on how they see the work developing for stage. So a very big thank you to everyone concerned in undertaking this work so earnestly.
We are pleased to be able to say that we completed all the activities as planned for the visit and the whole team was delighted to receive such positive feedback from each of the additional events undertaken. We would like to thank everyone for their interest and support! The audiences were wonderful and their positive interest has been very much appreciated and extremely encouraging.
Since the team returned to Tokyo Jannette has continued working on the piece with Rick, as he continues to work on the music composition. Each time Jannette undertakes a new talk to share the ‘page to stage’ experience of creating a new noh she has shared how the piece has been shaped by the development process and this will continue at future talks.
These Phase 2 activities have been possible because of the wonderful support of a number of individuals and organisations. In the UK these included:
The Embassy of Japan London, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, the Japan Society, Mitsubishi Electric Europe, London Digital Print (Ian Greaterex and Chris Rowe), the British Library, (especially Hamish Todd, Head of East Asian Collections and Jean-Philippe Calvin, Corporate Affairs). The British Library has supported both Phase 1 & 2 and have now also expressed a strong interest in education and outreach activities for Phase 3.
The support of other individuals such as Simon Callow, Graham Marchant, Henrietta Heald, Clive Barda and Paul and Clementine Laikin has also been very important to the delivery of the project before and during Phase 2.
Our sincere thanks to these collaborating partners, as well as all of the education partners, especially David Hughes, Ramiro Silveira, Margaret Coldiron and Kenneth Rea and their wonderful students; and to the amazing staff and pupils in Coventry with whom Kinue, Richard and Jannette spent time with on 7 February 2019 to help them begin their second (of three) ‘peace’ projects! We were delighted that the results of the first project, the children’s peace poem tanzakus, could also be exhibited at the Japanese Embassy during our Between the Stones event to highlight the collaboration between the 180 Coventry Young Ambassadors from five Coventry Primary Schools, the Japan Society and the Between the Stones Project Team!
“Dear Jannette
Thank you so much for all your hard work involving us in the Noh project and for giving us such fantastic opportunities.
Firstly on behalf of myself and all the schools, thank you very much for inviting us to the Embassy event. It was a great honour to attend and we were thrilled at how interested everyone was in our peace poems.
Secondly, many, many thanks to you, Kinue and Richard for coming up to Coventry especially when you had such a busy schedule. The workshop with the pupils was absolutely fantastic. I had been curious to see the children’s reaction to Noh and they were completely mesmerised. It was something so different to anything they have experienced before. I think that they will always remember the experience. In our busy lives as educators we sometimes need to stand back and let the children experience something totally different.
We are very excited about the next phase of our project and are meeting in a couple of weeks to plan how we are going to develop the travel songs. I’ll keep you informed of our plans. I’ll also start working with Afton on the gardens project so that it is ready for the summer.
Please pass on our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Oshima family and Richard.
”
Coventry Young Ambassadors’ 180 wind chimes and their peace poem tanzaku which were first exhibited at Coventry Cathedral on Armistice Day 2018, and then displayed at the Japanese Embassy on 6 February 2019 for the Between the Stones Phase 2 Presentation Event.
Kinue Oshima and Richard Emmert giving a performance workshop to 180 Coventry Young Ambassadors on 7 February 2019 in preparation for their second ‘peace’ project.