| The Australian Premiere of 'The Face of Jizo' is performing at The Old Fitzroy Hotel in October-November 2023. | |||
Omusubi Productions in association with Red Line Productions presents the Australian Premiere of ‘The Face of Jizo’ performing at The Old Fitzroy Hotel in October-November 2023. The Face of Jizo premiered in September 1994 in Tokyo, was published the following month in Shincho magazine and in book form four years later. The play has been celebrated with numerous prizes, and in 2004 was made into a feature film directed by Kazuo Kuroki. The story takes place in Hiroshima some three years after the dropping of the atomic bomb on that city on 6 August 1945. Mitsue, a young woman who works in the local library, arrives home to find her father Takezo there. She has not seen him for three years. They resume their relationship as if they had never been parted, with him trying to convince her to accept the advances of a young man named Kinoshita who has been visiting the library and collecting objects left over from the bombing. What happened to this father and daughter in the moments after the blast and how this has affected her in the aftermath of the war form the themes of this often funny and deeply moving drama. Roger Pulvers, translator and long-time friend of Inoue, has written multiple articles on the works of Hisashi Inoue. He comments that the primary theme running through his writing is the plight of the weak and their struggle to keep their head above water in an uncaring society. “I want to show people who have little power the way to use their ingenuity in order to make their presence felt, so that they may gain some advantage in their misery.” Mayu Iwasaki, producer of Omusubi Productions, has had her heart set on producing this play in Australia for many years. With the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki just passed, the relevance of this play cannot be understated, especially as history is on the brink of repeating itself with the ever-present threat of nuclear warfare. Shingo Usami and David Lynch are at the helm of this production as they beautifully combine the art of Japanese and Australian storytelling and experiences. This is the Australian premiere of Hisashi Inoue’s celebrated play The Face of Jizo, a drama full of a droll wit and profound pathos. “With its laughter and tears,” wrote leading cultural figure Saiichi Maruya, “The Face of Jizo is the greatest play of Japan’s postwar era.” (Jizo is the guardian deity of children, a symbol of their protection from harm.) Cast and Creatives Starring: Mayu Iwasaki and Shingo Usami The Face of Jizo runs from the 28th October - 11th November* at The Old Fitzroy Hotel, Wooloomooloo. Tickets available from: https://www.redlineproductions.com.au/the-face-of-jizo Ticket Price: $35 - $55 The Face of Jizo is generously supported by The City of Sydney *Potential for an extended season
Event detailsVenue: The Old Fitzroy Hotel - 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011 The Face of Jizo runs from the 28th Oct - 11th November
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