Théatre Lapis Presents KUWENTO

Théatre Lapis will present 'Kuwento - c??e?? (read as Monogatari): Revisited Tales of Japan and the Philippines', an online performance created through the collaboration between artists in the UK, Japan, France and Manila.

The online release will be on the Theatre Lapis Youtube page [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-dvcdOiqmr-N06xn57oR_g] on December 18th, 2020 featuring renowned Filipino actor and master storyteller Bodjie Pascua, international theatre artists Charley Magalit, Earle Figuracion, Natsumi Kuroda, Haruko Sekiya, Juna Shai, Kaya Yuzuki, Sok-ho Trinh, Paul Reynolds, and Melisa Camba. This project is supported by The Japan Foundation, Manila.

'Kuwento•c??e??: Revisited Tales of Japan and the Philippines', written by Nozomi Abe and directed by Yojiro Ichikawa, is a digital storytelling exploration of Japanese folktales told in English, providing the children and audience all over the world with the unique opportunity to experience the authentic Japanese culture. Its aim is to raise and increase awareness of Japan, and its culture, and to invite the audience to the world of Japanese aesthetics.

It features three well known Japanese folktales; 'The Tale of Princess Kaguya', 'Momotaro', and 'The Fisher Boy Urashima'. These three tales of love, adventure, and wonder - cultural masterpieces and treasures of Japan - have been passed down from generation to generation, imparting wisdom, igniting imagination, and entertaining audiences of all ages.

This show is a unique, international, cross-collaboration among Japanese, British, French and Filipino artists from different corners of the globe. Overcoming challenges of the isolation induced by COVID-19 in the year 2020, this project seeks to create innovative ways of sharing stories even in a remote setup.

Théatre Lapis premiered on the New York stage in 2012, and has been creating a number of productions internationally. Its aim is to question traditional boundaries including those that exist between musical and straight plays, between western and eastern cultures, and to seek other frontiers. Théatre Lapis is under the artistic direction of Yojiro Ichikawa.