fota.txt

http://www.nightnews.net/fringe2008.htm#fota

The Feast of the Ants - Mugensha Theatre Company (Japan)
venue :: Rocket @ Demarco Roxy Art House
see links :: http://www.mugensha.net/
category :: Theatre
Reviewed date :: 22 08 08

Review: The Mugensha Theatre Company are no strangers to the UK 
having developed a longstanding relationship with George Eugeniou
and Theatro Technis in Camden, London. This was their first visit
to the Fringe where they presented, 'The Feast of the Ants' (Ari 
no Gotisou) which seems to be an established and favourite part of
their repertoire. It was a real pleasure to see the elaborate 
construction that makes up this production performed for us at 
the Roxy Art House. The Mugensha 'ensemble' could be taken at face
value as another inscrutable Japanese company, imbued with its own
particular cultural norms. This would be to miss their original 
and unique take on their own cultural traditions and the way that
they may combine 'the techniques of the traditional Japanese culture
such as Sado (tea ceremony), Tste (sword fighting), Bunraku (puppet
play), Noh (play),' and Kyogen (the comical and funny) in their 
productions. Mugensha's other self-proclaimed uniqueness is to 
create scripts from 'ad-libs' and to 'instantaneously move spaces
from one location to another,' throughout their shows. They are 
in these ways, a unique melting pot of old, new and wholly original
styles, producing clever and engaging theatre. The Feast of the 
Ants is set in Arizuka town (literally meaning anthill) where the
locals are preoccupied with the complexity and trivia of their 
daily lives and the impending annual traditional town festival. 
These are set against the doom and gloom of a closed factory, three
years of rain and the towns decline. The attention to detail is 
evident in every aspect of the work of the ensemble and the audience
are given an 'Arizuka Town Official Guide,' as they are seated. The 
overall production is lively, very exaggerated in movement, with 
elements of slapstick and satire, where the emphasis is on dialogue
and action. It is also quite a dark show which opens with an execution
and dismemberment scene and ends with a parody of the same after the 
villagers are annihilated in a flood! Subtitled, 'A black comedy 
made in Japan,' the show contains some amazing scenes which redefine
the meaning of 'funny' and easily transcend cultural barriers. The 
actors may speak in Japanese or English but key moments in the plot
are signalled by the unfurling of a banner or sign, 'in English,' 
which the audience did not fail to laugh at and appreciate. The story
is partly narrated by a model bluebird in a cage and as the story 
unfolds, every house in the village seems to contain drama, sex 
secrets and unrequited passions played out as a series of visual 
gags. Much of the action is set in Maichi's barber shop, where a 
grim dream may suddenly interrupt the action onstage, the cast live
these dreams out and then confront reality with trepidation; this 
is all screamingly hilarious and great fun! It is perhaps because 
many of the gags are visual that the show easily transcends language
and cultural barriers. The stylistic originality from Director So-un
Kotakebayashi and his amazingly talented cast is to keep the gags 
accessible and to give the humour a shocking edge that constantly 
delights and keeps the audience wide eyed and amazed! This show and
the Mugensha Theatre Company are definitely something unique, rich,
strange, compelling and a 'must see,' at Fringe 2008.
5 gold bats

by John C Vassallo