It’s such a scary and weird novel. I was suffering from nightmares while reading without drugs and alcohol. First off, this novel might be well-written with its tricky word choices and British cultural sarcasm (e.g. Londoners looking down on Newcastle), but of course, I didn’t understand it 100%, maybe just 34% or 19% as an English Beginner. Still, the story’s range, shifting from a bitchy artist’s ramblings to a nose-candy-fueled night, to pure romantic love from Tesco, to BRITISH PSYCHO, was incredible.
We should have detached emotionally from a novel like this, but the self-destructive lifestyle kept reminding us of our cringy youth. This intentional attempt to evoke our empathy was skillfully written, as I didn’t realize it until the very end. However, My reaction to the story was like, “Go straight to therapy,” but when someone starts to dislike themselves (even if they say they love themselves), who the hell can care?
The mentally fragile narrator’s storytelling was very uncomfortable. My feminist spirit tried to feel compassion for her when she got sexually assaulted or when she felt underestimated in the male-dominated art world, but the reality of her violence and the way she hid her paedophilic work (it’s mentioned from the beginning) just broke me. Yes, she’s just another slightly racist mom’s kid, funded by gay men who want to hang photos of young, slim boys or “artistic gore” in their homes. The world is sick. MAKE GREAT BRITAIN AGAIN.
When emerging artists think about gender, they often try to flip the script on their social position. But if you don’t add anything new, it’s just a mass-produced cliché. Unfortunately, her visual impact was easily absorbed by a bunch of lechs. Does that mean she’s just as bad as Johnny Kitagawa (the notorious producer who exploited young boys) or Abercrombie & Fitch with its exclusionary, problematic marketing? Her art teacher clearly said “You’re not making art here you’re making porn … The world doesn’t need more nasty, voyeuristic photography, does it?” Agreed, but not enough words to stop her.
I don’t want to read any more books narrated by dull narcissists, but she completely inhabited my world while I read. If she were in front of me, she’d roll her eyes at my accent and I’d probably need subtitles to understand what she was saying.
My working visa is set to expire next August, and the question of whether to apply for a Global Talent Visa is looming large. But I can’t help wondering—will staying here, even as a struggling director, be worth the sacrifice?
I moved to the UK from Japan in September 2023, and when people ask, “What brings you to London?” my answer is simple: to explore and immerse myself in the British theatre scene. I began my acting career right after high school—attending drama school is a less common path for actors in Japan. Since then, I’ve had standout roles on stage and appeared as a main guest in a TV drama. In 2020, I started reflecting on my career and transitioning into directing -a long- held ambition.
While creating the musical ‘NOW LOADING‘, I realized I wanted to learn more even if I stopped building my career. I have learned a lot through reading, seeing theatres, taking the course in NEW EARTH and living in London. And I started thinking about staying here.
MONEY & VISA: To stay in the UK, I have two options: enrol in an MA program for a graduate visa (costing over £18k plus nearly £5k for the visa) or be recognized by Arts Council England (about £6k, but no guarantee of work), of course, while paying living expenses and tax. I can’t help but admire how clever this system is. Perhaps Japan should consider adopting a similar model. But here’s the problem: I don’t have that kind of money. Working 65 hours a week to afford it isn’t feasible either. I want to dedicate my time to research and, just as importantly, stay healthy.
CAREER: I’ve finally connected with a few organizations and performed my original musical in front of theatre producers, which I’m proud of. But I can’t ignore the significant gap between me and the British in the industry. I strongly believe that language plays a crucial role in the theatre industry—beyond just definitions in a dictionary. However, I only started using English last year, and I face the reality of how much I still struggle with it every day. I can communicate with friends, but it requires extra effort from them to understand me. But who will hire me for paid theatre work? And I also think that East Asians raised in the UK should be given more recognition than I am, as they face a great deal of underestimation and discrimination. I came here by choice – my responsibility.
I want to immerse myself in British theatre culture. It’s been inspiring, even though I’ve encountered more mediocrity than expected. I love the development process here. In Japan, there’s a preference for “finished works” even in the fringe scene. Long runs and reviews by critics are rare, and musicals there are created quickly and often only run once, like fast fashion. Well then, how can I satisfy the expectations of a British audience, especially when the industry is so steeped in its own national identity? I love Operation Mincemeat but also why does no one point out its nationalism? Is it because it’s a ‘British Musical’? I’m not claiming one system is better than the other—I only wish I could draw from both, depending on what I want to create. I know that’s a lot to expect.
Oh, London, what are you looking for? Are you only looking for an ASIAN-looking native speaker? Is there even a place where I can scrape a living in theatre? Why wasn’t I selected for the ensemble in My Neighbor Totoro? Why was the commercial in which I was in a lead role cancelled?
I also fear working in the theatre industry in Japan, where there is little openness to the queer perspectives. When I suggested a queer reading of The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde, a younger person told me, “That’s not the general interpretation.” But I also recognize that the UK theatre industry has been shaped by the ongoing efforts of many people, so perhaps it would be better for me to find my own path and contribute to those efforts in Japan. Also simply, I’m frightened of earthquakes and abnormal weather too.
‘And You Don’t Even Know it‘なんて、擦り切れるほど聴いていたので楽しみにしていたのだけど、ほんとに過去のミュージカルに触れて育った人が作った作品か?と思うくらい、映像演出や、曲の導入、そしてジェイミーが学園内で権力を手にして人を傷つけるために使ってしまうストーリーが残念だった。ディーンがかわいそうすぎる。
この芝居を観るためだけに飛行機に乗り、スコットランドのGlasgowへ。手話使用者で認知症になった男を描く。パントマイムや鏡を使った舞台でしか味わえない演出が素晴らしくて、緊張感、慈しみ、エキサイトメントのバランスが上品、ストーリー自体はややオールドスクール。そして、この劇団がKAATと共同制作する『品川猿の告白 Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey』が11月に神奈川で上演。イギリスで観るためにはもう一度グラスゴーに行かなくちゃいけないのか…。
どれくらいロンドンに居るのと聞かれ ‘just over a year’ と答えるたびに、その割には目立った成果無くない?とか、英語下手だなって思われたらどうしよう。なんて脳裏によぎりつつ、まあ私は私の時間を生きているので…と心を落ち着かせています。1年前に渡英前に不安に感じていたことを記していたので、振り返りつつ答え合わせなんぞしようと思います。
新しく利用したのは、Openrentというエージェント管理物件が主に掲載されているサイト(返信率良かったです)と、イケてる友達に教えてもらったFriends of Friendsというインスタグラムアカウント。信用できるサービスではないですが、家主の趣味や人柄がInstagramの投稿の雰囲気からも分かるので、割と利用している人が多いそう。大家側も、知らない人に貸すには勇気がいるので、友達の友達の紹介とかは安心みたいです。僕もずっと「家探してます~」と周りに言い続けたので、みんなが心配と耳寄り情報を集めてくれました。これはやっぱり1年間ロンドンで過ごしたからこそできることだなと思ったり。
Dazzling performance in a safe pyjama party. The show is billed as the most relatable, but for sure, I found myself as an exception.
One of the reasons I fled Japan was to see more QUEER musicals, and many theatre productions have amused me. The revival of Kiss Me, Kate includes an energetic same-sex dance that made me Too Darn Hot. Londoners and New Yorkers may be used to these elements but still felt refreshing to me. So I was thrilled to see this musical but unfortunately, I felt out of place, like walking into a club party alone and trying to sip a half pint at the corner of the wall.
I’ve seen great new musicals with catchy music and a fresh approach to storytelling, such as Operation Mincemeat and Kathy And Stella Solve A Murder. But, this musical stands out for its even more magnificent dance scenes, including tap and cabaret-style jazz, even when they’re just chatting in the tiny flat. The trailer for this show is sure to be gorgeous and stand out from other West End shows. I was impressed by the ensemble cast—each actor was skilled and charismatic, making it easy to remember their faces and individual talents. I admire how they’ve pooled their creativity and expression into this musical, and I hope they’re enjoying performing as much as we enjoy watching.
We can exist together with the lovely characters in the fourth-wall-breaking moment, and it affects the audience to become this safe queer and ally space. I thought it would be fascinating if they had a dress-down night as opposed to a dress-up.
I (or should I say we?) have tried to find ‘Over the Rainbow’ in the many plays, musicals and films—sometimes even heterosexual love or alien depictions have been interpreted in a queer way. Eventually, I reach two lonely friends who are fighting with a bee (literally they have a song just about a bee and it was hilarious) and don’t settle for the typical magical queer or a tragic dying gay. Which is amazing but also I couldn’t find what they expected us to take home, and hand over to the next generation.
I really enjoyed this show and may go again but it also made me reflect on how to create next queer production, if I consider a broader spectrum of minority communities. I believe the only way to represent minorities isn’t to leave others out. I can’t wait to read other reviews and listen to the cast recording soon.
‘familiarize yourself with the material(戯曲に慣れておいてください)’とメールに書いてあって、「でも別に暗記はしなくていいってことだよね…?」みたいな会話を始まる前にしました。何度か読みつつ、分からない意味とかは調べて、手持ち台本でのアクティングに支障がない程度に。という雰囲気でしたが、場所によって違うんだろうな。