Kurô Tanino

The Dark Master

Archive 2018
Theatre
T2G Théâtre de Gennevilliers – Centre Dramatique National
septembersept 20 – 24

© The Dark Master © Takashi Horikawa ©

© The Dark Master © Takashi Horikawa ©

© The Dark Master © Takashi Horikawa ©

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Written and directed by Kurô Tanino
Based on an original story by Marei Karibu and the work of Haruki Izumi (éd. Terbrain, Inc.)
With Susumu Ogata, Koichiro F.O. Pereira, Masato Nomura, Hatsune Sakai, Kazuya Inoue, and Kazuki Sugita
Set design, Masaya Natsume
Lighting, Masayuki Abe
Sound, Koji Sato
Set builder, Takuya Kamiike
Video, Tadashi Mitani and Nobuhiro Matsuzawa
A Niwa Gekidan Penino production
Organised by Fondation du Japon
In association with Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) ; T2G – Théâtre de Gennevilliers ; and Festival d’Automne à Paris
With support from Onda
First performed on 5 May 2016 at Oval Theater (Osaka)
This show is presented as part of Japonismes 2018
With support from the Franco-Japanese Fondation Sasakawa

Two huis-clos, one in a thermal baths inn, the other in a restaurant. Two antiquated settings brought to life by a host of colourful characters. At first, Kurô Tanino’s staging takes us into familiar ground, that of an ultra-realist piece of theatre. However, we are soon taken by surprise. The different situations also take on a very different turn, leading us down paths which are both sensual and disturbing, burlesque and demonic.

Osaka. A hiker enters into an ordinary-looking local restaurant. The owner, as eccentric as he is associable, offers him his place as chef. The latter, handing him a cordless earphone, succeeds in convincing the young man. He explains to him that he can move in to the floor above and receive his culinary indications in complete discretion. From that moment on, he vanishes from sight. He sees everything, without being seen. The Dark Master, a talented chef, shares the secrets of his trade with his chosen one, and the highly unusual duo of the visible and the invisible brings the restaurant back to life. Onto the stage comes the owner’s preferred prostitute, or a Chinese client on the lookout for new businesses to buy up. These two key characters are the vehicles for digging into different strata: the dispossessing of Japanese heritage, and domination-based relationships in general. From amidst the heady odours, fire and obscurity, noise and silence, Tanino’s dazzling theatre reveals the paradoxes of our human condition.
––––––
Running time : 2h10
Performed in Japanese, with French subtitles  

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