17 October 2017

Japan Creative Centre (JCC)

Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Embassy of Japan, is delighted to co-organise this Kyogen lecture and demonstration with The Department of Japanese Studies at NUS. In this special lecture and performance demonstration, Mr Doji Shigeyama, the renowned Kyogen performer, and Mr Hiromi Shimada, will present a brief introduction of Kyogen, and also demonstrate various performance techniques. Join us at JCC for a memorable evening of Kyogen!

About Kyogen

Kyogen is one of Japan’s four oldest traditional performance genres, together with Noh, Kabuki and Bunraku. Characterised by its humourous storyline and stylistic presentation style, Kyogen performance is very different from the other three genres with its emphasis on kinetic movements and relatively simple language. Often performed between Noh plays, Kyogen plays provide a much-welcomed comic relief after the performance of the more intense and solemn Noh plays. There are many different categories of stories such as the master-servant categories; husband-wife categories; mountain-priest categories, etc. in the Kyogen repertoire. Kyogen has attracted great interests in both Japan and overseas, and was translated into English as early as 1879.

About the Artists

The Shigeyama family is a major Kyogen performance family under the Okura School tradition based in Kyoto. Mr Doji Shigeyama, a versatile and bilingual Kyogen performer, belongs in the 14th generation Kyogen performers of the family. Mr Doji Shigeyama was trained by his grandfather Sennosuke II and father Akira, and made his Kyogen debut at age 3. Other than traditional Kyogen, Mr Doji Shigeyama has also created and performed many new style Kyogen plays. Effectively bilingual, he performs bilingual Kyogen both in Japan and overseas. Other than Kyogen, Mr Doji Shigeyama has also directed, written and performed in various other theatrical forms. He is probably best known to the Singaporean audience as the character Shakespeare in Sandaime Richard, (dir. Mr Ong Keng Sen) at last year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts.

Mr Hiromi Shimada comes from a Kyogen family and studied with Shigeyama Sengoro family when young. He made his stage debut at age 8. After graduating from university with an engineering degree, Mr Hiromi Shimada decided to pursue Kyogen and became a disciple of Shigeyama Sensaku V, grand master of the Shigeyama family. Mr Hiromi Shimada has performed in various Kyogen productions both in Japan and overseas, including the world premiere of Lufcadio Hearn’s Chin Chin Kobakama at the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Japan. He will be partnering Mr Doji Shigeyama to present the Kyogen lecture and performance.

Details of the Lecture & Demonstration

Date:

Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Time:

7:00pm - 8:30pm (Registration starts at 6:30pm)

Venue:

Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Embassy of Japan in Singapore
4 Nassim Road Singapore 258372

Admission:

FREE

Register for the Lecture & Demonstration

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Where is Japan Creative Centre (JCC)?

Is this your first time to Japan Creative Centre? Follow the map below to Japan Creative Centre now.

Getting to Japan Creative Centre
4 Nassim Road Singapore 258372
Tel: +65-6737-0434

By Public Bus:
Bus services: 7, 36, 77, 105, 106, 111, 123, 132, 174, 174E, 502, 502A, 502B (Alight in front of Delfi Orchard)
For latest information on bus routes and fares, please refer to SBS Transit.

By the MRT:
You may also take the MRT to the nearest MRT station, Orchard (NS22).
Train fares, travel times and route maps are available on the SMRT website.

Driving to JCC:
Nearest parking is at Orchard Hotel, Delfi Orchard and Orchard Parade Hotel.