ARASHI’s Jun Matsumoto will appear in the stage production “Love in Action,” which will be performed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Playhouse from July 11th, then Kitakyushu, Osaka, and later heading to the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London from October 31st ~ to November 2nd.
This marks Jun’s first stage appearance in 13 years since “Wilderness: Part One” in 2011. In this production, he will portray one of the three brothers alongside actors Masami Nagasawa and Eita Nagayama.
This is the latest work by playwright, director, and actor Hideki Noda, who leads “NODA・MAP.” Jun has been participating in numerous workshops with Noda since they met 20 years ago, making his debut with “NODA・MAP” in this production. Masami Nagasawa captivated audiences with her delicate yet beautiful portrayal of succumbing to violence in “THE BEE” (2021). Eita Nagayama, known for his refreshing and striking performances in “MIWA” (2013) and “Gekirin” (2016), continues to impress with his fresh and remarkable performances. Noda describes them as the ideal cast born for this production.
“Love in Action” is based on Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov,” and with it as a starting point, Noda has created a new story about a “fireworks maker’s family in a certain place and time in Japan,” in other words, “the siblings of the Tousho clan.”
This play is a suspenseful drama about the “event” of patricide. It is set in Japan during a certain period. The story unfolds around three brothers from a fireworks maker family. The eldest brother is a fireworks maker, the second is a physicist, and the third is a priest. The eldest brother and the father weave a triangular relationship around one woman, leading to the development of “patricide…”
Playing the “siblings of the Tousho clan” are Jun, Masami, and Eita. Jun portrays the eldest son, a firework maker; Eita plays the second son, a physicist, and Masami takes on the role of the third son, a priest. The father of these three brothers is played by Naoto Takenaka.
As always, to maintain the freshness for the audience on the day of the performance, the full details of the story are not revealed until the curtain rises on this new production of NODA・MAP. However, fragmentary information has been disclosed: “Jun plays a firework maker whose heart is in turmoil, Masami skillfully handles the opposing roles of “male” and “female” both in character and in personality, and Eita portrays an audacious intellectual who fears nothing, offering each of them refreshing roles.”
The play itself, featuring this dream cast, can be considered an “event” in the theater world. It promises to be a must-see for the chemical reactions it will ignite.
The London shows will be performed in Japanese with English subtitles.
Hideki Noda said
“We were overjoyed with the reception to A Night At The Kabuki from both London critics and audiences back in 2022 and we knew we had to come back with something even better. Love in Action will show another side to my work. It’s suspenseful, but not stereotypical suspense. It concerns the unbearable enigma of humanness. It is pure entertainment designed to capture the audience’s attention as the actors move intensely in and around the stage. As a director, I always try to consider how I can create works which are a feast for the eyes, and as a writer, I always try to consider how I can write dazzling plot developments which exhaust the audience. I do not like to bore people. (In other words, I hate to be bored myself.) Boredom is what makes theatre die. Fortunately, the novel that Love in Action is based on has given me more than enough inspiration as well as a masterful plot. Our story, however, takes us to a place far removed from the original. And you can only see where it lands if you come to the theatre. As a side note, I am proud to come to London with some of Japan’s best actors. I hope London audience will enjoy such special occasion to see them act in front of them altogether. I am excited and a little nervous about how the audience in the world’s biggest theatre capital will react to this play.’’
Stay up to date with the production and see more information!
Official website: https://www.nodamap.com/seisankaku/
https://loveinactionlondon.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nodamap_official/