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At the invitation of the Wiener Festwochen, director Toshiki Okada and composer Dai Fujikura, both world-renowned in their respective disciplines, are working together for the first time, exploring a new form of musical theatre. In it, they pursue the idea of allowing the spoken language and music to take to the stage as independent and idiosyncratic protagonists. For Metamorphosis of a Living Room, six Japanese actors from Okada’s company and seven musicians of the Klangforum Wien share the stage. They tell the story of a family facing eviction. But while this problem can be solved – there is, after all, such a thing as Tenancy Law – a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions soon looms, one that cannot be solved with any hotline nor with any man-made ideas. Little by little, the music and scenic actions blend together, opening possibilities for the emergence of an entirely new experience. All manner of narration, the entire anthropocentric world, dissolve in sound.
Text, Direction Toshiki Okada With music by Dai Fujikura Ensemble Klangforum Wien (Clarinet, Bass clarinet Bernhard Zachhuber Bassoon, Contra bassoon Lorelei Dowling, Celesta Florian Müller Violin Jacobo Hernandez Enriquez, Sophie Schafleitner Viola Dimitrios Polisoidis Violoncello Benedikt Leitner) With Izumi Aoyagi, Chieko Asakura, Wataru Omura, Mariko Kawasaki, Ayana Shiibashi, Makoto Yazawa Sound design Aki Shiraishi, Koichi Ishimaru Light design Masayoshi Takada (RYU) Costumes Kyoko Fujitani (FAIFAI) Set design dot architects Dramaturgy Masahiko Yokobori Creative advisor Makiko Yamaguchi Technical direction Daijiro Kawakami (Scale Laboratory) Stage management Chikage Yuyama Direction assistance Marie Moriyama Producer Megumi Mizuno (precog), Tamiko Ouki (precog) Production management Yuko Takeda Assistance production management Nanami Endo, Minano Hirano Sound Tsuyoshi Endo, Ryoma Matsuba (MRD) Light Kousue Ashidano (RYU) Translation Aya Ogawa (English), Andreas Regelsberger (German) Graphic design Mariko Okazaki (REFLECTA, Inc.)
A commission by Wiener Festwochen Production Wiener Festwochen, chelfitsch Coproduction KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen, Holland Festival (Amsterdam) Supported by Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), Nomura Foundation Cooperation office III’s, KAJIMOTO, CUBE Inc., nakagoo, Steep Slope Studio, YAMABUKI FACTORY, d&b audiotechnik GmbH & Co. KG With the assistance of The Saison Foundation
Premiere Work-in-Progress’s Performance November 2021, Tower Hall Funabori (Tokyo)
The work-in-progress performance was coproduced by The Japan Foundation and chelfitsch and produced for Japan Foundation’s International Creations in Performing Arts 2021.
Premiere May 2023, Wiener Festwochen
