Kagerou Photo: Bryony Jackson Kagerou, Arts House The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 was known the world over as the Fukushima disaster, named after the nuclear power plant that was heavily damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Kagerou , subtitled A Study in Translating Performance, focuses on the experiences of one woman, Kyoko, a survivor of the earthquake. Director and creator Shun Hamanaka has created a documentary experience, with performer Yoko Ito live-translating interviews conducted with Kyoko over the years since the tragedy. The original interviews with Kyoko form part of an aural soundscape, while we hear the performer tell the story in English. Translation is key to the performance; we are being brought into Kyoko’s world but are still held at a slight distance. We see projections of images filmed at Hisanohama; images that are mostly still but move just a little. It’s delicate and subtle, much like Ito’s performance – there are
Playwright, Critic, Screenwriter.