Taishi Nukata (額田大志)'s new Japanese musical The Myth of the Supermarket opened on 5 November. It is being presented as part of TMT Gear, organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in Ikebukuro, with performances running through 8 November.
The Myth of the Supermarket, a new Japanese musical created through TMT Gear, a creator-support project organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in Ikebukuro, one of Tokyo's landmark theatres, opened on 5 November. Performances run through 8 November, and tickets are on sale.
Set in a supermarket late at night, the production transforms the electronic sounds heard in the store, product names and staff conversations into music, presenting everyday scenes in a new light. Dialogue, song and rap intersect as the production seeks to expand the possibilities of Japanese storytelling.
The cast consists of Ando Shinsuke (安東信助), Sayama Izumi (佐山和泉), Naganuma Wataru (長沼航), Harada Tsumugi (原田つむぎ), 没 a.k.a. NGS, Minekawa Takako (嶺川貴子) and Miyasaka Ryotaro (宮坂遼太郎), 7 performers in total. In addition to Naganuma Wataru (長沼航) and Harada Tsumugi (原田つむぎ), who lead Nutomique, rappers and musicians also take the stage as characters.
A live review introduced the production as centered on crossing the boundary between theatre and performance, portraying this boundary-crossing experiment as the work's core. The importance of the work to audiences is also expressed through dialogue in the production.
The production was created with the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, and its distinctive feature is that performers from different musical backgrounds handle both the performance and the narrative.