Japanese punk singer and ”Kamisaibai Ya” (paper theatre) practitioner Kazuko Hohki wants to tell you a story. Partly it’s a traditional Japanese folk tale about a man who falls in love with a crane. Partly it’s the true (-ish) story of how Hohki fell in love with an Englishman, who may also be a duck, who may also be an alien visitor. In a gently rambling narrative interspersed with songs, Hohki describes the introduction of love into a loveless life, with the consequent replacing of bland security with terrifying uncertainties. Who is this man? What do we have in common? And is that enough?
One of the many treasures in this show is the delightfully shonky animation that accompanies it. Scribbly alien blobs search for their other halves, hearts fly across the oceans, and Hohki herself is cut-and-pasted into Winnie the Pooh, part of her storybook view of England. Coupled with the songs, delivered Karaoke style over a rather bass-heavy PA system, there’s a handmade feel to the show which is charming, although would probably work much better in a more intimate space, sometimes seeming a little underwhelming and distant in the expansive Theatre Base. In particular, the violin accompaniment (Clive Bell) seemed underused and poorly balanced.
There’s a creative use of live video feed to showcase the wonderful paper models and landscapes that illustrate the piece, with Hohki’s office being a particular delight. Ultimately, though, it’s the human element that shines through. Images of tea, Japanese and English, provide a frame of reference for the story, which fittingly is a slowly brewed pot rather than a fast boiling kettle. A show to be sipped and savoured among the apple trees of your heart.
4/5
Hugh Jones
