What is Life? A Japanese theatre show coming to London asks the big question

n a science-fiction story that asks ‘what is life’ when science and desire for betterment encroaches on God’s creation, the latest show from NODA MAP (Love in Action, 2024; A Night at the Kabuki, 2022) is spectacle combining drama, music and dance performed by a 25-strong ensemble. We spoke to producer Hiroyuki Suzuki.

What’s the -320°F about?　

Hideki Noda thinks the modern age is the era where changes are driven by ‘Technologies’ rather than thoughts or philosophies. Human beings are cornered to a position where we’re losing control over nuclear or AI technologies. Our new play is a story about life governed by the technology in the field of reproductive medicine. We live in the time where people’s desires for things like anti-ageing and eugenic ideology are the driving forces for controlling the technology. This show asks the question; “What is life?” through the voices and physical beings of the wonderful Japanese actors together with the superb collaboration of set, lights, costumes and music.

The show looks at science as a means for betterment, and where the line is that shouldn’t be crossed. How does the show explore that?　

We see our own existence as something that’s imperfect. Therefore we all face some sort of dilemmas. This also means that there may be more than one answers to any questions. You can see that Faust and Professor Kyuri in this show each suffer from dilemmas as scientists.

Noda thinks this is because we are still at the place where we are capable of feeling dilemmas. Dilemmas of the ones who strive for better beings but caught between desires and morals.

We all live with dilemmas. And those dilemmas vary wildly depending on the social status and the qualities of each individual. But this is not a bad thing. We should rather keep on searching for the wisdom while facing those dilemmas.

The show has recently opened in Tokyo, what’s the reception been like?　

Many people were moved by the sheer energy of the actors delivering the story of life.

A lot of people comment on how they are in awe of actors expressing ‘Bones’ which is the key element in the story. We spent long hours exploring the scene of ‘the tunnel of bones’, and the result is the physical creativity that is not to be missed.

When people watch Noda plays, they say the feelings and emotions buried deep at the bottom of their hearts float up magically and resonate with them. They start to travel in their heads while watching the play. They are triggered by the lines with beautifully poetic words in Noda’s plays. Even after watching the show, they affect the minds of the audience with various emotions. In a way, “theatre is a long-term medicine for your hearts and minds” in the words of Minoru Betsuyaku, a Japanese playwright.

Q:What excites you most about bringing the show to London?　

A:There are two things; firstly, I am excited about being able to experience how the British audience might react and resonate with what we’re going to put on stage after our production in Japan, with the theme we face in the modern age.

Also, in the time of AI at its prosperity, we are going to bring from Japan the show of physical expression no AI can achieve by the Japanese actors with exceptional acting talents. With them, Hideki Noda’s theatrical world is going to flourish in front of the audience. I am very much looking forward to how the London audience would react to our swift scene changes and bodily expressions.

-320°F by NODA MAP is at Sadler’s Wells 2 - 11 July