︎KEREN ︎2019 ︎Variety Show
︎CLIENT
Yoshimoto
︎PRODUCTION
Moment Factory
Multimedia magic and cross-cultural collaboration brings traditional Kabuki stagecraft into the modern age.
“Keren” refers to the stunts and illusions of Kabuki theatre, and the show uses multimedia to reinvent these tricks in a fresh, contemporary way. Actors are framed by on-stage screens that pass the action between the performers and content, creating a space where the audience can’t easily tell whether illusions are achieved live or with multimedia. This rich multidisciplinary collaboration drew the spirit and magic of Kabuki stagecraft into the present playfully merging traditional and popular music, dance, humour, swordplay and fight scenes, with winking references to Japanese cultural icons. Beyond multimedia expertise, we brought a gaijin (foreigner) perspective to the show’s creative evolution to ensure Keren’s appeal to a wide international audience.
︎PREMIERE
Cool Japan Theater, Osaka Castle Park, Japan
︎CREDITS
Show Direction Tetsuo Takahira
Dance Choreography Baayork Lee
Tap Choreography Hideboh
Sword Choreography Tetsuro Shimaguchi
Music Scoring Daisaku Kume, Kiyohiko Semba
Scenic Design Yuichiro Kanai
Creative Direction Mariano Leotta
Content Producer Mathieu Grainger
Technical Consultant James Richardson
Content Direction Tim Rice
Art Direction Thomas Gibault
Project Coordination Magalie Derochers
