TOKYO - Audiences watching acclaimed young Kabuki actors Ichikawa Somegoro VIII and Onoe Tatsunosuke III perform on their first international tour in London next year will be treated to a visual spectacle of elaborate wigs and intricately embroidered costumes.
The three Kabuki plays the actors will present at the prestigious Sadler's Wells Theatre in January will feature a variety of wigs, including a long, fiery red one that embodies a lion spirit, as well as special stage effects such as instantaneous costume changes performed in full view of the audience.
"Our aim is to present the beauty of Kabuki and its unique aesthetic," said Somegoro, 21, the son of celebrated Kabuki actor Matsumoto Koshiro X and grandson of Matsumoto Hakuo II, in a rehearsal room at Tokyo's Kabukiza Theatre.
"I see this opportunity to perform at the globally famous theater as a chance to show traditional Japanese dance on a global stage," said Tatsunosuke, a 20-year-old known for his acting skills and performances in classical as well as newly written Kabuki plays.
The Jan. 30 and 31 shows will mark Kabuki's first performances in London in 17 years, following its previous visit to the same venue.
Tatsunosuke will perform in "Fuji Musume" (The Wisteria Maiden) and Somegoro in "Yuki no Shakkyo" (The Snowbound Stone Bridge -- A Lion Dance) while the two will appear together in "Meoto Dojoji" (A Man and Woman at Dojoji Temple). All three works are Kabuki classics and belong to the buyo tradition, which emphasizes the dance elements of the art form.
"Rather than focusing on the story or plot, this type of performance is more about the beauty and aesthetics of the production and how the actors physically express that beauty," Somegoro said.
As costumes play a major role in the performances, Tatsunosuke added that he hopes audiences will "pay close attention to the glamorous costumes."
Behind the technicolor pageantry, however, are many unsung artisans whose meticulous craftsmanship helps distinguish Kabuki from other forms of theater.
One such artisan is Masao Shimane, 53, who specializes in designing wigs for female roles.
"In terms of the basic form, the hairstyle is almost always the same, but the 'mage' topknot has about 100 different styles," Shimane said. He added that there are also numerous ways to decorate it and that completing a wig takes about three hours.
In London, Tatsunosuke will take on female roles as an onnagata, a male Kabuki actor who portrays women.
He will wear three different wigs in "Meoto Dojoji," one of which has already been created specifically for the London performances. Decorated with small red and white flowers arranged across the head, the wig is made from real human hair and weighs about 3 kilograms.
"They are young and fresh actors, so I want them to look cute," Shimane said, sitting across from the newly completed wig in the Kabukiza rehearsal room with squeaky wooden floors.
The play will also treat the audience to an instantaneous onstage costume change, one of Kabuki's signature techniques.
The audience will first see Tatsunosuke's character, Hanako, in a red costume with floral embroidery. Then, as he dances, the red outer layer is quickly stripped away with the help of costume assistants, suddenly revealing a pale yellow costume underneath.
"The bright red and the lighter pale yellow create a striking contrast for the audience," explained Atsuhiro Kurosaki, 55, who specializes in Kabuki costumes.
Wigs for male roles played by tachiyaku actors, such as those Somegoro will take on during the London performances, also come in several hundred different styles.
One reason for the wide variety of hairstyles is that their designs reflect the ages of the characters, according to Kingo Kamoji, chairman of Tokyo Kamoji Tokoyama Co., a prominent Kabuki wig-styling company.
"One character could end up wearing several types of wigs," said the 85-year-old. He added that, besides age, different wigs may be prepared to depict various circumstances the characters find themselves in, such as a wet wig for a character who has fallen into water during the story.
In London, Somegoro will be the one wearing the wig embodying the spirit of a lion in "Yuki no Shakkyo." The wig reaches the floor when worn and is made from yak hair, which provides a volume that human hair cannot replicate, according to Kamoji.
Somegoro said actors work closely with costume and wig designers, sometimes even asking wig designers to trim the hair by as little as a millimeter to fit the roles they are playing.
"Even after the opening day, we may talk to the designers to make adjustments so it better fits the role," he said.
