As we step into the month of August, I find myself in a contemplative mood. There is a heatwave here in London this week, and the atmosphere is unusually quiet. These warm, languid summer days seem ripe for rest and reflection, so in this spirit, I would like to share some musings on my latest kabuki project, Spring Snow. This production premiered at Ryedale Festival in North Yorkshire on 16th July 2024, and I am delighted to give you a glimpse into what it is all about.
I would like to dedicate Reflections on Spring Snow to my dear family friend and mentor, Craig Bourke, who sadly passed away last summer. Craig attended my very first Kabukimono performance event at Ladbroke Hall in 2019 and introduced me to Yukio Mishima's masterpiece novel Spring Snow. He was a tremendous influence on my understanding and appreciation of Japanese art, theatre, and literature. His singular sensibility, wit, and intellect will be forever cherished by those who knew him.
Thank you, Craig.
What is Spring Snow about?
Spring Snow is a piece of music-theatre that intertwines Franz Schubert's iconic song cycle Winterreise with the Japanese art of kabuki. It is a highly collaborative and experimental project involving mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, pianist Julius Drake, shamisen musician Hibiki Ichikawa, and myself as actor and dancer. We have been developing Spring Snow for over two years now, and the project began when Fleur proposed the idea of creating a "Kabuki-inspired Winterreise." Fleur and I first met during rehearsals for Richard Wagner's The Valkyrie, directed by Richard Jones at English National Opera in 2021. At the time, she was performing Schubert concerts alongside Julius Drake, and I was staging my own independent Kabukimono events inspired by Schubert's art songs and kabuki. This shared endeavour to fuse the seemingly opposite worlds of kabuki and Schubert has been the driving force behind Spring Snow, and I feel privileged to be working on such a dream project with a team of exceptionally skilled and inventive artists.
What is kabuki?
Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese theatre that emerged in the early 17th century in Kyoto. It combines music, dance, and acting to tell stories ranging from historical events to moral conflicts and romantic tales. The word "kabuki" originates from the verb "kabuku," meaning "to lean," "to slant," or "to be off-kilter." The term was historically used to describe something or someone that was unconventional, avant-garde, or eccentric in behaviour or appearance. I first encountered kabuki during my drama studies at Goldsmiths and became entranced by its unique rituals and aesthetic. I love the elaborate costumes and makeup techniques, as well as the stylised movements and expressions that the actors use to convey emotions.
What is a shamisen?
The shamisen is a traditional Japanese stringed instrument that resembles a banjo. It has a long neck and a rectangular, drum-like body covered with animal or synthetic skin. It is typically played with a large plectrum called a bachi. The shamisen has three strings and is known for its distinctive, resonant sound. It is commonly used in various forms of Japanese music, including kabuki, bunraku puppet theatre, and folk music. There are different types of shamisen, such as the nagauta shamisen, which has a soft, lyrical sound, and the tsugaru shamisen, which my colleague Hibiki Ichikawa plays in Spring Snow. If you would like to learn more about the tsugaru shamisen, please read my interview with Hibiki (linked at the end of this piece).
What is Winterreise?
Winterreise (Winter Journey) is a song cycle composed by Franz Schubert in 1827. The piece is based on twenty-four poems by Wilhelm Müller and is one of Schubert's final masterpieces. Schubert died on 19th November 1828, at the tender age of 31, two months before the first part of the work was published. Winterreise depicts a solitary wanderer's journey through a winter landscape, reflecting on lost love and existential despair. The cycle is renowned for its emotional depth, with songs that vary from melancholic and sombre to intensely dramatic. Winterreise is traditionally performed in a concert hall by a solo singer (usually a baritone) and a pianist.
How was the Spring Snow world premiere received?
I am very pleased to say that our Spring Snow premiere at Ryedale Festival was a success! We received a 4-star review in The Guardian, which described Spring Snow as "a gripping piece of cross-cultural music theatre of astonishing power... that as a display of daring artistic imagination could hardly be bettered." We also received a standing ovation, and a number of audience members approached us after the show with kind comments.
What was your starting point when developing ideas for Spring Snow?
We devoted the first year of our creative process entirely to research and development. This involved many brainstorming sessions, as well as trips to exhibitions, theatre, ballet, opera, and music concerts. I travelled to Vienna in March 2023 to immerse myself in the works of Egon Schiele, who is an important motif for my choreography on this project. I also did a lot of research at the London Library, which has an excellent collection of books on kabuki. It was there that I discovered a fascinating kabuki dance-drama called Yasuna. This drama was originally part of a longer play, A Courtly Mirror of Ashiya Dōman, written for the puppet theatre by Takeda Izumo I in 1734. Yasuna is a sorrowful tale about a young, handsome astrologer called Yasuna no Abe who is driven to madness by the grief of the loss of his betrothed, Sakaki. He wanders aimlessly through a spring landscape, lamenting his love, and then fantasises that she is there with him. Yasuna wears Sakaki's robe and a purple headband, symbolising his delusional state of mind. His despair builds to a feverish climax until finally, he collapses with madness. In Spring Snow, I play the role of Yasuna and try to express his grief journey through physical movement and kabuki-inspired dance. Fleur, Julius, and Hibiki provide musical accompaniment to these dance scenes with Japanese flute, shamisen, piano, and kabuki-inspired song.
What are some of the connections between kabuki and Schubert's Winterreise?
I was struck by the many similarities between Winterreise and Yasuna when I first encountered this kabuki play. In terms of narrative, both stories are about a lone wanderer struggling to come to terms with extreme heartbreak. Both stories also use evocative depictions of nature and landscape to intensify the wanderer's sense of alienation. Yasuna and Winterreise were produced during the same period—Yasuna was first performed in 1818, and Winterreise was first published in 1828. Both dramatic works are also deeply rooted in folk culture. Kabuki emerged on the dry beds of the Kamo River in Kyoto with a female dancer called Izumo no Okuni. Her outlandish performance style was highly subversive and often featured elements of popular culture and folklore that strongly appealed to the "common people." Schubert's Winterreise is part of the German Lieder tradition, which has its roots in folk poetry. As mentioned, the text was written by German poet Wilhelm Müller, who had a deep appreciation for the simplicity and emotional depth of folk songs. Müller's poetry in Winterreise explores themes of nature, love, loss, and human vulnerability, which I think resonates strongly with the wistful, austere, and emotionally charged essence of Yasuna.
What has been the most significant challenge you have faced during the creation of Spring Snow?
Trying to distil the divergent musical worlds of Schubert and kabuki has been a formidable creative challenge. The process is both exciting and daunting because in each rehearsal session we are stepping into the unknown. I don't think anyone has ever merged these two arts before, so there is no blueprint for us to work with. This means we have to forge our own path through continuous trial and error. Collaboratively experimenting with ideas as a way of creating new material is a very stimulating experience, but it also requires a huge amount of time, physical and emotional energy, inspiration, organisation, and patience. We have spent countless hours in the rehearsal room fine-tuning tiny details to find the right musical balance between the piano and shamisen, for instance. Sometimes a section of music that we are working on lasts just seven seconds, but still, we will make various adjustments to the pitch, rhythm, tempo, and volume to achieve a quality of sound that complements the scene. The next day, we return to the rehearsal room and have to remember all the new musical changes from the night before. It can be mentally tough work.
I think these creative challenges are what make Spring Snow such an enriching artistic journey for us. Fleur, Julius, Hibiki and I have all been pulled far out of our comfort zones on this project, which is a vulnerable and exposing place to be. Sometimes I have shared choreography or writing that I've been working on and have felt doubtful about it, but there is an aspect of this doubt that feels potent and charged with energy. To be convinced of something feels more restful, stable, and peaceful, but it doesn't have the same kind of tension. This idea of testing your creative capacity and delving into the unknown as a means of discovery makes me think of my favourite David Bowie quote. In 1997, during his Earthling tour, Bowie gave an interview in which he discussed his approach to creativity and pushing oneself beyond comfortable boundaries:
"Always remember that the reason you started working was that there was something inside yourself that you felt, that if you could manifest it in some way, you would understand more about yourself and how you co-exist with the rest of society... If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting."
What role does costume play in Spring Snow?
Kabuki costume is one of the reasons I fell in love with the artform and it plays a hugely important role in Spring Snow. Our stage set features an elaborate red and gold silk brocade uchikake kimono decorated with snow blossoms, peonies, pines, clouds, and fans. The term "uchikake" refers to a very formal, intricately embroidered outer garment that is traditionally worn by brides in weddings and certain ceremonies, or by stage performers. I sourced this kimono from a private collector in London and made a bespoke ikko kake (kimono stand) to display it during our performance. In Spring Snow, this kimono symbolises the betrothed Sakaki, whom Yasuna searches for in vain. A lighting technician assisting our performance on the day noticed how reflective the gold brocade thread on the kimono was and suggested focusing a boom light on it. This gave the gold colours a shimmering glow and brought the kimono to life in a hauntingly beautiful way.
In addition to the uchikake kimono displayed onstage, Fleur, Julius, Hibiki, and I also wore kimono. In June 2024 I performed in Tokyo with The Royal Opera and spent most of my free time at the kabuki and sourcing costumes for the production. I purchased a number of beautiful kimono and obi belts from a lady called Misako Takeuchi at the Oedo Antique Market. I also perused vintage kimono stores in Asakusa, Harajuku, and Shibuya. For inspiration, I visited the Tokyo National Museum, situated in Ueno Park, which holds one of the most comprehensive kimono and traditional Japanese textiles collections in the world.
Where does the title of this project come from?
The title of our production, Spring Snow, is inspired by Yukio Mishima's Spring Snow, the first novel in his tetralogy, The Sea of Fertility, which was fully published in 1971. Like Yasuna and Schubert's Winterreise, this book delves into the profound themes of love, loss, and the transient nature of life. The story is set in early 20th century Japan and follows the life of Kiyoaki Matsugae, a young aristocrat. Kiyoaki is deeply in love with Satoko Ayakura, the daughter of a noble family. Despite their mutual affection, their relationship is complicated by societal expectations and family obligations. Kiyoaki's passive and indecisive nature leads to missed opportunities and misunderstandings. Satoko becomes engaged to a prince, intensifying the emotional turmoil. The novel follows the consequences of their forbidden love, which leads to tragedy. Mishima's Spring Snow is a poetically written exploration of the clash between tradition and modernity in Japan, with rich descriptions and deep philosophical insights. For me, it is one of those books that I feel a strong need to re-read every so often.
You mentioned Egon Schiele has been an important motif for your choreography in Spring Snow. What do you like about his work and how do you translate this into your own physical language?
Egon Schiele was an Austrian turn-of-the-century artist whose highly expressionistic paintings and drawings reflect his obsession with the human body. Despite his short life—he died at the age of 28—Schiele produced a prolific body of work, including over 300 portraits. It is his self-portraits in particular that fascinate me—the contorted limbs, twisted angular positions, and clenched fingers give me the impression of a tortured man who is a deep thinker and also very sensual. I think these qualities resonate with the character of Yasuna, so I improvise movements while thinking about these gestural details in the dance studio.
I focus on embodying the tension and emotional intensity that Egon Schiele's figures exude. For example, the way Schiele exaggerates the angularity of his limbs or the tautness in his muscles suggests a deep internal struggle. In my choreography, I recreate these sharp angles and contracted forms, allowing my body to express that same sense of inner turmoil and vulnerability. I also explore the idea of isolation, which is often implied by the empty backgrounds in Schiele's self-portraits. By placing my body in space in a way that feels detached or suspended, I aim to capture the haunting loneliness and introspection that permeates his work.
In practical terms, this means experimenting with how I hold tension in my muscles, how I position my hands, and how I move through space with a sense of deliberate awkwardness or strain. These movements are not just physical gestures but emotional expressions that echo Schiele's exploration of the human condition. By embodying these elements, I hope to bring a visceral, almost raw quality to the character of Yasuna, bridging the visual art of Schiele with the performative art of kabuki.
Can a non-kabuki actor train in kabuki?
Yes, David Bowie did it! In 1972, while in Japan for his Ziggy Stardust tour, Bowie went to see a performance at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo. After the show, he met the renowned kabuki actor Bandō Tamasaburō V backstage. Bowie was eager to learn about the art of kabuki make-up and managed to get a personal lesson from Tamasaburō. Kabuki is traditionally an art form where skills and techniques are passed down through generations within established kabuki families. While I have not yet had the opportunity to learn from a professional kabuki artist, theatres in Japan such as the National Theatre of Japan and the Kabuki-za offer training programmes for aspiring kabuki actors. I would love to immerse myself in a period of intensive kabuki training, especially in dance, acrobatics, costume, and make-up.
When can I next see Spring Snow?
Our next Spring Snow staging will take place on 17th January 2025 at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. I look forward to keeping you updated about other performance dates in the near future.
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