The North East Theatre Guide: Preview: Butoh Medea at Edinburgh Paradise Green

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Preview: Butoh Medea at Edinburgh Paradise Green

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East meets West

Butoh Medea

Edinburgh Paradise Green

8^th -15^th, 17^th -22^nd, 24^th -30^th August 2015

East meets West: Japanese Butoh dance and Greek theatre breathe new life into the ancient tale of Medea.

Photo: Derek Van Heel

Using the Japanese dance of Butoh and an adapted text, Japanese actress Yokko tells the story of Medea through solo performance. This fusion of Western drama and Eastern dance draws the audience into Medea’s spirit. They experience the world she is trapped in where love, hate, and the struggle between her humanity and inhumanity take hold.

“…unforgettable theatre…I highly recommend that you experience Medea as you never have before.” – Chris Carlone, Butoh Heart.

Photo: Vanessa Teran

Butoh Medea premiered in New York City in 2014, conceiving a new genre of performance. It received 4 awards at the United Solo theatre festival in 2014, including Best One-Woman Show. United Solo presented 130 productions from 6 different continents. Yokko started creating Butoh Medea in March 2014 by adapting the mythological Medea and Euripides' tragic dramatization of her story using the Japanese modern dance form of Butoh.

"It was breathtaking performance." - Kaoru Komi, Syukan New York Seikatsu Press.

Cast & Creatives:

Director: Brian Rhinehart Writer: Sean Michael Welsh

Adapter: Yokko & Sean Michael Welsh Producer: Ren Gyo Soh and Laura Kressly

Lighting Design: Derek Van Heel Costume Design: Deepsikha Chatterjee

Choreography: Yokko and Jordan Rosin Asst. Director: Cihangir Duman

Vocal Coach: Alyssa Ciccarello Performer: Yokko