Théatre Lapis premiered on the New York stage in spring 2012 with its production of the musical Ordinary Days. Our aim at Théatre Lapis is to question traditional boundaries including those that exist between musical and straight plays, between western and eastern cultures, and to seek other frontiers.
Artistic Director: YOJIRO ICHIKAWA
芸術監督:市川洋二郎
Our Artistic Director Yojiro Ichikawa, a graduate of MA Directing at Arts Educational Schools London, has been working internationally in the UK, US and Japan, in various kinds of theatre including musical, drama and physical theatre. His aim is to bridge many borders including those between musical, physical and straight theatres, western and eastern cultures, and other contexts where our differences might enhance our creative expressions. All of his activities can be found at theatrelapis.org, Facebook, twitter and Instagram.
He started his career working with the Shiki Theatre Company in his native Japan where he directed, assisted and translated numerous productions including “Once on This Island,” “Songs for A New World” and the Japanese premiere of Tony award winning musical “Spring Awakening”.
In 2010 he won a fellowship with the prestigious Overseas Study Programme for Artists that offered him the opportunity to learn about theatres both in London and NY a year each. In the UK Yojiro participated in projects and workshops at The National Theatre, Young Vic, Complicite, Drama Centre London and Arts Ed. His work in the US included fellowships at the New York Theatre Workshop and The Play Co. and participation in the Lincoln Center Directors Lab in 2012 and 2013.
His directing credits include ‘Tell Me On A Sunday’ at the New National Theatre Tokyo, which won a drama award in Japan, ’URINETOWN’ at Bridewell Theatre; which received five star reviews, ‘Ordinary Days’ both in London and New York, ‘Cutouts: Letter from the Sea’, a devised show for children produced by Polish Theatre Bydgoszcz celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Poland which subsequently was invited to revive at the National Theatre Tokyo in the following year, ‘Pearl and Dagger’, a new musical based on a Japanese folktale and created through the collaboration between the British and Japanese creatives and specially invited by the Other Palace Theatre to hold a staged workshop production, ‘ONDINE’ at Clifftown Theatre, a collaboration with BA World Performance at East 15 Acting School, and ‘The Red Candle – Mermaids in the East’ which premiered at the Brunel Museum and was critically acclaimed and was also appreciated by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
Additionally, he has collaborated with many international artists including David Leveaux (“Eternal Chikamatsu”), Harold Prince, Susan Stroman(“Prince of Broadway”), Marcello Magni(“Tinker Bell in Shoji-land”) and Thom Southerland(“TITANIC” and “Grand Hotel”).
Directing credits include:
UK&EU: Pearl and Dagger (The Other Palace, The Bandstand in Battersea Park), Cutouts: Letter from the Sea (Teatr Polski Bydgoszcz ), URINETOWN (Bridewell Theatre), ONDINE (Clifftown Theatre), Ordinary Days (Bridewell Theatre), The Red Candle – Mermaids in the East (Brunel Museum), Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure (The Bloomsbury Theatre), Four Seasons (Trafalgar Square), From Up Here (Tristan Bates Theatre, UK Tour),
US: Ordinary Days (Access Theatre), Alone World (LCT workshop),
JP: Cutouts: Letter from the Sea (The New National Theatre), Tell Me On A Sunday (The New National Theatre), Songs For A New World (Mitaka Public Theatre), Once On This Island (Komaba Space Theatre).
Assisting credits include:
UK: Legally Blonde (Arts Ed), EVITA (UK Tour),
US: Toni Stone (Roundabout Theatre Company, SDCF Observer)
JP: Spring Awakening (Shiki), Tinker Bell In Shoji-land (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre). TITANIC the musical (Theatre Cocoon)
Translating credits include:
JP: Tell Me On A Sunday (The New National Theatre), Songs For A New World (Mitaka Public Theatre), Once On This Island (Komaba Space Theatre), Spring Awakening (Shiki), TITANIC the musical (Theatre Cocoon), Prince of Broadway (Tokyu Theatre Orbe), Grand Hotel (Akasaka ACT Theatre), Eternal Chikamatsu (Theatre Cocoon),
Acting credits include:
UK: GIRI / HAJI (BBC, Netflix), Musical ‘Marco Porlo’ (General Inrinchin, Shaw Theatre)
演出家／翻訳・訳詞家。Théatre Lapis芸術監督。
東京大学文学部卒業後、音楽座ミュージカルおよび劇団四季を経て、2010年度文化庁新進芸術家海外研修制度の研修員としてロンドンとNYで一年ずつ滞在、The National Theatre, Young Vic Theatre, Lincoln Center Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Complicite, Drama Centre Londonなどで研修を積む。2012年、再びロンドンに戻りロイド=ウェバー卿が学園長を務めるArts Educational Schools Londonにて舞台演出の修士課程を修了。英国、米国、日本で文化間の壁を越え、それらを融合させた舞台芸術をテーマに活動中。
英国における演出作『The Red Candle – Mermaids in the East』は、和と洋の文化の絶妙なコラボレーションとして高い評価を獲得。ウェセックス伯爵エドワード王子の前でパフォーマンスする機会にも恵まれ、王子から直々の賛辞をもらった。日本での本格的な演出デビュー作『Tell Me On A Sunday〜サヨナラは日曜日に〜』では、日本人に向けた丁寧なアプローチで、作品を読売演劇大賞優秀女優賞受賞へと導いた。和洋折衷の演出で好評を博したEast15 Acting School BA World Performanceとの舞台『オンディーヌ』や、University of Portsmouth BA Musical Theatreとのワークショップなど、若い俳優の育成プロジェクトにも積極的に参加。2018年10月に東京・大阪にて翻訳したミュージカル『タイタニック』が再演、11月にロンドンにて演出したミュージカル『ユーリンタウン』は多方面で５つ星・４つ星レビューを受けるなど高い評価を得た。
ロンドンにてミュージカル『Marco Polo – An Untold Love Story』等の舞台や『Mr.Holmes』『Zansho』等の映画、『GIRI / HAJI』等のBBCやNetflixの番組に出演するなど、俳優としても精力的に活動。アレキサンダーテクニックに基づき身体と精神の融合を目指した指導を行うヴォーカルコーチとしても定評があり、これまで、国内外の俳優をはじめ多くの生徒を教えている。。
-主な作品-
＜英国＞『The Red Candle – Mermaids in the East』（演出）、『Marco Polo – An Untold Love Story』（出演：General Irinchin役 ）、『Screw Eyed』（演出）、『Peter Pan-A Musical Adventure-』（演出）、『”Four Seasons” in Japan Festival』(演出)、『From Up Here』（演出）、『The House of Mirrors and Hearts』（演出）、『EVITA』（演出助手）、『Legally Blonde』（演出助手）
＜米国＞『Ordinary Days』（演出）、『Alone World』（演出）
＜日本＞『TELL ME ON A SUNDAY〜サヨナラは日曜日に〜』（演出・翻訳・訳詞）、『グランドホテル』（翻訳・訳詞）、『ETERNAL CHIKAMATSU』（台本英訳）、『PRINCE OF BROADWAY』（日本語ナレーション翻訳）『タイタニック』（演出助手兼 翻訳・訳詞、ヴォーカルスーパーヴァイザー）『障子の国のティンカーベル』（演出助手兼 歌唱指導）『春のめざめ』（演出助手兼 翻訳・訳詞）、『55 Steps』(訳詞)、『Songs for A New World』（演出兼 翻訳・訳詞）、『Once on This Island』（演出兼 翻訳・訳詞）
Interviews
[English]
[Japanese]
All About (Tell Me On A Sunday について)