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Anime-inspired theatre shows, long established in Japan, are a relative novelty for British audiences — although last year’s smash hit RSC version of Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro, which returns to London soon, proved their potential.
The Anglo-Japanese company Whole Hog Theatre were arguably ahead of the game; they premiered a stage version of another Miyazaki film, Princess Mononoke, in 2013, and have created various UK/Japan collaborations since then. The Garden Of Words is based on a 2013 romantic drama film, later manga novel, by Makoto Shinkai. Following its debut in London, it will transfer to Tokyo in November.
Although the themes of The Garden Of Words — isolation, independent youth, the environment — have recurred throughout Shinkai’s works, including his latest film Suzume, here the drama is rooted in the everyday. On rainy days, 15-year-old Takao (Hiroki Berrecloth) skips school for the sanctuary of a Tokyo park, where he encounters the enigmatic Yukari (Aki Nakagawa), an older woman escaping work stresses, or perhaps society at large. A complex friendship develops between this pair of outsiders: Takao earnestly dreams of becoming a shoe designer; Yukari eloquently quotes Man’yoshu classical poetry.
Directed by WHT co-founder Alexandra Rutter, this is a compact production with impressively far-reaching ambitions, which will surely appeal to both anime obsessives and new audiences alike. Evoking Shinkai’s lucid palette, Cindy Lin’s shape-shifting set design is a cut-out silhouette of the city skyline that transforms fluidly into a packed commuter train or the lush wisteria blossom of the park.
Combining projections, puppetry and group choreography, the multimedia elements feel slightly busy; fortunately, the seven-strong cast find their flow, and Mark Choi’s elegant score heightens the atmosphere. There are pertly funny lines, and poignant unspoken sentiments. The bond between the leads feels intense yet sensitive, and Berrecloth captures the exhilaration and disorientation of adolescence. In one scene, when he imagines he is soaring above the city, we seem to take flight with him.
While the original 46-minute film places Takao’s perspective at the centre of the action, this two-act version expands on surrounding characters, including Shoko (Shoko Ito), a popular schoolgirl facing her own torments. As Yukari gently observes: “all humans are weird”.
★★★★☆
To September 9, parktheatre.co.uk
