Unleash the Fury: ‘PORNOGRAPHY/RAGE’ Hits Theaters in February 2025

Two works that had a profound impact on the European and American theater world will be performed simultaneously on Theater Tram. Directed by Tomoya Kiriyama, two works by British playwright Simon Stevens, “Pornography” and “Rage,” are performed simultaneously by the same cast.
Simon Stevens is one of the leading playwrights in the British theater world, having written approximately 30 plays and served as Artistic Associate at the Lyric Theater and Associate Playwright at the Royal Court.
His writing skills have been highly praised, including winning the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for the stage adaptation of the novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” Director Kiriyama will perform “Pornography” as a reading at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater in 2021, and this time, along with “Rage,” it will be newly directed and performed as a double bill of Simon Stevens’ work.
“Pornography” is a work written about the series of subway and bus bombings that occurred in July 2005, set in London, which is excited about the decision to host the Olympics. The daily lives of various people, including victims, people around them, and perpetrators, are depicted in seven omnibus formats. “Rage” premiered in Hamburg in 2016. A group drama inspired by the photographs taken by Joel Goodman, which capture the chaotic New Year’s Eve scenes in British cities as 2015 turns into 2016.

Act 1: “Pornography,” an omnibus depiction of the loneliness of city dwellers against the backdrop of a series of terrorist bombings.
Act 2: “Rage” depicts the chaos in the city on New Year’s Eve with an ensemble drama.

He won the Kinokuniya Drama Award Individual Award for his roles in the plays “The Guards of the Taj Mahal” and “The Glass Menagerie.” He made a vivid impression at the Setagaya Public Theater in “Littoral Kishi” and “Foret,” and he also starred in the NHK TV drama series “Ranman.” Yoshiaki Kameda became a hot topic for his role as Sakutaro Nomiya. Keiko Takeshita won the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for the movie “School” and continues to appear in many works such as the stage play “Maruha Shokudo 2024”, “Silent Sky”, and the drama “Okaeri Mone”. She made her first stage appearance as a member of the first generation of Saitama Next Theater, directed by Yukio Ninagawa, played a unique girl in the Setagaya Public Theater “Tic”, and won the Yomiuri Theater Award for Excellence in “Hamlet” by Pale Boys and Girls in 2012. Kate Doi receives an award. He won the Best Leading Actor Award at the Takasaki Film Festival, and on stage he showed his fresh charm in “Tropical Tree” and “Mori Foret” at the Setagaya Public Theater, and in “Come Blow Your Horn~Declaration of Independence~”. Starring: Rei Okamoto, starring in the movie “Chadrinking Friends.” Sara is a major newcomer who plays the difficult role of Othello’s wife in the stage play “Othello” and appears in musicals and plays such as “Dreamgirls” and “In the Heights.” Tanaka continues to appear in notable works such as the stage play “Atsui Chisawagi”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Part-Timer Akiko”, “Decalogue”, “Touching the Void”, and the drama “Scarlet”. Toru. Riku Furuya joined Seinenza in 2019 and is currently active in plays such as “Legend of Beautiful Things”, “Wingless Angel Without Wings”, and “Ketsuburo yo – Noe Ito is back home now”. Chisato Kamo has appeared in the stage play “Media/Iason” directed by Shintaro Mori, “The Tragedy of King Lear” directed by Shuntaro Fujita, and the drama “Yuria Sensei’s Red Thread.” On stage, Yuki Morinaga has appeared in Mansai Nomura’s productions such as “The Meridian Shrine” and “Hamlet” at the Setagaya Public Theater, as well as “Mansai’s DENGEI Lab Vol. 2 “The Tale of the Heike.” Jun Saito was selected as one of the top 5 best actors in the first half of 2023 at the Yomiuri Theater Awards, and is active in plays and movies such as the stage play “Stalin”, “Nogamo”, and the movie “Godzilla-1.0″. Kazutoyo Yoshimi has appeared in “The Meridian Shrine” at the Setagaya Public Theater, and has appeared in many other productions including the stage play “Ai Ai”, the movie “Shylock’s Children”, and the drama “The 13 People of Kamakura-dono”. The above-mentioned unique and attractive casting.

Tomoya Kiriyama comment
First of all, I would like to thank all the very brave performers who took part in this provocative project of presenting two completely different works by Simon Stevens at once, with an intermission in between! When I looked at it again, I found a somewhat strange lineup that I had never seen before in any of my works. However, I have once again realized that this mysterious, or if I may venture to say strangeness, is what this world is all about. While depicting “individuals” or “soles” in various ways, it is also the work of Simon Stevens, who depicts the entire world that surrounds us. I’m happy and reliable to be able to create work with everyone like that, and I can’t wait for rehearsals to begin. I hope that the audience will be able to see the world depicted by all the performers.

Performance summary
Simon Stevens Double Bill “PORNOGRAPHY/RAGE”
Date/venue: Mid-February to early March 2025 Theater Tram
Written by: Simon Stevens
Translation: Soushi Odajima (“Pornography”) Yoko Takada (“Rage”)
Directed by: Tomoya Kiriyama
Cast: Yoshiaki Kameda, Kate Doi, Rei Okamoto, Sara, Toru Tanaka, Riku Furuya, Chisato Kamo, Yuki Morinaga, Jun Saito, Kazutoyo Yoshimi, Keiko Takeshita
Swing Wako Ito Yuki Morinaga
Sponsored by: Setagaya Cultural Foundation
Planning and production: Setagaya Public Theater
Sponsored by: Setagaya Ward
Planning cooperation: KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater (“Pornography”)

Formula HP: