Broadcast with After-Talk Featuring Haruka Kinoshita, Hidekazu Shinjima, and Soichi Hirama! Musical 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' Makes Its TV Debut on June 28 (Sun) on CS Eigeki

Photography: Shinnosuke Hosono

CS channel 'Eigeki' will broadcast the musical 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle,' performed in March 2026, for the first time on television on June 28 (Sun) at 7:00 PM.

Bertolt Brecht's renowned play, which depicts a trial over whether a biological or adoptive mother is the 'true' mother, has been reimagined by playwright and director Misaki Setoyama as a story set in the 'future,' transformed into a full-length musical featuring original songs throughout. A stellar cast including Haruka Kinoshita, Soichi Hirama, Makoto Ichiji, and Hidekazu Shinjima portrays humanity's resilience and determination to survive and move forward, even in the aftermath of war. Following the main program, an after-talk featuring Misaki Setoyama, Haruka Kinoshita, Hidekazu Shinjima, and Soichi Hirama will also be aired. Enjoy both the performance and the behind-the-scenes discussion!

Musical 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle'

★ First TV broadcast on CS Eigeki: June 28 (Sun), 7:00 PM onwards!

Recorded from the March 27, 2026 performance at Setagaya Public Theatre, Tokyo

[Original Work] Bertolt Brecht (Translated by Shinichi Sakayori, Tōsen Publishing)

[Script & Direction] Misaki Setoyama

[Music Director] Hirotoshi Sakaida

[Cast] Haruka Kinoshita, Soichi Hirama, sara, Ririka Kato, Mai Mori, Tomoki Nishio, Kimio Takeya, Tomoki Tatsumi, Ruki Saito, Shōtarō Ōkubo, Shōichi Akinoshi, Hiromasa Sakamaki, Madoka Hamano, Makoto Ichiji, Hidekazu Shinjima

[Bass] Ryōzō Ōbayashi

[Guitar] Tetta Ōdachi

[Drums] Kana Komaki

Can humanity become a 'better' version of itself? Misaki Setoyama reinterprets Bertolt Brecht's theatrical masterpiece as a story of 'what comes next.' An after-talk with Setoyama, Kinoshita, Shinjima, and Hirama will follow the broadcast!

'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' is a play written by Bertolt Brecht during his exile in America, filled with hope for the future amid fear of Nazi persecution. While the original was set in a distant past, playwright and director Misaki Setoyama boldly reconfigures it as a story set after a future war. Brecht's masterpiece, which centers on a trial to determine whether a biological or adoptive mother is the true mother of a child, is reimagined as a narrative about 'what comes next.' The production is presented as a musical featuring original songs blending electro, funk, rock, and disco music, brought to life by live performances from renowned musicians Ryōzō Ōbayashi, Tetta Ōdachi, and Kana Komaki.

A powerhouse ensemble cast portrays individuals striving to survive and build a future in a war-ravaged world. Haruka Kinoshita plays Grusha, the kitchen maid who takes in and raises as her own the abandoned child of a governor's family. Soichi Hirama plays Simon, Grusha's fiancé and a soldier departing for the battlefield. Makoto Ichiji plays the 'Singer of the Traveling Troupe,' narrating the story with powerful vocals. Hidekazu Shinjima plays Azdak, a drunken man who accidentally becomes a judge during the rebellion and must decide who is the true mother of the child.

[Synopsis]

After a future war ends, people return to a desolate land. As conflicts arise over land ownership, the Singer of the Traveling Troupe (Makoto Ichiji) begins singing about a past war. On Easter Day, a coup occurs, overthrowing the governor. Amid the chaos, kitchen maid Grusha (Haruka Kinoshita) promises to marry Simon (Soichi Hirama), a soldier heading to the front lines. After parting with Simon, Grusha witnesses Natella (sara), the governor's wife, abandoning her child while fleeing the castle. Defying the warnings of her friend, fellow kitchen maid Slika (Ririka Kato), Grusha flees with the child. In the harsh cold, upon reaching a remote borderland, Grusha resolves to raise the child while waiting for Simon. Meanwhile, the drunkard Azdak (Hidekazu Shinjima) is randomly chosen as a judge amid the war's chaos. Azdak takes bribes and delivers questionable, almost fraudulent rulings. Eventually, the civil war ends, and Natella arrives to reclaim the child. Who is the true mother—Natella or Grusha? The trial presided over by Azdak begins.

Photography: Shinnosuke Hosono

Photography: Shinnosuke Hosono

Photography: Shinnosuke Hosono

Photography: Shinnosuke Hosono

Photography: Shinnosuke Hosono

Photography: Shinnosuke Hosono

★ For more details on the musical 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle,' click here:

https://www.eigeki.com/series/S80023

★ Watch the trailer for 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vujJfPMZih0

★ How to watch CS Eigeki:

https://www.eigeki.com/page/howto

★ For inquiries regarding viewing:

Eigeki Customer Center:

0570-001-444

※ Reception hours: 10:00–20:00 (year-round)

For IP phone users: 03-6741-7535