[Theater x English Education] Bringing World-Class Education to Japan: Booking Starts for Theater Power 2026 Autumn Tour

Talanton Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Seiko Maeda) has announced the commencement of booking for the 2026 autumn tour of "Theater Power," an English drama education business.

The program provides on-site, participatory English plays performed by professional actors from overseas, targeting a wide range of educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, universities, and international preschools.

Last year, Theater Power performed at numerous educational institutions, including an English play event hosted by Kids International that involved a total of 140 children across six metropolitan area preschools. This year, the company is expanding its service area and inviting consultations from educational institutions nationwide interested in incorporating English drama.

Why "Drama Education" Now?

In Western countries, theater is established as a vital educational tool rather than mere entertainment. For example, in England's National Curriculum (2013 version), drama is a statutory component of "Spoken Language" in the English curriculum, mandating that every student has opportunities to deepen knowledge and understanding through drama.

This "method for fostering the foundation of self-expression" is increasingly being applied to English-as-a-second-language learning in Asian regions, including Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan.

In Japan, however, the link between "theater" and "education" is not readily made, and the concept itself is not yet well-established.

Beyond textbook learning, these experiences—gaining the ability to express oneself physically, the joy of conveying emotions to others, and diving into story worlds through visual imagery—stimulate children's sensibilities from an entirely different angle. Delivering this "drama experience," long practiced in overseas educational settings, to children learning English in Japan is the founding principle of Theater Power.

Case Study: The "Participatory" English Drama at Kids International (140 participants)

During the 2025 autumn tour, Theater Power staged a performance of "How the Elephant Got Its Nose?" based on Rudyard Kipling’s "Just So Stories" for an English drama event organized by Kids International, which operates all-English international preschools in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo and Kanagawa).

This was the preschool's first "drama viewing event" and its first attempt to bring together children from six different locations. On the day of the event, 140 children arrived at the Ebara Ward Center in Shinagawa-ku. Excited by their first drama experience, they entered the hall.

[Event Overview]

Date: October 17, 2025 (Fri)

Performance: "How the Elephant Got Its Nose?" (Original story by Rudyard Kipling)

Cast: Two actors from Australia (Toby Martin and Ella Jaz Macrokanis)

Participants: Approximately 140 children from six metropolitan area preschools

Organizer: Kids International

Production/Management: Talanton Co., Ltd. (Theater Power)

Not Just "Watching"—A Theater Experience Where Children Take the Lead

The performances by Theater Power differ significantly from standard theater where audiences watch from their seats. The defining feature is the "participatory" staging, where children join in English tug-of-war games or go up on stage to help the protagonist.

Children who were initially nervous about their first theater experience were quickly drawn in by the actors' comical movements and soon were cheering loudly in English. Regardless of nationality, culture, or English proficiency, the entire venue became a single team.