The World's Largest Shakespeare Festival Kicks Off with a Japanese Theater Troupe! Kakushinhan's 'Shin Titus' Selected as the Opening Performance.
Key facts
- The World's Largest Shakespeare Festival Kicks Off with a Japanese Theater Troupe! Kakushinhan's 'Shin Titus' Selected as the Opening Performance.
- Japanese theater troupe Kakushinhan will headline the opening of the International Shakespeare Festival 2026.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: March 28, 2026
Direct answer
Japanese theater troupe Kakushinhan will headline the opening of the International Shakespeare Festival 2026.
- Citation
- The World's Largest Shakespeare Festival Kicks Off with a Japanese Theater Troupe! Kakushinhan's 'Shin Titus' Selected as the Opening Performance. (March 28, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- March 28, 2026
Japanese theater troupe Kakushinhan will headline the opening of the International Shakespeare Festival 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 16:34
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (5h 24m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 07:26 (417h 26m after Collected)
Among Shakespeare's plays, Titus Andronicus is known as his bloodiest revenge tragedy.
Director Ryunosuke Kimura has reinterpreted this work, infusing it with prayers for a modern world plagued by endless war and conflict. By collaborating with Komparu-style Noh performer Tsuna-o Yamai, the production places the spirit of traditional Japanese Noh at its core. Beneath the stage's depiction of a cycle of bloodshed, a "prayer for world peace" flows as a constant bass note.
The premiere was forced to be canceled twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Driven by a strong determination to "complete this prayer now," the production was moved to a massive warehouse. In 2023, it was successfully staged at "WAREHOUSE," a community space formerly used as a factory within the "OKS CAMPUS" at the Oizumi Factory headquarters in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture.
Now, this production has been selected as the opening act for the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival 2026. It will be performed for two days, on Thursday, May 21, and Friday, May 22, 2026, at the Marin Sorescu National Theatre (Amza Pellea Hall) before an international audience.
The cast features a diverse lineup, led by Tsuna-o Yamai and Fuka Haruna, who delivered powerful performances in the 2023 version, Shin Titus REBORN. Returning from the previous production are Go Kijima, Miki Takii, Rion Yanagimoto, Mark Yudai Iwasaki, Ryo Morimoto, Seiji Miyagawa, and Yukari Sanyutei. They are joined by six new actors: Hirotaka Kato, Mayumi Shichimi, Momoyo Tateno, Shin Hikage, Natsuyama Tatsumoto, and Hiroichi Tate-gata. With Noh Yoshida joining for live musical accompaniment, the 2026 version of Shin Titus is set to take the stage.
FAQ
When and where will Kakushinhan's 'Shin Titus' be performed as the opening act of the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival 2026?
It will be performed on Thursday, May 21 and Friday, May 22, 2026 at the Marin Sorescu National Theatre (Amza Pellea Hall) in Craiova, Romania before an international audience.
Which director reinterpreted Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus with a modern peace prayer and collaborated with a Komparu-style Noh performer?
Director Ryunosuke Kimura reinterpreted Titus Andronicus and collaborated with Komparu-style Noh performer Tsuna-o Yamai to embed traditional Japanese Noh spirit and a prayer for world peace.
What location and former facility housed the 2023 staging of Shin Titus REBORN after two COVID-19 cancellations?
The 2023 staging took place at the venue called "WAREHOUSE," a community space that was previously a factory within the OKS CAMPUS at the Oizumi Factory headquarters in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Which actors led the 2023 version of Shin Titus REBORN and which performers returned from the previous production?
The 2023 version was led by Tsuna-o Yamai and Fuka Haruna, while returning performers from the previous production included Go Kijima, Miki Takii, Rion Yanagimoto, Mark Yudai Iwasaki, Ryo Morimoto, Seiji Miyagawa, and Yukari Sanyutei.
How many days and which specific dates in May 2026 is the opening performance scheduled, and what is the name of the hall within the national theatre?
The opening performance is scheduled for two consecutive days—Thursday, May 21 and Friday, May 22, 2026—at the Amza Pellea Hall inside the Marin Sorescu National Theatre.