Kafka on the Shore

for a previous production "Audacious in its ambition but not fully satisfying in its execution, 'Kafka on the Shore' possesses plenty to admire but not quite enough to adore. Still, while it doesn’t quite achieve the level of theatrical lyricism it attempts, this production does find an exceedingly accessible tone, lending a gentle, deeply humane sensibility to a play filled with philosophical aspirations." Full Review

for a previous production "Frank Galati's adaptation can tease out its parallels - so Kafka muses on Adolf Eichmann at the same time as Nakata witnesses mass 'catricide' - but the story refuses the centrifugal logic of good drama or the connective logic by which theatre makes meaning. It's more nebulous than that - and it's possible Murakami's saying something quite simple in quite over-complicated, wishy-washy ways. It all teeters on pretentiousness." Full Review

for a previous production "Even if the narrative is top-heavy with themes and ideas, including the circularity of time and the shifting nature of identity, the staging is riveting. A world poised between reality and dream, which embraces everything from wild forests to neon-lit urban hells, and introduces characters ranging from talking cats to Hegel-quoting sex-workers...The play quotes Yeats’s epigram that 'in dreams begin responsibility.' One might add that dreams can also end in a sensuous theatrical spectacle." Full Review

for a previous production "The delight — and irritation — of Murakami’s 2002 story is that it slips and slides between fantasy and reality so that, as in a dream, every time you think you have fathomed its meaning it slithers again from your grasp...Director Yukio Ninagawa does a magnificent job of bringing this enigmatic work to the stage...To enjoy it, probably best not to seek sense, but just go along for the strange and beguiling ride." Full Review

for a previous production "The success of telling such a story is largely dependent on the strength of the actors embodying the two men on journeys. In the case of this production, the two leading actors aren’t quite up to the acting challenge. It’s a formidable one...While this production is far from perfect, I give definite kudos to Artistic Director Richard Henrich and his creative team for taking on the ambitious project." Full Review

for a previous production "Tumbling dreamily into the world of Japanese magic realism, Yukio Ninagawa’s spectacular production is one of the more visually striking plays of the year...Marching very much to the beat of its own drum, Ninagawa defies notions of theatrical logic as we might see them and even if it isn’t always completely successful, it is most thrilling to watch." Full Review

for a previous production "Director Yukio Ninagawa is known for his style and his image making. With his designers, he has done it again... Frank Galati’s adaptation makes things seem simpler than the novel with its tightened storyline while still leaving the audience to sort out what it is all about. Ninagawa’s production is so theatrically engaging—even its slow gliding scene change is mesmeric—that even if you are still left wondering what Murakami is saying you will have a satisfying three hours of theatre." Full Review

for a previous production "Alternately maddening and gratifying. 'Kafka' is gorgeous, poetic and enigmatic. Every action, character, place and object within Murakami's densely, double-plotted story symbolizes something else. Scratch the surface and you find your peering down endless, twisting rabbit holes of myth, legend and subtext. 'Kafka' requires that you succumb to what you don't understand. You'll never get it all. So rather than fretting and frowning because you won't, it's best to just let Galati's searing sta... Full Review

for a previous production "A fluid journey where time is relative and nothing is mundane, 'Kafka on the Shore' is intense, engaging, and erotic...If you are looking for a theatrical experience that could be described as Zen meets avant-garde, 'Kafka on the Shore' may be your kind of show...If you embrace the experience of this play, Kafka and Nakata's crisscrossing journeys have the potential to grip you. But remember, you have been warned: you cannot check your brain at the door." Full Review

for a previous production "The transference of Murakami’s work from page to stage is a successful one in most parts. Where it fails to better the book is in its inability to authoritatively separate the dialogue from the previous medium. Watching the stage version, you can never escape the source material because of a dependency to use dialogue lifted directly from the book. In some ways this adds a level of poetry to the script, but mostly it feels as though the characters were limited by the dialogue. In its languag... Full Review

for a previous production "The control and detail of the performances are equally breathtaking...They are supported by an outstanding cast, and the tireless stagehands, who got a well deserved curtain call of their own. The adaptation, on the winsome side of cute, has its longueurs, and if you’re a cat-hater with a preference for a clear narrative line, this isn’t the play for you. But anyone else will find it hard to resist the tender playfulness of this beguiling production." Full Review

for a previous production "If you are looking for the straightforward tale, you had better not venture into 'Kafka on the Shore...' a time bending, universe altering postmodern coming of age story...After an utterly delightful first act, Galati’s adaptation begins to unravel, splintering into more parallel universes than a string theorist on crack. And the production that began as a crisp, wonderful dream-play of anima and animus archetypes ends as a collection of favorite truisms and talking heads, which might be fin... Full Review

for a previous production "A theatrical event that is stunning, dark, playful, frightening, charming and beautifully abstract. The lines between reality and dreams are erased, creating a bizarre exploration of philosophy, responsibility, Karma, sexuality, magical realism and a number of other elliptical themes...This is a rare and wonderful theatrical impracticality that should not be missed." Full Review

for a previous production "An ever-shifting mirage where dream and reality, past and future, here and there all twist and collide. It’s a book about ideas, encompassing western philosophy, Greek tragedy, psychoanalysis and science fiction. It should translate horribly to the stage, but legendary director Yukio Ninagawa is up to the challenge...The acting is excellent and a genuine love of the material shines through. It’s a tour-de-force adaptation of an unadaptable novel." Full Review

for a previous production "As astonished as the audience was, the novelty soon wore off and those compartmentalized sets became obstacles to the flow of the drama. They started to dominate the stage rather than complement performance, especially when it took a considerable time to shift the set-boxes around...Despite these performances, though, perhaps we should take 'Kafka on the Shore' as an exception that proves the rule when it comes to Ninagawa. There’s no doubt that the director can be a genius on the stage. It’... Full Review

for a previous production "A mesmerizing barrage of elusive, impressionistic, dream-like stage pictures stitched together...There is a fairly rigorous and explicit logic at work in his adaptation and careful readers will be rewarded, amused, and most importantly, enriched by Galati’s version. Those who haven’t read should be just as well rewarded. If nothing else, viewers will agree the show is visually compelling and, all told, it’s also an impressively faithful compression of a 500-page novel. Full Review