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Re-imagining Shakespeare in Contemporary Japan

A Selection of Japanese Theatrical Adaptations of Shakespeare

Professor Tetsuhito Motoyama editor Rosalind Fielding editor Fumiaki Konno editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:11th Feb '21

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Re-imagining Shakespeare in Contemporary Japan cover

This is a selection of three exciting Japanese adaptations of Shakespeare that engage with issues such as changing family values, racial diversity, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and terrorism.

An anthology of three exciting Japanese adaptations of Shakespeare that engage with issues such as changing family values, racial diversity, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and terrorism, together with a contextualizing introduction.

The anthology makes contemporary Japanese adaptations of Shakespeare by three independent theatre companies available to a wider English language audience. The three texts are concerned with the social issues Japan faces today and Japan’s perception of its cultural history. This unique collection is thus both a valuable resource for the fields of Shakespeare and adaptation studies as well as for a better understanding of contemporary Japanese theatre.

The vibrancy of contemporary Japanese theatre is nowhere more evident than in this collection of three plays, all related to Shakespeare, whose texts now serve as a ubiquitous “data base” for Japanese dramatists seeking new creative possibilities, from homage to burlesque. King Lear, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet, here brilliantly expanded and transposed, appear in eloquent translations, accompanied by superlative background essays and interviews. A delight for readers or potential performers. * J. Thomas Rimer, University of Pittsburgh, USA *
The history of Shakespeare in Japan is one of the most unique, idiosyncratic and interesting branches of ‘global Shakespeare’. Hitherto scholars have focused mainly on Japanese translation, cultural reception and performance. This book takes the discipline to the next level, providing translated examples of free adaptations, together with substantial critical explication and contextualisation. An invaluable resource for the expanding study of a fascinating cultural field. * Graham Holderness, writer and critic *

ISBN: 9781350116245

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 454g

328 pages