Japanese Hit Play “High Life” at Artspring

September 1st and 2nd at 8:00 p.m. at Artspring. A band of junkies attempts to rob a bank in a Japanese adaptation of Canadian playwright Lee MacDougall’s darkly comic work “High Life”. This is a story of four men living so close to the edge that they’ve completely fallen off: four very ordinary, very likeable chaps, who just happen to be addicted to a life of crime and drugs. Direct from Victoria’s Fringe Festival to Salt Spring, highly acclaimed “High Life” is set in a large Canadian city and is written in the tradition of “Reservoir Dogs” and “Trainspotting”, painting a portrait of hilarious yet desperate lives on the edge.

The play is performed by Ryuzanji Company from Japan which has grown out of the Japanese underground and small theatre movement. The Company was formed by Show Ryuzanji in 1984 to create a horizontal affiliation among small theatre activists and develop a Japanese theatre circle.  It uses talent and material from different genres: classical, modern, dance, and musical genres as well as Japanese Classical plays and believes that theatre can exist anywhere, putting on performances not only in theatres, but also as outdoor plays and street plays.

In addition to being the Company founder and artistic director, Show Ryuzanji also directs this play. Ryuzanji is a renowned Japanese stage director, actor, and producer and has continually been at the forefront of the second generation of Japan’s small theatre movement. So far he has directed over 200 plays, and has also appeared in a number of plays, films and television dramas as a powerful character actor. He also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Japan Stage Directors Association and the Director of Japan Theatre Companies Association.

In the year 2000, Ryuzanji Company was awarded the Grand Prix “Best of Fringe” at Victoria’s Fringe International Theatre Festival for their performance of “Educating Mad Persons”.

High Life, originally in English, has since been translated into Japanese and has been a long-running hit in Japan. The show is coming home to its country of origin as a part of its tour through Taiwan, China, Korea and Russia.

The company is being sponsored on Salt Spring by Raven Street Café and the Japanese Garden Society. Performances are September 1st and 2nd at 8:00 p.m. at Artspring. There is a hosted reception at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, and are available now at Artspring. It is advisable to get your tickets early for best seats as Ryuzanji Company’s last performance here sold out!

The play is in Japanese with English subtitles. Caution: there is coarse language and mature subject matter (parental guidance suggested).

Submitted by Shinobu Verhagen