Truly "Iki" (Chic). Yui Komazuka's "Edo Ninjo-banashi"

The moment she appears, the "breath of Edo" spreads throughout the entire theater.
"Atsushi Fujiura Edo Ninjo-banashi Memorial Performance" performed by Yui Komazuka at Za-Koenji 2.

The movements, gestures, and narrative style of Komazuka-san, who appeared following the opening remarks,
give the impression that the comfortable world of Edo is deeply ingrained in her.

I have attended the "Edo Ninjo-banashi" gatherings held at Yoshiwara's "Kanamura" several times before, but
this time it was at Za-Koenji 2. The venue changed from a hall with about 30 seats to a theater with over 300 seats,
and wondering how it would be in such a large box, I took a seat quite far back, but...
Not at all; as expected of Komazuka-san, who has gained experience in many theaters,
she grasped every corner of the "Za" theater space and brilliantly captivated the audience.

The program was Kumo-kiri Nizaemon, which I like, and
there is a scene where a henchman quietly and soundlessly opens the sliding door (fusuma) of the room where Kumo-kiri is sleeping.
The moment the door was opened slightly, I could even feel the movement of the air, as if a mass of air from the six-tatami-mat bedroom had slipped out through the gap,
and the sensation of the mass of air changing its shape by that much.

I noticed one thing about the performance at Za-Koenji this time.
It is that this large theater is effective for conveying silence.

For example, there was an expression of Kumo-kiri running away without leaving footprints, but
the slight pause at that moment, by taking the silence of the theater space as an ally, felt even more realistic.

I even thought it would be fine to have it here every time, but
the texture of that hall in Yoshiwara is also hard to let go of.
In the end, Yoshiwara has the goodness of Yoshiwara, and
this theater has the goodness of a theater.

To add a final superfluous remark,
what feels very comfortable in Komazuka-san's lines is
the "a" in "yagaraa" when she says things like "nantoka de yagaraa" or "yatte yagaraa."
This "a" is important, I realized.
Perhaps if this wavers, the Edo-ness and the chic feeling might disappear.
I thought I would pay a little attention to this next time I watch another Edo-themed play.

The programs for the day were "Kuruwa no Yoru Sumida no Shiranami" and "Ryuken Ekiko Negishi no Kumokiri"

In between, there was a memorial talk.
The speakers were Katsuhito Yamada (theater journalist), Masanori Kudo (film director),
Sora Arai (tea master), and Hakushi Nakae (fourth-generation owner of Yoshiwara Sakuranabe Nakae).
I was able to get a sense of Mr. Fujiura's character.

By the way, Yui Komazuka has a packed schedule of storytelling gatherings and plays after this.
She is truly energetic, and I am humbled.

She is also scheduled to participate in a ghost story project on my radio show.

I look forward to it.

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