[Play Review] UME -Konjaku Futodokimono Kageki- @ Sunshine Theatre

Full of service.
In the lobby, there were even game elements like shooting.
With a full-blown festival atmosphere,
it felt closer to popular theater than a fancy stage play.
Just before the performance, Matsuoka-kun walked through the audience.
He was composed, as expected.

Once it started,
they were almost constantly on stage.
All the performers were out there the whole time,
singing, dancing, and acting.
The amount of dialogue must have been substantial, right?

The story depicts modern life insurance fraud
alongside the path of Yoshimune, the fourth son of the Kishu Tokugawa family who had peasant blood, as he rises to become Shogun.

The script and direction are by Maruo Maruichiro of Gekidan Shika Goroshi.
A complex story unfolds.
Reading the interview might deepen your understanding. Below:

The modern life insurance fraud involves migrant workers from the Philippines and Vietnam.
Matsuoka-kun gives a great performance as a man who can no longer chase his dreams and has lost sight of love,
as well as Yoshimune, who changes his personality as he climbs to the seat of power.

The truth, which twists and turns, links with history.
The scenario is written by a mysterious insurance salesman.
I think he's probably a devil.
This narrator is eerie but well-crafted.
Machiura Pink-san
did a wonderful job singing the upbeat numbers in a suspicious way.

Of course, the young cast members were energetic.
The actresses were also interesting.
It was also a nice touch that the entire ensemble dressed up as suspicious women.

And the live feel—
the percussion and shamisen were great.

The stage design was also very well done.
Mirror-like walls were placed to surround the plum tree in the center.
It was eerie, yet beautiful.

During the story, many poisons are mentioned along with their lethal doses.
The familiarity of it all was shocking.
It felt like society was being reflected there as well.

Since Maruo-san is also a performer, he appears in it too.
He really looked like he was having fun.

It was an interesting play.