Noh Reimagined 2024 at Kings Place and Aldebugh Festival

“Noh Reimagined 2024: Classics of Noh Tragedy” at Kings Place

The 2024 “Noh Reimagined” festival at Kings Place celebrated two classic Japanese tragedies: “Sumidagawa” and “Kinuta.”

“Sumidagawa” by Kanze Motomasa (c. 1394-1432) tells the poignant story of a mother searching for her kidnapped son, only to discover he died a year earlier. This renowned play inspired Benjamin Britten’s opera “Curlew River.”

“Kinuta,” believed to be the final masterpiece of Zeami Motokiyo (c. 1363 – c. 1443), evokes the loneliness of an abandoned wife through the rhythmic beating of the “kinuta” (fulling block), symbolizing the fading love of her husband.

Featuring esteemed Noh performers from Japan, “Noh Reimagined” 2024 showcased the enduring power of classical drama with performances, workshops, and talks.

Festival Sponsors

“Workshop: Noh Music” and “Noh Reimagined New Music” events supported by

More Information on the Noh Reimagined Website

Reviews

“Sumidagawa” at 75th Aldebugh Festival

The performance of Sumidagawa on 18 June was one of the main events of the 75th Aldeburgh Festival .

Sumidagawa, one of the most renowned Noh plays, was performed in the Concert Hall by acclaimed Japanese artists.

It was preceded by a newly written English re-telling of the story written by Xanthe Gresham Knight and the writer and dramaturg Gareth Mattey.