This director talk for Hokushou Kairi’s first Cosmos Troupe lead was published in the November 2007 Kageki.
Please note it was translated from her memorial book, so, while as far as I can tell it seems complete, it may have been slightly abridged.
The Second Life roundtable talk
Participants: Suzuki Kei (director), Hokushou Kairi, Kazune Miou
Suzuki: Since Hokushou-san’s previous Bow Hall lead, Soufuren, was a rather heavy show with a traditional Japanese setting, I thought that for this show I’d like to write something with a bright atmosphere and a Western setting. I’ve also always wanted to write a show about a man with a double personality, so in this show, a pianist loses his life in an accident, then comes back to life in the body of a mafia member who’s his total opposite, returning from Heaven in order to find his loved one…that’s the story I’ve come up with. The plot is about the love between Mark White, who returned to Earth by borrowing the corpse of elite Mafia member Jake Iron, and his fiancee from his former life, Lucia Barton. It has a very cheerful atmosphere, with pop music and a lot of comedy…or it will once I’m done writing it (laughs).
Hokushou, Kazune: (laughs)
Suzuki: Also, since this show features a young cast, I’m trying to focus on the energy of the young cast members and create a contemporary atmosphere. I also want to incorporate current pop music tastes into the score of the show.
Hokushou: Since it’s not a movie, but a live stage show where camera effects are impossible, it seems like it’d be really hard to portray someone with a double personality.
Suzuki: You’re right. Although he’s seen by everyone else as the Mafia member Jake Iron, inside he’s the pianist Mark White, who had a promising future in front of him before his death. In a way, he has to play the part of a mafia member. A major point of the show is moments when he returns to his normal personality, and the acting in those situations.
Hokushou: Yes.
Suzuki: One of the reasons Lucia refuses to accept Jake right away is that the Mafia was involved in Mark’s death. Therefore when Jake, looking like a Mafia member, suddenly appears and says ‘It’s me, your lover!’ at first she’s like ‘What the hell’s with this guy!’ I hope a lot of comedy can be incorporated into Lucia and Jake’s arguing. I’m very hopeful for your skill as performers.
Hokushou, Kazune: Oh, no… (laughs)
Hokushou: This is my first time acting properly together with Tattchan (Kazune). In Passionate Flowers of Valencia, I had one scene with her when I was playing Ramon1, but from an acting standpoint, Ramon is a bit… And that scene had a lot of adlibs, too (laughs)
Kazune: It did (laughs)
Hokushou: We sang the ‘etoille’ together for Space FANTASISTA!!, and shared other revue scenes, but never really acted together… I’d always thought I would love to act together with you sometime, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Kazune: Thank you so much. Performing together in revues and plays is very different, so I’m also looking forward to it a lot. What I’ve most realized about Hokushou-san’s acting is that it’s somehow different every time…
Hokushou: Is that a good thing? (laughs)
Kazune: I’m going to do my best in order to be able to respond skillfully to Hokushou-san’s performance.
Suzuki: Come to think, you debuted as classmates, didn’t you?
Hokushou: We did!
Suzuki: You left a distinct impression even then, so I remember. Even among so many, you still stood out. Hokushou-san’s onstage appearance is very manly (laughs) and your voice and delivery are really bold. I don’t have any concerns about the scripted parts, since you’re a very reliable person, but I want you to take a light touch and let yourself go along with the energy of the show.
Hokushou: Yes.
Suzuki: Kazune-san, you were in the last show I oversaw, Legend of the Eight Dog Samurai, right? I have the impression of you as a very pure-feeling musumeyaku who conveys things in a very straightforward manner. I kept these aspects of Kazune-san in mind while writing the part of Lucia. I think of Bow Hall shows as opportunities to find something new about oneself that can be put towards the next Grand Theatre production, so for this show, I hope you can discover new ‘selves’ for both of you that will be of help to you in the future.
Hokushou, Kazune: Yes.
Hokushou: There are a lot of junior actresses in the show who haven’t had more than a few lines even in shinjin kouens, so while of course I need to consider myself, I also think it would be good if I could look after them…
Suzuki: Since there are so many junior actresses with little experience, I hope that this Bow Hall will be a show that helps them grow, so afterwards they can think ‘look, I did that!’ Since I also have a long way to go as a director, I think I should put myself on the same level as all of you and work on making the show together… In this show, Natori Rei is coming in from Senka to play the Mafia boss Don Viccento, but I think that will also be an excellent opportunity for the junior otokoyaku to study acting techniques through observing her. I hope they can also learn things like how to look best in suits and put together an aesthetic. Since they don’t have much experience, there are a lot of things they won’t know, but if this would provide them some opportunities for advancement…
Hokushou: That would be great.
Suzuki: Moving on, since this show is set in Sicily, I imagined the poster would have the ocean at the back, and then a man playing the piano…we did the photoshoot with that visual in mind. While the production takes place in November, I deliberately regarded the real-life season when creating the poster – what do you think of it?
Hokushou: I thought there was an entertaining sense of incongruity between the sea and the white piano, and then a man in a sharp suit…
Kazune: The piano really ends up being a big element of the story, right?
Suzuki: Well, I’m sure people will find out about that when they see the show…
Hokushou, Kazune: (laughs)
Suzuki: Although a lot of the story takes place in a hotel, it’s not a grand building from the monarchial era, but a very normal hotel that one could picture existing in real life. The set is mostly white, with accents in bright colors, and I hope to make you two stand out against it.
Hokushou: How does the story conclude? It seems like ending in tragic love would suit it well, but a happy ending would also be wonderful…
Suzuki: Well, basically…oh, but I think I’d better not say (laughs)
Hokushou, Kazune: (laughs)
Suzuki: Speaking for myself, I like a happy ending, but…at the end, I want to put in ‘something’ to surprise the audience and make them think ‘I never thought it would end up that way!’
Kazune: For shows that are adapted forr some other work, you can track down materials and study up before the rehearsals start, but for this show it will all start from square one on the first day of rehearsals, I feel. I’ll do my best so that after closing, everyone can think ‘that ended up as a completely polished performance’.
Hokushou: This is my first Bow Hall since transferring to Cosmos Troupe. It’s also the first show that I’m working on creating from the very start together with everyone, and I’m hoping to betray the audience’s expectations in the best possible way.
Suzuki: Let’s go into rehearsals cheerfully and have fun, while keeping up high energy!
Hokushou, Kazune: We’re looking forward to it!
1 – Hokushou was in a cast switch with Ranju Tomu during that production.