Five Days in March – Re-creation

On the eve of the US-British offensive in Iraq on 21 March 2003, Japan joins the invading troops. This is Japan’s first military engagement since 1945, and it provokes many reactions. Against the background of a historical peace demonstration, the young adult characters in Five Days in March tell their personal stories of everyday life in Tokyo. This year, Japanese theatre-maker Toshiki Okada brings a new (!) adaptation of that iconic creation. The first presentation of Five Days in March (at the Kaaistudio's during the 2007 Kunstenfestivaldesarts) was received with great enthusiasm and admiration. It marked Okada’s break-through in Europe and across the world. In his theatrical language, the logic between words and movement is unclear, as if these are two entirely independent forms of grammar. Balancing between the natural and the artificial, Okada uses stereotypical stories to sketch the profile of a generation of young people who have lost their way; their public participation in the demonstration contrasts with the (highest) personal concerns they share. Five Days in March is, once again, not to be missed.