Writer and director Takuya Kato’s think piece questions equality and equity between the sexes with rigour and style. An unexpected pregnancy causes problems for husband and wife, Takashi and Narumi, complicated by their careers as astronauts about to colonise the Moon, and raises plenty of questions for the audience to enjoy.
The sci-fi element is woven into the story very well: Takuya brings out debates about how we live now, how we might live in the future, and gives the characters plenty of motivation. The idea of moving to the Moon is underplayed – interestingly there’s as much focus on the company behind the scheme as the science.
Unfortunately, the characters fail to convince, being too clearly mouthpieces for issues. The control in the show is remarkable. Mark Takeshi Ota barely raises his voice as his “calculating” Takashi keeps his temper throughout. Narumi is more intriguing. She’s allowed to break down and show some steel, even humour, so that Susan Momoki Hingley, who takes the role, has more to show. The commitment from both performers is admirable, and clearly required by Takuya, but such restraint does make the show slow.
The production looks great, with a minimalist design by Milla Clarke that has an impressive revolving stage and live filming to keep us engaged and help us to appreciate how detailed the performances from both actors are. Nothing distracts from the debate, though – should Narumi sacrifice her career? Or even try to have her child on the Moon? And what should her husband do?
One Small Step, part of a mini season to be followed by Tattooer, is a rare chance to see theatre from Japan in London. While Studio Ghibli and manga-inspired musicals have had success recently, this is serious stuff that’s strictly for a grown-up crowd. I’m not sure that differences between Japanese and British culture stand out (a point that might be made clearer earlier is the countries’ abortion laws) but the play’s themes are easily familiar enough to make for an interesting debate after the show.
Until 9 October 2024
Photo by Mark Senior