Celebration of Storytelling

Join Young V&A for a Celebration of Storytelling, which will showcase performance inspired by our Japan: Myths to Manga exhibition.
Performances will include a dance piece that incorporates martial arts and Taiko drumming, traditional Japanese storytelling Kamishibai (paper theatre), and a benshi (silent film narrator) performing to a 1920s anime with live music. We are also thrilled to be hosting the legendary Japanese punk pop performance group, Frank Chickens who will be performing a set of songs inspired by stories.

Frank Chickens will perform at 12:00 and 14:15 in The Town Square.
A Great Race by A Thousand Cranes will be at 11:30 and 13:45 in The Community Room.
Storytelling will be at 11:30 and 13:45 in The Stage.
A Taiko drumming and dance piece will be at 13:00 and 15:15 in The Town Square

Frank Chickens, a legendary Japanese punk pop performance group, were founded in London in 1982 as a duo with Kazuko Hohki and Kazumi Taguchi, but the group has now expanded to more than 20 members.

A Thousand Cranes create visual, vibrant, inventive theatre for young audiences inspired by stories and traditions from Japan and the UK. They will perform A Great Race through kamishibai, a traditional form of Japanese street theatre, as well as a dance piece that incorporates taiko drumming and martial arts.

Storyteller Tomoko Komura is one of the few modern benshi performers, narrating silent film in the 1920s Japanese tradition. With live music from Clive Bell, Tomoko will tell the story of an early Japanese anime comedy.

Japan: Myths to Manga is supported by Toshiba.
Image credit: David X Green.