Shochiku and Askonas Holt bring KABUKI, a triple bill of classic dance pieces, to Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 30-31 January 2027. It is the art form’s first London staging in 17 years, and tickets are on sale now from £15.
Kabuki comes back to London in the new year. KABUKI, a programme of three classic dance pieces presented by Shochiku and Askonas Holt, plays Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 30-31 January 2027. Tickets are on sale now at £15 to £115.
There are two performances only: 30 January 2027 at 7.30pm and 31 January 2027 at 2pm. The opening night is also press night. It is the first kabuki staging London has seen in 17 years, the eleventh the city has had, and the eighth at Sadler’s Wells.
The dates mark the international stage debuts of Ichikawa Somegorō VIII and Onoe Tatsunosuke III, two of the most closely watched performers of kabuki’s next generation. Both come from long theatrical lines. Somegorō, born in 2005, is the eldest son of Matsumoto Kōshirō X and first appeared on stage at the age of two. Tatsunosuke, born in 2006, is the eldest son of Onoe Shōroku IV and first appeared at three.
Three dances make up the bill. Fuji Musume, or The Wisteria Maiden, goes to Onoe Tatsunosuke. Its figure comes from ōtsu-e folk painting, sold as a charm for a happy marriage: a maiden in a black lacquered hat stands beneath a great pine with a wisteria branch across her shoulder, dances the ache of a love that is not returned, and at dusk slips back into the wisteria spirit she truly is.
Ichikawa Somegorō takes Yuki no Shakkyō, or The Snowbound Stone Bridge – A Lion Dance, which follows the classical nō play of the same name closely. The shishi at its centre is not a lion but a mythical creature associated with the bodhisattva Monju, and shows its power by shaking its mane.
The two dance together in Meoto Dōjōji, or A Man and Woman at Dōjōji Temple. The better known Musume Dōjōji gives the stage to a single dancer, a maiden who turns into a serpent out of jealousy and destroys the temple bell under which the man she loves is hiding. This version puts two dancers there instead, one of them eventually revealed to be a man in disguise, and builds to the moment both identities come out.
Kabuki dates from the early 17th century and brings together song (ka), dance (bu) and acting skill (ki). It is performed entirely by men, and UNESCO named it a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. Interest in it has risen again since the international success of the film Kokuho.
Neither performer works only in the classical repertoire. Somegorō played the title role in Hamlet in Tokyo and Osaka in May and June 2026, in a production directed by David Leveaux; his grandfather, Matsumoto Hakuō II, toured the UK in The King and I in 1990 and 1991, and his father performed Hamlet – A Kabuki Version at the 1991 Japan Festival in Britain. Tatsunosuke is rated for working in both tachiyaku, the male roles, and onnagata, the female roles, and has starred as Kaworu Nagisa in the new kabuki piece Kabuki Symphony No. Q : Evangelion, made for the 30th anniversary of the anime series.
Ichikawa Somegorō VIII said: “I am very grateful for the opportunity to convey the power of kabuki to people overseas together with Tatsunosuke, a fellow actor of my generation. Kabuki was born over 400 years ago, and has continued to the present day, absorbing the culture, sensibilities, and values of the people of each era. I believe it is like a mirror that reflects what Japanese people have accumulated over a long period of time.”
Onoe Tatsunosuke III said: “The appeal of the art of kabuki lies in the atmosphere and excitement that can only be experienced live, so we are deeply grateful to have an opportunity to bring this experience overseas. We want to ensure that this growing interest is not simply a passing boom, but something that can be carried forward to the next generation.”
Donagh Collins, CEO of Askonas Holt, said: “Having presented kabuki a number of times in the UK over the past 35 years, we are delighted to be working with Shochiku to bring this wonderful artform back to Sadler’s Wells and London after a hiatus of 17 years. Past London audiences have responded warmly to the history, beauty and grandeur of kabuki, and this latest visit is particularly appealing since it features two of the finest young actors of today, Ichikawa Somegorō and Onoe Tatsunosuke.”
KABUKI is produced by Shochiku Co., Ltd and presented at Sadler’s Wells by Shochiku Co., Ltd and Askonas Holt, with support from the Japan Creator Support Fund and The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation. The official airline is Japan Airlines.
