Since I am going on vacation, I bring to you a bumper edition: two full weeks of Tokyo listings instead of one! Obviously this is the most ridiculous time ever to go on vacation because the next two weeks in Tokyo are going to be amazing. So many fun things to do while waiting for the next Perfect Liars Club. Have a fabulous time! |
Fri 17 Feb - Yokohama Theatre Group is bringing a double bill of amazing-sounding Canadian theatre to the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki: I'm Doing This for You is a one-woman show blending storytelling, live-art and improvisation. Edinburgh Spotlight called it "funny, quirky and ultimately heartbreaking". Then Space Hippo is an adventure-comedy science-fiction show with a hint of social satire. It uses over 200 intricately cut shadow puppets projected onto a large screen to create the feeling of watching a live animated movie. The double bill is on tonight at 7pm. Then, from Canada to the UK... Richard III opens tonight - filmed at the Almeida Theatre in London, screened all week at Toho Nihonbashi. Finally, if theatre's not for you, you catch the old movie All I Desire (11, 2:20. 5:40 and 9) at Cinemavera, or else go see comedy at Asagaya.
Sat 18 Feb - I'm Doing This for You and Space Hippo shows are on today at 2pm and 7pm at the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki. Or over at the Koenji Engei festival, there's an English-language rakugo show (Japanese-style storytelling) at 2pm by Rakugo Without Borders. If you want your afternoon more literary, head to the University of Tokyo at Komaba for lectures on 'reading novels: misunderstandings over an English Style' and 'Novel Hats' followed by a reception. On the other hand, if you're in the mood for an English-language-rom-coms-featuring-dying-people movie theme, starting tonight and for the next two weeks , Ginrei Hall has a double bill of Me Before You and Miss You Already. Finally tonight there's a free Vega comedy show at Vega Wine Bar in Ebisu.
Sun 19 Feb - At 12 noon you can see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. I'm Doing This for You and Space Hippo are on today at both 1pm and 5pm at the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki. In the evening, there's even more English-language rakugo. Or why not go to bilingual improv with Pirates of Tokyo Bay in Ebisu, or of course the brilliant Comedy Sumo Slam in Roppongi (a gameshow type comedy night based on current affairs/news).
Mon 20 Feb - It's a comedy open mic night by Stand Up Tokyo in Otsuka.
Tue 21 Feb - Not much on tonight. So maybe a good time to go see London's Richard III - a play filmed at the Almeida Theatre and screened at Toho Nihonbashi?
Wed 22 Feb - Free this afternoon? Go to a lecture on 'Imagining a Ghost: On Elizabeth Bowen and The Back Drawing' at Gakushuin University. Tonight US comedian Steve Hofstetter from the Late Late Show and VH1 is coming to Tokyo from one night only. His YouTube videos have 100 million views. Sounds like he's going to be fab - don't miss it. Or if you are looking for interesting, arty talks in English and Japanese by Tokyo's creative community, tonight is Pecha Kucha and they are celebrating their 14th birthday!
Thu 23 Feb - Tonight Tokyo International Players launch their new play about couples and the complexities of relationships, Speaking in Tongues. It's at Pocket Square Nakano. Also tonight, you can hear a talk at Temple University about racial profiling or one at Tokyo University Hongo on 'Dressing for Success: Costume in the Nineteenth Century Novel' by Clair Hughes who wrote Dressed in Fiction.
Fri 24 Feb - How did the last Friday of the month come upon us so quickly? As ever, so many great options. Will it be the amazingly good improv show Improvazilla? Or the monthly poetry slam Drunk Poets See God at Bar Gari Gari? (This month's theme is doors, and anyone can stand up and perform their poetry.) Or Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, a monthly event for people who like to draw burlesque performers. Also tonight, Balls to the Wall comedy show in Roppongi, and Fruits in Suits, an LGBT networking night; the guest speaker is chair of the LGBT Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association. And of course, there's Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues in Nakano.
Sat 25 Feb - Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues is at 1pm and 7pm. At 5:30 see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. Eddie Izzard is bringing his comedy show Force Majeure to Tokyo for one night only! It's going to be tricky to track down tickets at this stage... don't say I didn't warn you! Starting today, you can see a A Winter's Tale, a British National Theatre Live theatrical production starring Judy Dench, filmed in London and screened at Yebisu Garden Cinema. Or the fabulous War Horse, also filmed in London, and just thinking about it brings a tear to my eye. On til Friday. And Rendez-vous, the magazine promoting African and Caribbean culture in Asia, has an event tonight where comedian Evans Musoka is performing (I find him very funny).
Sun 26 Feb - You're probably too late if you didn't take my advice and grab a free ticket for the amazing, free, all-day Nobel Dialogue event today, bringing together Nobel laureates and other leading scientists to discuss 'the future of intelligence'. Looks like it may be sold out now, but keep an eye on the website/ seduce someone for a place. Not feeling science-y, or poor seduction technique? At noon you can see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. And at 3pm, it's your last chance to see Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues.
Mon 27 Feb - Happen to be available at 9am? Toho Roppongi is screening the Academy Awards! If you want to go, looks like you need to apply through the Toho app. This evening, enjoy another amazing visiting international comedian for one night only: it's Jimmy Carr at Yamano Hall in Yoyogi.
Tue 28 Feb - There's a talk at Temple University tonight about Liberalism and Chinese Economic Development. Or head to the Foreign Correspondents' Club for an author event, cocktail party and dinner with Hiromi T. Rogers, who will be discussing her book Anjin - The Life & Times of Samurai William Adams, 1564-1620, As Seen Through Japanese Eyes (sign up by 23rd Feb. It's 3500 yen for non-members).
Wed 1 March - It's Good Heavens Comedy Club tonight in Shimokitazawa. Enjoy.
Thu 2 March - Nothing much on tonight, so it could be a good evening to go to Yebisu Garden Cinema and check out A Winter's Tale or War Horse.
Fri 3 March - Tonight Apocrypha brings another evening of edgy and emotional storytelling to the stage at Bar Gari Gari. The theme tonight: Dear Younger Me. Or Gamuso comedy show is in Asagaya.
Planning ahead - things you should book in advance
10 March - There's going to be a screening of the 25th anniversary show of Miss Saigon on Broadway. I think it's a one-day-only special screening, though I might be misinterpreting. Either way, you'd better get over to Toho Nihonbashi and grab some tickets. If you spot a way to buy them online, tell me!
13 March - CITA (the International Center for Theatre Arts) is putting on a show called Earthbound, inspired by the 1950s collaboration to pioneer rocket development in Japan. One night only - reserve your tickets asap. We hear they are going fast.
16 March - The next Perfect Liars Club is going to be fabulous, and more than half of the tickets are already sold at time of typing this. So make sure you've reserved yours here.
Sat 18 Feb - I'm Doing This for You and Space Hippo shows are on today at 2pm and 7pm at the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki. Or over at the Koenji Engei festival, there's an English-language rakugo show (Japanese-style storytelling) at 2pm by Rakugo Without Borders. If you want your afternoon more literary, head to the University of Tokyo at Komaba for lectures on 'reading novels: misunderstandings over an English Style' and 'Novel Hats' followed by a reception. On the other hand, if you're in the mood for an English-language-rom-coms-featuring-dying-people movie theme, starting tonight and for the next two weeks , Ginrei Hall has a double bill of Me Before You and Miss You Already. Finally tonight there's a free Vega comedy show at Vega Wine Bar in Ebisu.
Sun 19 Feb - At 12 noon you can see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. I'm Doing This for You and Space Hippo are on today at both 1pm and 5pm at the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki. In the evening, there's even more English-language rakugo. Or why not go to bilingual improv with Pirates of Tokyo Bay in Ebisu, or of course the brilliant Comedy Sumo Slam in Roppongi (a gameshow type comedy night based on current affairs/news).
Mon 20 Feb - It's a comedy open mic night by Stand Up Tokyo in Otsuka.
Tue 21 Feb - Not much on tonight. So maybe a good time to go see London's Richard III - a play filmed at the Almeida Theatre and screened at Toho Nihonbashi?
Wed 22 Feb - Free this afternoon? Go to a lecture on 'Imagining a Ghost: On Elizabeth Bowen and The Back Drawing' at Gakushuin University. Tonight US comedian Steve Hofstetter from the Late Late Show and VH1 is coming to Tokyo from one night only. His YouTube videos have 100 million views. Sounds like he's going to be fab - don't miss it. Or if you are looking for interesting, arty talks in English and Japanese by Tokyo's creative community, tonight is Pecha Kucha and they are celebrating their 14th birthday!
Thu 23 Feb - Tonight Tokyo International Players launch their new play about couples and the complexities of relationships, Speaking in Tongues. It's at Pocket Square Nakano. Also tonight, you can hear a talk at Temple University about racial profiling or one at Tokyo University Hongo on 'Dressing for Success: Costume in the Nineteenth Century Novel' by Clair Hughes who wrote Dressed in Fiction.
Fri 24 Feb - How did the last Friday of the month come upon us so quickly? As ever, so many great options. Will it be the amazingly good improv show Improvazilla? Or the monthly poetry slam Drunk Poets See God at Bar Gari Gari? (This month's theme is doors, and anyone can stand up and perform their poetry.) Or Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, a monthly event for people who like to draw burlesque performers. Also tonight, Balls to the Wall comedy show in Roppongi, and Fruits in Suits, an LGBT networking night; the guest speaker is chair of the LGBT Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association. And of course, there's Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues in Nakano.
Sat 25 Feb - Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues is at 1pm and 7pm. At 5:30 see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. Eddie Izzard is bringing his comedy show Force Majeure to Tokyo for one night only! It's going to be tricky to track down tickets at this stage... don't say I didn't warn you! Starting today, you can see a A Winter's Tale, a British National Theatre Live theatrical production starring Judy Dench, filmed in London and screened at Yebisu Garden Cinema. Or the fabulous War Horse, also filmed in London, and just thinking about it brings a tear to my eye. On til Friday. And Rendez-vous, the magazine promoting African and Caribbean culture in Asia, has an event tonight where comedian Evans Musoka is performing (I find him very funny).
Sun 26 Feb - You're probably too late if you didn't take my advice and grab a free ticket for the amazing, free, all-day Nobel Dialogue event today, bringing together Nobel laureates and other leading scientists to discuss 'the future of intelligence'. Looks like it may be sold out now, but keep an eye on the website/ seduce someone for a place. Not feeling science-y, or poor seduction technique? At noon you can see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. And at 3pm, it's your last chance to see Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues.
Mon 27 Feb - Happen to be available at 9am? Toho Roppongi is screening the Academy Awards! If you want to go, looks like you need to apply through the Toho app. This evening, enjoy another amazing visiting international comedian for one night only: it's Jimmy Carr at Yamano Hall in Yoyogi.
Tue 28 Feb - There's a talk at Temple University tonight about Liberalism and Chinese Economic Development. Or head to the Foreign Correspondents' Club for an author event, cocktail party and dinner with Hiromi T. Rogers, who will be discussing her book Anjin - The Life & Times of Samurai William Adams, 1564-1620, As Seen Through Japanese Eyes (sign up by 23rd Feb. It's 3500 yen for non-members).
Wed 1 March - It's Good Heavens Comedy Club tonight in Shimokitazawa. Enjoy.
Thu 2 March - Nothing much on tonight, so it could be a good evening to go to Yebisu Garden Cinema and check out A Winter's Tale or War Horse.
Fri 3 March - Tonight Apocrypha brings another evening of edgy and emotional storytelling to the stage at Bar Gari Gari. The theme tonight: Dear Younger Me. Or Gamuso comedy show is in Asagaya.
Planning ahead - things you should book in advance
10 March - There's going to be a screening of the 25th anniversary show of Miss Saigon on Broadway. I think it's a one-day-only special screening, though I might be misinterpreting. Either way, you'd better get over to Toho Nihonbashi and grab some tickets. If you spot a way to buy them online, tell me!
13 March - CITA (the International Center for Theatre Arts) is putting on a show called Earthbound, inspired by the 1950s collaboration to pioneer rocket development in Japan. One night only - reserve your tickets asap. We hear they are going fast.
16 March - The next Perfect Liars Club is going to be fabulous, and more than half of the tickets are already sold at time of typing this. So make sure you've reserved yours here.