 | Ladies and gentlemen, as summer days descend and Tokyo settles into a humid lull, panic not. There are some things to do. Since I'm travelling a bit this month, here's a glorious guide to the whole of August in Tokyo! Enjoy. We'll add things that cross our path as they're announced. Obviously you'll especially enjoy Perfect Liars Club on Thursday 3rd. Be sure to buy your tickets (if you like the discount) or turn up on the door for the show of the month. Our four suspects are already scheming, preparing to pull the wool over your eyes. One of them is our favourite Billy Elliott Director on his last day in Japan! Don't miss it. |
All month: Cinemavera's Film Noir series runs til 18 August. Here's the schedule. And the big feature of this month is London's National Theatre Live play screenings at CIne Libre - up to three a day. Go wild. Also all month, it's Tokyo Night Museum. We love the Mori art museum's late nights, but if you ever want to visit other museums at night, this is your chance. Here's the Summer Night Museum schedule.
Fri July 28 - It's another last Friday of the month extravaganza! We'll be at Improvazilla - improv scenes in the first half, and a whole improvised musical in the second half. Much fun. There's also the poetry slam Drunk Poets See God, and if you fancy taking to the stage, the theme is Independence. And another cool gramophone concert.
Sat July 29 - Go see comedy at Big Night Out at Vega in Ebisu. Also today, excitingly the amazing National Theatre Live program that films outstanding London theatre and screens it in cinemas around the world is having a month-long UK National Theatre festival at Cine Libre in Ikebukuro, so if you've missed one, or just want to have a nice long week of glorious theatre in English, this is your chance! Here's the schedule (written in Japanese) and I've gone through the entire thing and translated here for your convenience. Today: Man and Superman at 6:40pm.
Sun July 30 - If you love drawing, free art event PauseDraw is today at 4pm, and the venue is the Dutch Embassy! Tonight it's the Pirates of Tokyo Bay bilingual improv show. Or at Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet.
Mon July 31 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is the Threepenny Opera.
Tue Aug 1 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet. And we hear amazing things about the Fuerza Bruta show that starts today and runs til September - a bit like Cirque du Soleil, I think. Here's a wee video to see what it is.
Wed Aug 2 - At 5:30 there's a talk on pop culture and security in Japan. Then Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. Plus there's a comedy hypnotist! At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is The Threepenny Opera.
Thu Aug 3 - Perfect Liars Club returns! Book your tickets now for this show. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet again. Or you might want to take advantage of Tokyo Photographic Museum's late hours tonight to see the World Press Awards exhibition - I loved it. Open til 9 today and tomorrow, and normal hours til it closes on Sunday.
Fri Aug 4 - If you happen to be off work this afternoon, there's a talk on Arcimboldo: Nature into Art at the National Museum of Western Art. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is The Threepenny Opera. And if you're looking for a LGBT+ event, it's the Fruits in Suits Summer Soiree. And at 6:30 at MOMAT I don't know what Architectural Gymnastics are... but Summer Museum Nights says you can see it.
Sat Aug 5 - Today the 10am Toho films start an Audrey Heburn season. All this week, see Roman Holiday at 10am in Toho Nihonbashi or Shinjuku. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet. Or head up Edo-Tokyo open air architecture museum for Summer Nights Museum dancing and fun til 8:30pm today and tomorrow.
Sun Aug 6 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Man and Superman.
Mon Aug 7 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is Hamlet.
Tue Aug 8 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is The Threepenny Opera.
Wed Aug 9 - Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is Hamlet.
Thu Aug 10 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is The Threepenny Opera.
Fri Aug 11 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is Hamlet. Dr Sketchy's burlesque art class/club has a cool-sounding event tonight (for which details were sparse at the time of checking - look nearer the time). Then there's a movie all-nighter at Shin Bungeiza cinema, also in Ikebukuro: Battleship, Magnificent Seven and Kingsman.
Sat Aug 12 - Starting today and running all week, there's a double bill of Jackie and Snowden at Waseda Shochiku cinema. The Audrey Hepburn season continues - every day this week from today, see Sabrina at 10am at Toho Nihonbashi or Shibuya. Things also get exciting at Cine Libre in Ikebukuro where there's an all-day National Theatre Live extravaganza all week. Today: 11:40 is Threepenny Opera; 3:20 is Frankenstein (which I can attest is brilliant) and 6pm is Warhorse (also outstanding).
Sun Aug 13 - In Cine Libre today: 11:40 is Frankenstein, 2:20 is Warhorse and 5:30 is Threepenny Opera.
Mon Aug 14 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! In Cine Libre today: The Hard Problem at 1:40, Frankenstein at 4:20 and Warhorse at 7:30.
Tue Aug 15 - Tonight it's Space Cafe - and you get to hear a talk from Chris Blackerby from NASA! Who wouldn't want to do that. Sounds fab. In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:40, Warhorse at 4:20 and Treasure Island at 7:30 (I thought all three of these were really outstanding).
Wed Aug 16 - Infuriatingly an awesome award-winning puppetry show from Australia called The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik - Deep Sea Explorer is at Kanagawa Theatre today and tomorrow... but at 2pm! Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. In Cine Libre today: The Hard Problem at 1:40, Frankenstein at 4:20, and Warhorse at 7:30.
Thu Aug 17 - Adventures of Alvin Sputnik - Deep Sea Explorer is at 2pm in Kanagawa. Then for comedy with a side of judgement, enjoy Double Tall Cafe in Shibuya and vote for how long you'd like each comedian to perform. In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:40, Warhorse at 4:20 and Treasure Island at 7:30.
Fri Aug 18 - Comedy, Improv and hijinx at Gamuso Comedy show in Asagaya tonight. In Cine Libre today: The Hard Problem at 1:40, Frankenstein at 4:20 and Warhorse at 7:30.
Sat Aug 19 - The 10am Audrey Hepburn season continues at Toho Nihonbashi and Shinjuku. This week: Love in the Afternoon. In Cine Libre today: Hangmen at 11:40, Frankenstein at 2:50 and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at 5:50.
Sun Aug 20 - In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 11:40, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at 2:30 and Hangmen at 5:50.
Mon Aug 21 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! In Cine Libre today: Hangmen at 1:30, Frankenstein at 4:40 and Curious Incident at 7:30.
Tue Aug 22 -In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:30, Curious Incident at 4:15 and Hangmen at 7:30.
Wed Aug 23 - Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. In Cine Libre today: Hangmen at 1:30, Frankenstein at 4:40 and Curious Incident at 7:30.
Thu Aug 24 - In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:30, Curious Incident at 4:15 and Hangmen at 7:30.
Fri Aug 25 - The last Friday of the month is upon us, so head to Crocodile Shibuya for Improvazilla, a high quality improv show that includes a whole improvised musical. And it's the final day of the NT Live Cine Libre Extravaganza: Hangmen at 1:30, Frankenstein at 4:40 and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at 7:30. There will also likely be a Drunk Poets See God poetry slam at Bar Gari Gari tonight.
Sat Aug 26 - If you're an early bird, Toho's 10am Audrey Hepburn season ends this week with seven days of How to Steal a Million. If you're a night owl, there's a girl coming of age movie all-nighter at Shin Bungeiza cinema in Ikebukuro: The Edge of Seventeen, American Sleepover, Palo Alto Story and Francis Ha.
Sun Aug 27 - Everyone's favourite bilingual improv show, Pirates of Tokyo Bay, return tonight!
Mon Aug 28 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh!
Wed Aug 30 - Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa.
Fri July 28 - It's another last Friday of the month extravaganza! We'll be at Improvazilla - improv scenes in the first half, and a whole improvised musical in the second half. Much fun. There's also the poetry slam Drunk Poets See God, and if you fancy taking to the stage, the theme is Independence. And another cool gramophone concert.
Sat July 29 - Go see comedy at Big Night Out at Vega in Ebisu. Also today, excitingly the amazing National Theatre Live program that films outstanding London theatre and screens it in cinemas around the world is having a month-long UK National Theatre festival at Cine Libre in Ikebukuro, so if you've missed one, or just want to have a nice long week of glorious theatre in English, this is your chance! Here's the schedule (written in Japanese) and I've gone through the entire thing and translated here for your convenience. Today: Man and Superman at 6:40pm.
Sun July 30 - If you love drawing, free art event PauseDraw is today at 4pm, and the venue is the Dutch Embassy! Tonight it's the Pirates of Tokyo Bay bilingual improv show. Or at Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet.
Mon July 31 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is the Threepenny Opera.
Tue Aug 1 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet. And we hear amazing things about the Fuerza Bruta show that starts today and runs til September - a bit like Cirque du Soleil, I think. Here's a wee video to see what it is.
Wed Aug 2 - At 5:30 there's a talk on pop culture and security in Japan. Then Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. Plus there's a comedy hypnotist! At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is The Threepenny Opera.
Thu Aug 3 - Perfect Liars Club returns! Book your tickets now for this show. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet again. Or you might want to take advantage of Tokyo Photographic Museum's late hours tonight to see the World Press Awards exhibition - I loved it. Open til 9 today and tomorrow, and normal hours til it closes on Sunday.
Fri Aug 4 - If you happen to be off work this afternoon, there's a talk on Arcimboldo: Nature into Art at the National Museum of Western Art. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is The Threepenny Opera. And if you're looking for a LGBT+ event, it's the Fruits in Suits Summer Soiree. And at 6:30 at MOMAT I don't know what Architectural Gymnastics are... but Summer Museum Nights says you can see it.
Sat Aug 5 - Today the 10am Toho films start an Audrey Heburn season. All this week, see Roman Holiday at 10am in Toho Nihonbashi or Shinjuku. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Hamlet. Or head up Edo-Tokyo open air architecture museum for Summer Nights Museum dancing and fun til 8:30pm today and tomorrow.
Sun Aug 6 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm National Theatre Live show is Man and Superman.
Mon Aug 7 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is Hamlet.
Tue Aug 8 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is The Threepenny Opera.
Wed Aug 9 - Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is Hamlet.
Thu Aug 10 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is The Threepenny Opera.
Fri Aug 11 - At Cine Libre, the 6:40pm show is Hamlet. Dr Sketchy's burlesque art class/club has a cool-sounding event tonight (for which details were sparse at the time of checking - look nearer the time). Then there's a movie all-nighter at Shin Bungeiza cinema, also in Ikebukuro: Battleship, Magnificent Seven and Kingsman.
Sat Aug 12 - Starting today and running all week, there's a double bill of Jackie and Snowden at Waseda Shochiku cinema. The Audrey Hepburn season continues - every day this week from today, see Sabrina at 10am at Toho Nihonbashi or Shibuya. Things also get exciting at Cine Libre in Ikebukuro where there's an all-day National Theatre Live extravaganza all week. Today: 11:40 is Threepenny Opera; 3:20 is Frankenstein (which I can attest is brilliant) and 6pm is Warhorse (also outstanding).
Sun Aug 13 - In Cine Libre today: 11:40 is Frankenstein, 2:20 is Warhorse and 5:30 is Threepenny Opera.
Mon Aug 14 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! In Cine Libre today: The Hard Problem at 1:40, Frankenstein at 4:20 and Warhorse at 7:30.
Tue Aug 15 - Tonight it's Space Cafe - and you get to hear a talk from Chris Blackerby from NASA! Who wouldn't want to do that. Sounds fab. In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:40, Warhorse at 4:20 and Treasure Island at 7:30 (I thought all three of these were really outstanding).
Wed Aug 16 - Infuriatingly an awesome award-winning puppetry show from Australia called The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik - Deep Sea Explorer is at Kanagawa Theatre today and tomorrow... but at 2pm! Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. In Cine Libre today: The Hard Problem at 1:40, Frankenstein at 4:20, and Warhorse at 7:30.
Thu Aug 17 - Adventures of Alvin Sputnik - Deep Sea Explorer is at 2pm in Kanagawa. Then for comedy with a side of judgement, enjoy Double Tall Cafe in Shibuya and vote for how long you'd like each comedian to perform. In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:40, Warhorse at 4:20 and Treasure Island at 7:30.
Fri Aug 18 - Comedy, Improv and hijinx at Gamuso Comedy show in Asagaya tonight. In Cine Libre today: The Hard Problem at 1:40, Frankenstein at 4:20 and Warhorse at 7:30.
Sat Aug 19 - The 10am Audrey Hepburn season continues at Toho Nihonbashi and Shinjuku. This week: Love in the Afternoon. In Cine Libre today: Hangmen at 11:40, Frankenstein at 2:50 and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at 5:50.
Sun Aug 20 - In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 11:40, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at 2:30 and Hangmen at 5:50.
Mon Aug 21 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh! In Cine Libre today: Hangmen at 1:30, Frankenstein at 4:40 and Curious Incident at 7:30.
Tue Aug 22 -In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:30, Curious Incident at 4:15 and Hangmen at 7:30.
Wed Aug 23 - Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa. In Cine Libre today: Hangmen at 1:30, Frankenstein at 4:40 and Curious Incident at 7:30.
Thu Aug 24 - In Cine Libre today: Frankenstein at 1:30, Curious Incident at 4:15 and Hangmen at 7:30.
Fri Aug 25 - The last Friday of the month is upon us, so head to Crocodile Shibuya for Improvazilla, a high quality improv show that includes a whole improvised musical. And it's the final day of the NT Live Cine Libre Extravaganza: Hangmen at 1:30, Frankenstein at 4:40 and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at 7:30. There will also likely be a Drunk Poets See God poetry slam at Bar Gari Gari tonight.
Sat Aug 26 - If you're an early bird, Toho's 10am Audrey Hepburn season ends this week with seven days of How to Steal a Million. If you're a night owl, there's a girl coming of age movie all-nighter at Shin Bungeiza cinema in Ikebukuro: The Edge of Seventeen, American Sleepover, Palo Alto Story and Francis Ha.
Sun Aug 27 - Everyone's favourite bilingual improv show, Pirates of Tokyo Bay, return tonight!
Mon Aug 28 - Open mic stand-up comedy tonight in Otsuka - go take the mic and make people laugh!
Wed Aug 30 - Good Heavens Comedy Club is tonight - all your stand-up comedy needs in Shimokitazawa.
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