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Review: End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland (Barbican Theatre)
Review by Phil McCullough
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️️
To be truly original in theatre is becoming increasingly rare. From jukebox musicals to classic films rehashed for the stage, it sometimes feels as though people are running out of fresh ideas. End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland is a new adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s classic novel, which weaves together two complex stories and very different worlds. Bringing this ambitious science fiction dystopian novel to the stage is an enormous challenge, demanding originality and ingenuity to do justice to its themes and imaginative storytelling. Does this first ever theatrical adaptation of Murakami’s work succeed, and does it have the originality to set it apart from its contemporaries?
Murakami published End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland in Japan in 1985, and the novel went on to win the prestigious Tanizaki Prize that same year. It tells two seemingly different stories, but as the novel reaches its conclusion, the connections between the narratives become clear. In The End of the World, Boku arrives in a mysterious town inhabited by unicorns and surrounded by high walls. Its inhabitants appear to live peacefully, but they have all lost their ‘shadows’, meaning they have also lost their hearts and can no longer experience pain or joy. In Hard-Boiled Wonderland, the action moves to a dystopian Tokyo, where Watashi works for the ‘System’ and is highly skilled in a specialised mental technique known as shuffling, which uses the subconscious to encode information. Through these two parallel realities, the novel explores the inner workings of consciousness and raises fascinating questions about memory, identity and what it means to be human. This production opened at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre’s Playhouse in January before touring Japan and Singapore, and has now arrived at the Barbican Theatre in London.
Adapting such a complex novel for the stage is no easy task, but Ako Takahashi has done a very good job of bringing both stories to life while making them accessible to audience members who may not have read Murakami’s work. The philosophical questions at the heart of both narratives remain fascinating, and despite running for two hours and fifty minutes entirely in Japanese with subtitles, the production rarely feels slow. Dialogue heavy scenes are interspersed with ethereal visual sequences and stunning choreography, giving the storytelling a dynamic quality that keeps you engaged throughout. There were moments when I lost the thread of the plot, but generally the adaptation manages to condense this epic novel in clever and inventive ways that work well on stage.
The production is so beautifully staged that it often takes your breath away, with director and choreographer Philippe Decouflé conjuring some extraordinary visual imagery. Perspective is used in inventive ways, from Watashi’s apartment to the skyline of the town surrounded by high walls, with many scenes resembling beautifully framed, stylised paintings. Decouflé works hard to bring the world of consciousness to life, and when Watashi first performs ‘shuffling’ and enters a dreamlike state, projections both behind and in front of him make it feel as though he is surrounded by his own thoughts as they fly around him. The choreography of the unicorns is simply magical, with ballet dancers walking on tiptoe while holding two extra legs to create the illusion of these four-legged mystical creatures. These sequences are far more than visual spectacle, helping the production maintain its pace while allowing us to experience the inner worlds of the characters from a completely different perspective. Decouflé also makes effective use of colour throughout the various settings, and when snow falls across the vast Barbican stage, it creates a magical and genuinely moving moment that stays with you after the production ends.
Tatsuya Fujiwara is convincing and powerful as Watashi as he uncovers the mysteries surrounding the unicorn skulls, delivering a performance that is both touching and comedic. Miu Tomita is hilarious as the highly inappropriate Woman in Pink, bringing an infectious energy that provides much needed comic relief during some of the production’s more intense and philosophical moments. However, the dance troupe delivered the standout performances of the evening, with emotion conveyed through every hand gesture and leg movement. Their physical storytelling is extraordinary, particularly during the scenes in which the unicorns are dying. The choreography of these falling and struggling mystical creatures is genuinely heartbreaking, demonstrating just how powerful movement can be when words alone are not enough.
K. Ishihara’s stunning set design uses shapes, silhouettes and imaginative set pieces to transport the audience between these very different worlds. The Tokyo apartment is brilliantly trashed when Big Guy bursts through the door, smashes through windows and upturns its contents. It is a highly effective sequence that is also suitably funny, providing a sharp contrast to the ethereal trees of the walled town, which frame the stage and almost resemble something from an animated film. Powerful music by Umitaro Abe’s gives an emotional lift to many of the scenes, with talented pianist Mayu Gonto performing on stage throughout. In the walled city, where people are unable to sing, there is something particularly moving about hearing the classic song As Time Goes By sung in Japanese. It is a simple but effective moment that reinforces the production’s exploration of emotion, memory and what it means to lose a fundamental part of yourself.
This production is dripping with originality and creativity, and it is a real testament to Philippe Decouflé’s direction and choreography that such complex stories are brought to life so effectively. The End of the World / Hard-Boiled Wonderland raises fascinating philosophical questions about life and consciousness that will keep you thinking long after the curtain falls. Is it better to live in a state of peace and harmony, protected from pain but unable to experience happiness, or would you rather embrace the highs and lows of being human, with all the emotions that come with having a heart? This is a production that looks beautiful and has a certain magic about it, combining imaginative stagecraft, inventive choreography and powerful storytelling in a way that feels genuinely original. Although the complexity of the narrative occasionally leaves you searching for answers, its ambition and visual imagination make it a theatrical experience that stands out from the crowd.
End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland plays until 11th October at the Barbican Theatre.
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Photos by Ed Maitland Smith