Kabuki

Kabuki is one of the world’s richest theatre traditions, with a history stretching back into Japan’s medieval past. The secrets of this spectacular artform have been handed down from father to son across the generations, within families that devote themselves to the portrayal of Kabuki’s vibrant and melodramatic characters.

Following highly successful London presentations of Kabuki in 1991 and 2001, Askonas Holt was proud to present Ebizo Ichikawa XI in London and Amsterdam in May/June 2006. Heir to the most prestigious Kabuki family of all, Ebizo Ichikawa XI, who was 28 years old at the time, has risen to prominence as the leading acting talent of his generation. Gifted with film-star looks and extraordinary dramatic presence, Ebizo has taken the Kabuki stage by storm and become a national icon in Japan, known and revered by audiences young and old. In a profession steeped with tradition, Ebizo has demonstrated that a Kabuki actor can also move with ease into the areas of television, fashion and popular culture.

"Ichikawa Ebizo XI, Crown Prince of Kabuki" Le Monde, Paris