Outline

Designed by Kazuya Kondo / Photo by Tomoki Futaishi
An exquisite comedy of conversation exploring the limits of the human condition
Akira Shirai directs the Japanese premier of a major work by modern Italian playwright Luigi Lunari
Setagaya Public Theatre(SePT) has always sought out the perfect directors to breathe life into the very best scripts from around the world. In September 2022, SePT and Ryutopia (Niigata City Performing Arts Center) are coming together to jointly present a performance of the Japanese translation of the modern Italian theatre piece Three on the Seesaw, directed by Akira Shirai.
Piccolo Teatro di Milano’s resident playwright Luigi Lunari first presented Three on the Seesaw in 1990. Since then, it has been performed in translation in over 20 countries, becoming one of Lunari’s most well-known works. This will be the first performance of this play in Japan.
The characters in this play are based on the stock characters of Italy’s classical theatre tradition of Comemedia dell’arte. However, they have been reimagined as modern characters, and they call to mind the people who make up the modern day bourgeoisie.
This play is made up of the absurd conversations that takes place among people pushed to their limit, in a situation in which even their own existence is uncertain. Toru Nakamura, Tetsushi Tanaka, and Ikkei Watanabe play three men who meet by happenstance at a certain location and end up spending a strange night together. The final member of this talented cast is Hikaru Asami, playing the role of a mystery woman who holds the key to the secrets of this story.
This Japanese premier of Three on the Seesaw features director Shirai’s own adaptation of the script, creating a work that is the perfect piece of theatre for anyone living in our chaotic modern era.
Don’t miss your chance to see Three on the Seesaw, Akira Shirai’s first directorial work since he became the Artistic Director of SePT in April of 2022!
Summary
Three men—a businessman, a sergeant, and a professor—all arrive at the same location, each for their own reason. The businessman is there for a romantic tryst, the sergeant is there for military business, and the professor is there for the galley proofs of his latest book. Is this place where these three men meet by chance a hotel, an office, or a publisher? At first, each believes they are the only one at the correct location, but they all come to realize the truth. They have all arrived at the “correct” address.
In these mysterious circumstances, an air pollution alarm begins to ring, and all three of them are trapped in the building. The three of them end up with no choice but to spend the night together, and gradually a certain suspicion crosses their minds.
These three men have a hilarious conversation that treats topics like life, death, fate, destiny, free will, the existence of god, and atheism as if they were nothing but gossip. And then, suddenly, a mysterious woman who looks like a cleaning woman enters the room, but everything she says is cryptic and ambiguous. The three men grow more and more certain of their sneaking suspicion…
Cast & Creative
Written by Luigi Lunari
Staging Script / Directed by Akira Shirai
Cast:
Toru Nakamura, Tetsushi Tanaka,Ikkei Watanabe,Hikaru Asami(in order of appearance)
Videos
Schedule
◎= Post-performance talk will be held.※Holders of tickets for the performance may attend.
△= Cameras will be installed in the audience area for recording purposes.
Voice Support for the Hearing Impaired (Advance Application Required/Free of Charge)
Earphones are available at the theatre lobby for lending out free of charge to hearing impaired audience members. To borrow an earphone, after purchasing your ticket, please apply to the theatre no later than three days before the performance in question.
Applications and inquiries: Tel. 03-5432-1526/Fax. 03-5432-1559/Email. support@setagaya-pt.jp
Audience Support
Childcare Service
A childcare service is normally available for performances for which advance tickets are sold.
However, as capacity is limited, use of childcare service is by reservation only.
Charge: | ¥2,200 per child |
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Eligibility: | Children aged over 6 months and up to 9 years of age |
Applications: | Setagaya Public Theatre Tel. 03-5432-1526 |
Subcontractor: | Kids’ Room Tinker bell Sancha |
You may reserve childcare services up to noon of the day 3 days before the desired reservation time, but when the number of children registered reaches capacity, applications will closed.
So please make your reservation well in advance.
Also, please consult with the theatre regarding children with special needs.
Wheelchair Spaces
Both Setagaya Public Theatre and Theatre Tram are equipped with wheelchair spaces to allow visitors to watch performances from their wheelchairs. However, as capacity is limited, use of wheelchair spaces is by reservation only. So please make your reservation well in advance.
Charge: | 10% discount on the corresponding area ticket charge (plus up to one attendant free of charge) |
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Applications: | Theatre Ticket Centre Tel. 03-5432-1515 |
Please check here for audience support and barrier-free services provided by our theater.