■About Ryuzanji Company■

Currently a 69-year-old theatre director and actor Show Ryuzanji first founded his theatre company “Engekidan (Theatre Company)” in 1970 and it built up a firm position as one of the legitimate “Angra (underground)” theatre companies in Japanese contemporary theatre world. (Engekidan broke up in 1990). At the same time, also Ryuzanji started a new theatre company in 1984 "Ryuzanji Company," which aimed to break through the boundaries between individual small theatres and make a wider links among them and concrete a unrestricted theatre network there. So, Ryuzanji Company called for a new system –a production based - not a theatre group based – theatre creation – from early stage. 

 

Ryuzanji Company has been active enthusiastically in foreign countries. The company have been accepted trainees from all over the world.

In 1991, the company performed "Ryuzanji Macbeth" in South Korea. Afterwards, the company performed Shuji Terayama's play, "Educating Mad Persons (Doll's House)" in Canada in 2000 and got the Grand Prix Award at the Victoria's International  Fringe Theatre Festival. The company performed "Educating Mad Persons" also in Egypt, Korea, China, Taiwan and Canada, over 40 cities in the world.

 

Ryuzanji Company also have unique theatrical companies called "Rakujyuku" and "Paradise Iahiza."

"Rakujyuku" is formed with over 45 year-old non-professional auditioned citizens. "Paradise Iahiza" is an elderly aged – average 80-year-old- drama creators’ theatre company and the most of them challenged their side-job, acting seriously.

The company’s motto is "Dancing, Singing and Loving", and we are ready to go any where in the world with our performance – if theatre-loving audiences are waiting for us.