Yoritomo no Shi (Death of Yoritomo)

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Yoritomo no Shi (Death of Yoritomo)

April 1932, Tokyo

Mayama Seika began as a naturalistic novelist, but joined the entertainment conglomerate Shochiku in the 1910s and wrote many new-wave Shinpa dramas. From the 1920s, he established his position as a New Kabuki writer. His works, including Genroku Chushingura and the trilogy Attack on Edo Castle, depict historic human conflicts with an elegant style.
This play is a rewriting of the play Kugutsubune (The Mechanical Boat) of 1919. It is among the most performed of Seika’s plays and stands as a representative New Kabuki piece. Ichikawa Jukai often played in the piece in the 1950s, while Nakamura Baigyoku frequently performs it today. It is sometimes known as Shogun Yoriie.

●main graphic ［from left］Amamidai（Nakamura Kaishun）、Minamoto Yoriie（Nakamura Baigyoku）　October 2010　Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre

●publication date　 April 2016