A major Haruki Murakami theatre adaptation is coming to the Barbican this autumn
Believe in the surreal
Haruki Murakami's cult 1985 novel, End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland, jumps between parallel realities, blends cyberpunk sci-fi with dream logic and somehow finds room for strange creatures, existential dread and a meditation on consciousness. It's the sort of story that feels difficult enough to explain to a mate, let alone recreate in a theatre.
Which is exactly why the Barbican's latest announcement is so exciting.
This autumn, the venue will host the European premiere of End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland, the first-ever stage adaptation of Murakami's acclaimed novel. Running from the 8th to the 11th of October, the production arrives in London following a successful run in Japan, with tickets starting from £29.
Directed by renowned French theatre-maker Philippe Decouflé and adapted by Ako Takahashi, the production follows Watashi, a human data processor whose brain is used to encrypt sensitive information for a shadowy organisation known as the System. As reality begins to fracture around him, he finds himself caught between competing worlds and hidden conspiracies that threaten everything he knows.
Leading the cast is Japanese screen star Tatsuya Fujiwara, best known for Battle Royale and the Death Note films. Fujiwara will also introduce a special screening of Battle Royale during the production's Barbican residency.
The show forms the centrepiece of a wider Murakami-focused programme at the venue. On the 11th of October, the author himself will make a rare London appearance for a conversation with theatre director Simon McBurney, alongside a reading from his latest novel, The City and Its Uncertain Walls. The event will also include a screening of Tony Takitani, the acclaimed film adaptation of one of Murakami's short stories.
The production is part of the Barbican's newly announced autumn theatre season, which also includes the UK premiere of Pam Tanowitz Dance's Pastoral and the London debut of Brazilian thriller Tom at the Farm.
It's Murakami's arrival that will likely attract the most attention. A novel long considered one of his most ambitious and surreal works is finally making the leap from page to stage, and London audiences will be among the first in Europe to see whether the impossible can actually be pulled off. Tickets go on sale on the 19th of June for the general public, whilst members can book from the 17th.
Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!
