A remake of Akira Kurosawa’s film. On the borderline between theatre and film, a thrilling police procedural set on the streets of Tokyo. Inspired by Ed McBain’s cult novel, King’s Ransom, Syllas Tzoumerkas and Youla Boudali revive the phantasmagoric futurism of Sixties Tokyo and stage a taut manhunt at the OCC, throwing fragments of film and installation art, concert and juggling tricks, fashion and televisual illusions into the mélange of their on-stage creation. An exciting thriller, which combines the garish aesthetic of a pulp novel with the psychological shocks of a middle-class character drama.

The play is divided into two main sections: Act 1 takes plays on stage in a theatrical conventional way. The lighting brief for this part, was to recreate the black and white world of Kurosawa’s movie. We aimed for a “no-shadows” effect on stage, that created a solid, recognizable atmosphere, a direct reference to the movie. Act 2 takes place on different locations and had to be the complete opposite of Act 1. Saturated hues, dense smoke and real fire “recreated” the dark alleys of Tokyo, transferring the audience into the world of Kurosawa.

Directors: Syllas Tzoumerkas – Youla Boudali
Set Design: Constantinos Zamanis
Lighting Design: Creative Lighting
Photo Credits: Kiki Papadopoulou
Venue: Onassis Cultural Center