https://soundcloud.com/francescalelohe/sets/the-key_2017-r-d

The 3-day-long R&D focused on exploring the venue, work-shopping around 30 minutes of music, developing various possibilities for stage direction, and testing how an audience moves through the piece. All participants were actively encouraged to explore their roles and to share their ideas and interpretations. 

The R&D period began with separate sessions for each of the 4 trios: namely the husband, wife, daughter and Kimura trios. These were held at Tokyo University of the Arts, Kita-Senju campus. In these sessions, the creative team and performers discussed the project in depth, experimented with theatrical and movement ideas, and work-shopped the lyrics and music written for the specific trio. All four trios came together at the venue (Nakacho house) for the first time on the final day of R&D. The first half of the day focused on exploring and responding to the layout and acoustics of the house, testing the simultaneous performance aspect of the work, and trialling a section where all character roles came together and performed in one room of the house. After further rehearsal, a test performance was held for an invited audience. This was followed by an open Q&A and feedback session with the composer/director and performers. 

The R&D proved to be invaluable for stimulating discussion on the various directions the project could take, for facilitating team-building and exchange, and for providing a chance for all members to develop their practice through exploring new roles and creative methods. Much of the material trialled through the R&D process was further developed to form the basis of the final work, and the relationships initiated through the R&D became integral to the success of the project.  

Audience feedback

Voyeuristic, exciting, moving

Ambitious, stimulating, very interesting

What is going to happen? There was a great sense of anticipation. It felt mysterious when you overheard the sounds coming from the next room

It felt like I was peering in on something another person isn’t supposed to see

Performers

The Husband Trio
The Husband: Takashi Matsudaira (baritone)
Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute): Rei Jin
Double bass: Yukiko Siina
The Wife Trio
The Wife: Akane Kudo (soprano)
Sho (Japanese mouth organ): Atsumi Kojima
Cello: Yuri Kubota
The Daughter Trio
The Daughter: Yu Igarashi  (mezzo-soprano)
Kotsutsumi and shimedaiko (Japanese percussion): Mikako Ogawa
Violin: Kyouju Hayakawa

Kimura trio
Kimura: Rikki Metsugi (dancer)
Biwa (Japanese lute): Kumiko Shuto 
Clarinet: Hiroko Miyake 

Team

Cooperation