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London's Barbican Begins Dance Performance with Manga Illustrations October 22

London's Barbican Centre will run a dance performance with manga illustrations from Tuesday October 22 to Saturday November 2. As of writing, there are tickets available for all performances. The Five and the Prophecy of Prana will be accompanied by paintings by the Japanese artist Akio Tanaka, who also created the art for the violent crime manga Shamo.

The performance was created by the dance company Blue Brother. Most of the performances are at 7.45 p.m., but there are also 2.30 matinees on the Saturdays, and a 5 p.m. performance on Sunday October 27 (the only performance on that day).

From the Barbican website:

Japanese Manga artist Akio Tanaka joins the Olivier award-winning team behind Pied Piper for an explosive narrative dance work integrating hip-hop, Manga and martial arts.

Five troublemakers are sent to a rehabilitation camp for young offenders run by the Grand Master of the Pih Poh Fu martial art. Unknown to them, he is also a Guardian of Prana - a secret warrior group entrusted with the protection of a spell controlling peace. When a rebellious Guardian seeks to seize power, the five must lead the battle of good against evil.

Inspired by Manga, this new production by Barbican Artistic Associate Boy Blue Entertainment is steeped in the visual identity and quirky characters central to the comic book genre.