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The Garden of Words Stage Play Announced in London (Updated)

Whole Hog Theatre has Tweeted that its stage version of Makoto Shinkai's 2013 film The Garden of Words will run in London's Park Theatre in 2023. The play is made by Whole Hog Theatre together with the Tokyo anime stage production company Nelke Planning.

The play was originally announced in 2019 and was set to run in Summer 2020. However, it was indefinitely postponed by the outbreak of Covid-19.

The new Tweet describes the play as "A candid Tokyo tale reminiscent of Lost in Translation. Delve deeper into the stereotype-defying anime and novel by Makoto Shinkai."

In 2019, the play was described as "using puppetry, movement and projection art." At that time, it was set to be directed by Alexandra Rutter, who has now retweeted the new announcement.

Rutter and Whole Hog Theatre were previously responsible for a stage adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, which ran in both London and Tokyo.

Update - Whole Hog Theatre has sent ANN the new description of the play, which is as follows:

"愛"よりも昔、"孤悲"のものがたり

"...you've been living your whole life alone..."

Takao and Yukari are escaping.

Whilst seeking solace in a Japanese garden, an out-of-step woman and an offbeat teenager meet by chance. Social misfits with a shared sense of loneliness, the unlikely pair bond over classical poetry, shoemaking and bad cooking. But the heartfelt companionship that could save them might also ruin them…

Based on the stereotype-defying Anime and novel from world-renowned filmmaker, Makoto Shinkai (your name., Suzume), Japanese animation continues to make waves on the UK stage with this global premiere.

A refreshingly candid Tokyo tale reminiscent of the adorable melancholy of Lost in Translation. Delve deeper into Shinkai's visually emotive story about the lines between platonic and romantic longing and what it is to feel alone in the biggest metropolis in the world. Seven lost souls, drowning in technology yet unable to connect.

From the UK's Whole Hog Theatre, creators of the world's first stage adaptation of a Hayao Miyazaki film with the kind permission of Studio Ghibli (Princess Mononoke), and Tokyo's Anime stage production specialists Nelke Planning (Attack on Titan, Naruto, Sailor Moon stage productions) comes a unique, new Anglo-Japanese collaboration.