Directed by theater veteran Naomichi Okai of the Theater Angelus, “Muddy Water” explores a disreputable liquor store with ties to prostitution in a society upheaved by the fall of the Edo shogunate. Genshichi (Yukichi Tanaka), a futon shop owner and a married man, harbors feelings for Oriki (Nonoko Kanazawa), a prostitute at the liquor store. The tides change when Oriki suddenly gifts Genshichi’s child a luxurious candy, setting off a domino effect of betrayal, regret, lust, and revenge among the characters.
The cast may be small in size (composed of only six members who alternate roles if need be), but the spectacle is large and grand. There is not a moment that feels uninspired or wasted. The character’s interior worlds are explored in the exterior: from the groggy wanderings of characters as the protagonist monologues, to cheery masked dancing in a moment of insecure revelation, to a literal bridge that is walked on in a moment of doubt and regret.
Despite taking roots from a 150-year-old novel, “Muddy Water” still very much reflects modern sentiments. In a world where poverty continues to rip the very fabric of society into two, love may be the only universal thing that we have, and remains unnatural to deny it.
The Theater Angelus is a testament to the neverending thirst and need for theater. Established by Okai in 1996, Theater Angelus has taken part in multiple foreign festivals in Korea, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, and Russia. It remains a staple though in its city of Kanazawa, encouraging local performers to innovate with its unique style and spellbinding narratives.
“Muddy Water” is the seventh out of the nine productions in the 1st Cebu International Theatre Festival. In the coming days, productions from Singapore and Malaysia will be staged across Cebu.
The schedule and more details are available on the official Cebu International Theatre Festival Facebook page.
