Yojiro Ichikawa

Yojiro Ichikawa (he/him), a graduate of MA Directing at Arts Educational Schools London, is an award winnig director who has been working internationally in the UK, US and Japan, in various kinds of theatre including musical, drama and physical theatre. His aim is to bridge many borders including those between musical, physical and straight theatres, western and eastern cultures, and other contexts where our differences might enhance our creative expressions.

He started his career working with the Shiki Theatre Company in his native Japan where he directed, assisted and translated numerous productions including “Once on This Island,” “Songs for A New World” and the Japanese premiere of Tony award winning musical “Spring Awakening”.

In 2010 he won a fellowship with the prestigious Overseas Study Programme for Artists that offered him the opportunity to learn about theatres both in London and NY a year each. In the UK Yojiro participated in projects and workshops at The National Theatre, Young Vic, Complicite, Drama Centre London and Arts Ed. His work in the US included fellowships at the New York Theatre Workshop and The Play Co. and participation in the Lincoln Center Directors Lab in 2012 and 2013.

His directing credits include ‘Tell Me On A Sunday’ at the New National Theatre Tokyo, which won Yomiuri Drama Award in Japan, ’URINETOWN’ at Bridewell Theatre; which received five star reviews, ‘Ordinary Days’ both in London and New York, ‘Cutouts: Letter from the Sea’, a devised show for children produced by Polish Theatre Bydgoszcz celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Poland which subsequently was invited to revive at the National Theatre Tokyo in the following year, ‘Pearl and Dagger’, a new musical based on a Japanese folktale and created through the collaboration between the British and Japanese creatives and specially invited by the Other Palace Theatre to hold a staged workshop production, ‘ONDINE’ at Clifftown Theatre, a collaboration with BA World Performance at East 15 Acting School, and ‘The Red Candle – Mermaids in the East’ which premiered at the Brunel Museum and was critically acclaimed and was also appreciated by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

Additionally, he has collaborated with many international artists including David Leveaux (“Eternal Chikamatsu”), Harold Prince, Susan Stroman(“Prince of Broadway”), Marcello Magni(“Tinker Bell in Shoji-land”) and Thom Southerland(“TITANIC” and “Grand Hotel”).

Credits

DIRECTING (*New Writing)

<UK/EU>
2020 *KUWENTO Online (YouTube)
2020 PEARL AND DAGGER concert Battersea Park (One day, open air)
2019 *LETTER FROM THE SEA Teatr Polski Bydgoszcz, Poland (1 week)
2019 *PEARL AND DAGGER The Other Palace (One day)
2018 URINETOWN Bridewell Theatre (2 weeks)
2018 *DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN Theatre 503 (Two days), Part of a new writing showcase ‘Rapid Write Response’
2018 ONDINE Clifftown Theatre (One week)
2018 *TAPESTRY Southwark Playhouse (One Day), Part of a new writing showcase ‘XPOSED’
2017 ORDINARY DAYS Bridewell Theatre (One week)
2016 *THE RED CANDLE – MERMAIDS IN THE EAST Brunel Museum (3 weeks), Attended by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
2014 PETER PAN: A Musical Adventure The Bloomsbury Theatre (One week)
2014 *FOUR SEASONS Japan Festival, Trafalgar Square (One day)
2014, 13 FROM UP HERE Tristan Bates Theatre, UK Tour (Full run)
2013 *THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS AND HEARTS Perfect Pitch Workshop (A week workshop)
<USA>
2012 ORDINARY DAYS Access Theatre, NY (One week)
2012 *ALONE WORLD Lincoln Centre Theater Directors Lab, Workshop production (3 week workshop)
<Japan>
2022 THE VIEW UPSTAIRS Nippon Seinenkan Hall Tokyo (4 weeks)
2020 *LETTER FROM THE SEA New National Theatre Tokyo (One week)
2016 TELL ME ON A SUNDAY New National Theatre Tokyo (4 weeks) Won Yomiuri Drama Award


ASSOCIATING / ASSISTING / MOVEMENT

<UK>
2021 *The Rotherhithe Gospels St. Mary’s Church Rotherhithe Movement / Associate Director: Phil Willmott
2018 *RELATIVITY The Einstein Musical Finborough Theatre (Full run) Movement / Assistant Director: Phil Willmott
2013 EVITA Bill Kenwright LTD. UK Tour (Full run) Assistant Director: Bob Tomson
2013 LEGALLY BLONDE Arts Educational (Full run) Assistant / Assistant Musical Director: Adam Penford
<USA>
2019 *TONI STONE Roundabout Theatre Company SDCF Observership Directed by Pam MacKinnon
<Japan>
2022 THE VIEW UPSTAIRS Nippon Seinenkan Hall Tokyo (4 weeks) Movement / Translator
2015 TITANIC: The Musical Theatre Cocoon(Tokyo) (Full run) Associate / Vocal Coach / Translator Director: Thom Southerland
2014 TINKER BELL IN SHOJI LAND Tokyo Metropolitan Theater (Full run) Assistant / Vocal Coach Director: Marcello Magni


OTHERS

<UK>
2011 The National Theatre Studio Workshop for FROM MORNING TILL MIDNIGHT with Melly Still
<USA>
2013, 12 A Member of the Directors Lab Lincoln Centre Theater
2011-12 International Fellowships New York Theatre Workshop and The Play Company
Including rehearsal observing of “ONCE” directed by John Tiffany and “The Ugly One” directed by Daniel Aukin
<Japan>
2021 *THE ILLUSIONIST a New Musical Nissei Theatre, Tokyo (Full run) Translator, directed by Thom Southerland
2016 GRAND HOTEL Akasaka ACT Theatre, Tokyo (Full run) Translator, directed by Thom Southerland
2015 *PRINCE OF BRODWAY Theatre Orbe(Tokyo), Umeda Arts Theatre(Osaka) (Full run) Translator, directed by

Training

Arts Educational Schools London, MA Musical Theatre Creative Practice / Directing Pathway 2012 - 2013

Drama Centre London, BA Directing Course, Study Abroad Programme 2010 - 2011

Complicité open workshop
“The Puppet, the Ensemble and Me” with Josie Daxter 2017
“The Puppet and the Performer” with Marcello Magni 2013
“CLOWN in the Real World” with Joyce Henderson 2011

Little Angel Theatre training course “Shadow Puppet Theatre” with Judith Hope 2020

Directors Lab, Lincoln Center Theater, 2012, 2013

International Fellowships New York Theatre Workshop and The Play Company 2011-2012

HB Studio NY, Directing, Singing, Acting courses 2011 - 2012

RADA Training System in Tokyo with Nicholas Barter, Ilan Reichel and Bardy Thomas 2009