Mum & Gypsy is a theater company founded in 2007 by writer/director Fujita Takahiro. This 2013 play is based on Kyo Machiko’s manga “Cocoon” (2010), inspired by young girls mobilized as wartime nurses during the Battle of Okinawa. It is seen here in its 2022 revival version. While the storyline itself is largely unchanged from the original production, the dialogue was completely revised after the Covid pandemic to incorporate details of the war, including the massive air raids on Okinawa and acts of violence by the Japanese military.
The first half, set in a school, depicts the daily lives of the protagonist San, her best friend Mayu, and their classmates. In the second half, they have become nurses to wounded soldiers under horrific conditions, using a cave as an impromptu field hospital. As the war situation worsens, a desperate attempt to escape to the sea leads to the tragic death of their classmates. The actors alternate roles and perspectives in repeated versions of their scenes in a directorial technique known as “refrain,” which has become synonymous with Mum & Gypsy. This accentuates the contrast between the everyday life of the first half and utter brutality of what follows. The physical movement of the actors as they cross the stage towards the sea conveys with their whole bodies their powerful will to live.

2022
SAITAMA ARTS THEATER MAIN THEATER

Presented by: The Japan Foundation (JF) (https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/)
In cooperation with EPAD (https://epad.jp)

＜Performance Credits＞
Performers: AOYAGI Izumi, KIKUCHI Meimei, KOIZUMI Maki, OTA Yuki, OGIWARA Aya, KOISHIKAWA Momoko, SATO Momoko, SAWATARI Haruka, SUDO Hinako, TAKADA Shizuru, NAKAJIMA Yukino, NAKASONE Aoi, NAKAMURA Natsuko, NARITA Ayumi, ISHII Ryosuke, UCHIDA Kenshi, ONOSHIMA Shintaro

Original: KYO Machiko
Written and Directed by: FUJITA Takahiro
Music by: HARADA Ikuko
Costume Design by: TAKAHASHI Ai (suzuki takayuki)
Lighting Design by: MINAMI Kaori (LICHT-ER)
Sound Design by: TAJIKA Mitsuru
Recording: AZUMA Takeshi (YAMASHOKUON)
Projection Design by: MESUDA Jitsuko
Hair and Make-up by: IKEDA Shinji (team ikeda)
Voice/Physical Director: ISHIGAMORI Mitsumasa
Literature survey: HASHIMOTO Tomofumi, AOYAGI Izumi
Stage Manager: MORIYAMA Kaori, KUMAKI Susumu
Produced by: mum&gypsy. LLC

Recording by: EPAD2022 / Agency for Cultural Affairs, ART CARAVAN 2022

＜Subtitling Credits＞
Multilingual subtitling: Supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

Chinese Translation (Simplified): WU Zhenzhen
Chinese Translation (Traditional): nonunique solutions
English Translation: MONDEN Miwa
French Translation: SOEJIMA Aya
Korean Translation: Hong-I Lee
Thai Translation: Siree Riewpaiboon

＜Promotional Text＞
TAKASHIMA Megumi

＜Company Website＞
http://mum-gypsy.com/wp-mum/