The Face of Jizo by Hisashi Inoue
Mondays to Saturdays, 7:30pm to 9pm Sundays, 5pm to 6:30pm Saturday 28 October 2023 to Saturday 11 November 2023
The Face of Jizo centres on a father and daughter in the aftermath of war. Tender, beautiful and seasoned with moments of familial humour, this acclaimed Japanese play makes its Australian premiere at the Old Fitz Theatre.
Three years after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, Mitsue, a young woman who works in the local library, arrives home to find her father Takezo there. Despite years of being apart, the pair share memories of the past, cook small fry miso and argue over the intentions of a young man who buys Mitsue a sweet bean jam bun and collects objects left over from the bombing. This is a tale of courage, first love, spirited fathers, and learning to embrace the ghosts of the past.
“With its laughter and tears,” wrote leading cultural figure Saiichi Maruya, “The Face of Jizo is the greatest play of Japan’s postwar era.”
(Jizo is the guardian deity of children, a symbol of their protection from harm.)
The Face of Jizo runs from the 28 October through 11 November* at The Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo.
*Potential for an extended season.
The Face of Jizo is generously supported by The City of Sydney and The Japan Foundation. Presented by Omusubi Productions in association with Red Line Productions.