PROFILE PROFILETokyo Actors Repertory Company was founded in 1989.
The company's first production was "One Day, Maybe Tuesday" at Theatre Space A & A in Tokyo. This brand new comedy was devised entirely through improvisational techniques. Clown work, mime and character acting were skillfully blended in a highly original English, Japanese and Italian language performance.
In 1990 Tokyo Actors presented a six week season of British Drama for UK90, a major British Arts Festival. The company featured a unique double premiere production of Michael Frayn's "The Two Of Us" in English and in Japanese. The Japanese production was specially translated for UK90. Critics acclaimed "the talent and theatrical dexterity" of the players, and found performances in both languages "excruciatingly funny". Asahi Evening News said "Tokyo Actors Repertory Company is unique. They play English theatre at a level of high professionalism and commitment."
In 1991 Tokyo Actors was invited to join the Hong Kong Festival where they performed Harold Pinter's "Family Voices" and "The Lover". The Hong Kong Standard declared "The TARC programme of Pinter plays is an inspired choice with their deep undercurrents of desire and menace." The South China Morning Post review said "Their performance was superb. The voices were magical. The actors' vocal and facial control revealing depths of emotion and passion."
in 1992 Elizabeth Handover and Keiko Katsukura started collaborating in finding techniques to develop plays in which English and Japanese could be used in an integral script. In 1994, using these new improvisational techniques they began creating a play based on Mary Crawford Fraser's memoirs "A Diplomatist's Wife In Japan" now called "The Chrysanthemum & The Rose". They were joined by Masako Miyazaki, a director from the Haiyu-za Theatre Company in early 1995.
In September 1995 Tokyo Actors was invited by Sir John and Lady Boyd to give their première performance of "A Diplomatist's Wife In Japan" at the British Embassy in front of a specially invited audience. In February 1996 the play was performed again at The Foreign Correspondents Club Of Japan, and in 1997 Tokyo Actors was invited to join the UK98 Festival.
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