‘McGowan’ makes Tokyo transition

The Tokyo premiere of “The McGowan Trilogy,” by New York-based Galway author Seamus Scanlon, took place today at the Setagaya Public Theatre. The two-week run was sold out almost as soon as tickets went on sale in April, largely on the basis that the production stars locally famous model and actor Tori Matsuzaka.

The origins of Tokyo production of the Belfast-set work go back to when its producer Takeshi Eguchi saw the book (published by Arlen House) in the Drama Book Shop in New York, liked the cover and took it from there.

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The play was originally produced by Nancy Manocherian's Cell Theater in 2014 directed by Kira Simring as part of Origin Theater's 1st Irish Festival. One spinoff was the short film “The Long Wet Grass” (2017), which was made in the west of Ireland with the same stars that featured Cell production.

Scanlon is in Tokyo for the premiere and met producer Eguchi, director Eriko Ogawa and translator Chizuru Urabe on Monday at a reception at the Embassy of Ireland hosted by Tim Harrington, acting Chargé d'Affaires, and Aisling Braiden, the cultural officer at the Embassy. Yesterday, Scanlon also met the cast and crew at the Setagaya Public Theater

 

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