TalkThursday 15 May 2014
6:00pm – 7:00pm
Tales from Old Japan
Drinks reception from 7:00pm
13/14 Cornwall Terrace, Outer Circle, London NW1 4QP
Organised by The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
A Thousand Cranes theatre company was founded in 2006 by performer Kumiko Mendl and director Vicky Ireland MBE. Combining Vicky’s lifelong passion for children’s theatre and interest in Japan with Kumiko’s childhood memories of living there, they decided to create a company dedicated to bringing the many fascinating stories, artists and culture of Japan to young audiences in the UK.
In association with artsdepot in North Finchley, London they have produced four plays for children; Tales from Old Japan, Milkyway, The Paper Washi Wish and Little Sunshine, Little Rainfall. Their next show, Me and My Cat? will be an adaptation of the book by award winning children’s writer and illustrator, Satoshi Kitamura and will be touring from this September.
At the Daiwa Foundation, Vicky Ireland and Kumiko Mendl talked about their play, Tales from Old Japan, which was performed on Sunday, 18th May, 11am & 2pm at artsdepot and showed extracts from some of their other productions and the inspiration behind them.
About the contributors
Vicky Ireland
Vicky Ireland is Co-Artistic Director of A Thousand Cranes and freelance children’s theatre director and writer. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and then worked as an actress in TIE and repertory theatres all over Britain. She presented a BBC programme called Words and Pictures for twelve years. From 1989 to 2002 she was Artistic Director of Polka Theatre for Children, London and is now a freelance director and writer. In 2002 she was awarded the MBE medal in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list for services to children’s drama, the first of its kind. In 2006 she formed A Thousand Cranes with performer Kumiko Mendl and to date they have created four shows for young children with a new one on its way.
Kumiko Mendl
Kumiko Mendl is Co-Artistic Director of A Thousand Cranes and Artistic Director of Yellow Earth Theatre. She graduated with a BA Hons in Education Studies and then went on to train at the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School in Paris. Since then she has worked in theatre as an actress, teacher, director and storyteller. Mendl is one of the five founding members of Yellow Earth Theatre, the UK’s award winning British East Asian Theatre company, and became Artistic Director in 2001. She is Vice Chair of The London Hub, which champions diversity in the performing arts.