One Green Bottle
By Hideki Noda
Adapted by Will Sharpe
Themes: Gender Roles, Conflict of Generations, Familial Bonds and Responsibilities
Genre: Neo-absurdist/clowning
Key scenes: pp.7-15; pp. 52-54; pp. 68-77 (Act II)
Number of characters: 3 + 2 unseen voice-over characters
Age recommendation: 12+ (strong language)
Country: Japan
Original language: Japanese
Description:
Set in a family apartment in urban Japan, One Green Bottle presents a recognisable domestic scene that descends into absurdism. Family patriarch Bo is going out for the evening leaving his wife, Boo, and daughter, Pickle, to look after their heavily pregnant dog, Princess. However, Book and Pickle also have appointments and are just as determined to leave the house. They all offer increasingly ridiculous and bizarre reasons why they should be the person to leave.
The play was first written in Japanese and premiered in Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (2010). Writer, Hideki Noda, directed and performed as Boo in all productions. This English translation had its world premiere in Japan in 2017 and had its UK premiere in 2018 at the Soho Theatre.
Read the full synopsis in the Education Pack below.
+ DETAILS
Author: Hideki Noda
English adaptation: Will Sharpe
Original language: Japanese
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2018
World Premiere (in the Engl. lang.): Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Japan (2010)
Education Pack Resource Writer: Almiro Andrade
+ CHARACTERS
BO (M) Family Patriarch (60s)
BOO (F) Bo’s wife (60s)
PICKLE (F) Bo’s and Boo’s daughter (20s)
VOICE (M) a voice-over character that calls the intercom at the family apartment. (Age not specified.)
CHILD voice that sings from the shining light at their door at the end of the play. (No age or gender specified)
+ PLAY TEXT BLURB
Boo, Bo and Pickle have all made plans tonight. But someone has to stay home and look after Princess.
People are waiting, start times are looming. No one's budging and petty bickering soon spirals into a ludicrous battle of wills and, possibly, the end of the world.
Renowned Japanese writer, performer and Artistic Director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Hideki Noda paints a portrait of a disconnected family on a self-destructive course in this satirical comedy about consumerism and technology in a 'selfie' society.
With music and soundscape influenced by traditional Japanese Noh and Kabuki performed live by legendary Japanese Kabuki musician Denzaemon Tanaka XIII. English translation adapted by Will Sharpe.
Buy the play text here
