West End actress Kanako Nakano (Miss Saigon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert) will head the all-female cast for this autumn’s touring production of Burnt Lemon’s award-winning Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit Tokyo Rose.
Nakano will be joined by three of the stars of the original New Diorama and Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Maya Britto (Arabian Nights, Hoxton Hall) returning in the title role alongside Lucy Park (Game Face, Q Theatre/Tristan Bates Theatre) and Yuki Sutton (Satanic Panic ’87, Channel 4). They will be joined by Amy Parker (Ride, Vault Festival) and co-writer Cara Baldwin (The Half Moon Shania, Zoo Venues/Vault Festival).
Presented by Burnt Lemon in association with MAST Mayflower and the Birmingham Hippodrome, the new production of the pop, rock and hip-hop musical inspired by the true story of Iva D’Aquino, the Japanese-American woman accused of being infamous Second World War propagandist Tokyo Rose, will debut at the Mayflower MAST Studios in Southampton from 16-18 September 2021.
The musical will return to London to play the Southwark Playhouse in from 23 September to 16 October, before visiting Leicester Curve (18-20 October); The North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford; Newbury’s Corn Exchange (25-27 October); and Birmingham Hippodrome (28-30 October).
With a book and lyrics by Maryhee Yoon and Cara Baldwin Tokyo Rose was shortlisted for our Best New Musical Award in 2019 and went on to win 2019’s New Diorama and Underbelly Untapped Award and the Les Enfants Terribles Stepladder Award.
Commenting on the production co-writer Maryhee Yoon said: “The most important part of Tokyo Rose is that Iva Toguri D’Aquino lived. She was here. I hope to tell Iva’s story in a way that she would have wanted, honouring her heartbreaks, her fight, her family, and her joys to honour our collective fight and radical joy. Just like Iva, our community is here and it is thriving. I hope that Tokyo Rose can serve as a love letter to this vibrant community.”
Co-writer Baldwin added: “The cast and creative team have gone on such an incredible journey together, shining a light on a side of history some would rather forget. While Iva Toguri survived a tidal wave of turmoil, the greatest thing we’ve learnt is that Iva’s life is not one to lament, but celebrate.”
The new, extended version of the original show which followed its sold-out Edinburgh run with a successful London debut at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 will once again be directed Hannah Benson.
Benson who also serves as vocal arranger and dramaturg on the production heads a creative team that includes composer William Patrick Harrison, dramaturgs Haruka Ueda and Jonathan Mann, producer Tanya Agarwal, set designer Luke W. Robson, lighting designer Holly Ellis, costume designer Erin Guan and publicity designer Rebecca Pitt.
Angela Thomas
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