The Women of Ishikawa

Be drawn into the faraway world of The Women of Ishikawa.  It is a selection of strange, hilarious, and tragic folk stories from the mountains of Ishikawa, brought over from Japan and performed by Doubtful Sound. The show is in a mix of Kaga-ben (the local dialect) and English, and the stories are sprinkled with traditional folk songs from the SOAS Min’yo Group.  The tales performed in Japanese have English subtitles.

The performance at the Daiwa Foundation includes a ghost who nurses babies, girls falling asleep on the shoulder of a monk, a collapsing cave, a mochi-fight, a potato digger, uncomfortably welcoming guests, a snake swordsmith, the queen of thieves, a lord who tells terrible jokes, an elderly lady under the floor, a young woman murdered by the sun, and a basket of bees.  The show will include a Q&A session, providing a chance to ask the director, dramaturg, and musicians about the tales and songs.