Tokyo Performance takes place in Japan at a time when the internet did not affect our lives as much. In this little book, everything happens on a TV show. It will make you think about relationships, fame, loneliness and family. You wouldn’t expect such a small book can leave such an impact on you.
Nori is one of Japan’s most famous chefs. He lives in Tokyo and has his own TV show. He is particularly popular among a certain age of women, and he is well aware of his popularity. In his program, he talks about various topics while cooking food. But Nori will present the most interesting television show of his life.
During the show, Nori peels an aubergine and starts talking about his wife and children. We slowly learn more about his relationship with his family, and we can’t help but feel sorry for him. Despite all his fame and apparent good life, the lack of something slowly manifests itself. Watchers realize that they are watching a show they can never watch again. From now on, nothing will be the same, at least for the famous chef Nori.
Tokyo Performance
Tokyo Performance, set in the pre-internet age, brilliantly captures the zeitgeist of Japan at the time. In this riveting, entertaining and wholly poignant tale, a Japanese celebrity, whilst live on air, receives a phone call that will change his life forever. Nori, a high profile Tokyo-based celebrity chef with his own weekly television show, is famous and beloved and he knows it – but he’s about to put in his strangest performance. Award-winning writer, playwright and director, Roger Pulvers, brings his love and deep fascination for Japanese culture to Tokyo Performance, a funny and, at times, tragic story, which explores the cost of fame.
Roger Pulvers
Roger Pulvers is an Australian playwright, theatre director and translator. He has published more than 45 books in English and Japanese, from novels to essays, plays, poetry and translations. He has written prolifically for the stage and has seen his plays produced at major theatres in Japan, Australia and in the U.S. Pulvers has also directed widely in Australia and Japan, both in English and Japanese. He has written original scripts for radio documentaries and dramas that have been produced by ABC (Australia), as well as television scripts for NHK (Japan) and screenplays for feature films.
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