Breaking News! We are happy to announce that through InlanDimensions International Arts Network we will be presenting Yu Murai‘s piece ‘Hamlet | Toilet’ at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFOK) 2026! Performances will take place on 31st January and 1st February!
International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFOK) is one of India’s most prominent theatre festivals, held annually in Kerala. Organized by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, it brings together leading theatre companies, directors, and performers from India and around the world. ITFOK is known for its strong curatorial focus on contemporary theatre, social and political themes, and for creating a vibrant space for artistic exchange between Asian and global theatre traditions.
Hamlet | Toilet is a provocative and absurd reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, set entirely in a bathroom. On a minimalist stage featuring three stall-like structures and video projections, three actors in KPR’s signature white full-body suits take on multiple roles, blending physical comedy, pantomime, and surreal imagery to tell the story of Prince Hamlet. In this version, Hamlet’s quest for revenge against his uncle Claudius, who has murdered his father, is reframed through bodily humor and moments of introspection. The bathroom becomes a private, contemplative space, a microcosm where the prince confronts solitude, mortality, and moral dilemmas. The production combines absurdity and wit with the familiar themes of Shakespeare’s original, offering audiences a fresh, highly physical, and conceptually playful theatrical experience.
Director’s Profile:
Yu Murai is the founder, playwright, and director of KPR / Kaimaku Pennant Race. After graduating from Chiba Prefectural Funabashi High School and the Law Department at Hosei University, he worked as a public servant at Meguro Ward Office. In 2006, he founded Kaimaku Pennant Race (KPR) and has since been responsible for writing and directing all of its productions. From 2009 onward, as he began presenting his works internationally, his productions received widespread acclaim, including five-star reviews from The New York Times and numerous other media outlets worldwide. During his 2019 performances in New York, Asian Theatre Journal praised him as “one of Japan’s most innovative contemporary playwrights and directors.” In Japan, in addition to scripting and directing popular 2.5-dimensional stage plays, he also works on series composition and screenwriting for TV anime series. He served as the director of the AFTER THE GAMES segment for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony.
Theatre Company Profile:
Kaimaku Pennant Race (KPR) is a Japanese theatre company founded in 2006 by Yu Murai and Takuro Takasaki. Yu Murai serves as the company’s playwright and director, and its core members include Murai, Takasaki, and G.K. Masayuki. KPR first gained international attention with its 2009 performances in New York, earning praise from The New York Times and numerous other media outlets. Since 2015, their overseas tours have been acclaimed for “extraordinary contemporary theatre performed by astonishing actors” (Tuniscope, Tunisia) and delivering “a truly artistic experience” (La Provence, France), with some critics remarking that “once you witness this shocking work, there is no returning to the ordinary world” (Theatrorama, France). The company is renowned for its inventive and visually striking productions, including a gigantic toilet installation made from 10,000 rolls of toilet paper at the 2016 Tokyo show, and appearances of space-suited aliens in Shizuoka’s Sunpu Castle Park. These bold performances have drawn international attention and recognition within the art world.