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Jun 18, 20261
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Okada Toshiki's Latest Work 'The Theatre of Zombies Who Want to Make a Movie' Main Visual Revealed
Director Okada Toshiki's new play 'The Theatre of Zombies Who Want to Make a Movie' will run at Theatre East from August 7-23, 2026. The work is Okada's inaugural production as artistic director of Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre of Art's stage arts division and is adapted from his German premiere 'Sliding Away,' featuring five zombies who pose existential questions to human audiences.
Quick Facts
Who
Okada Toshiki
What
New theatrical work premieres
When
August 7-23, 2026
Where
Theatre East, Tokyo
- New theatrical work premieres
- Main visual released
- Japanese adaptation of 'Sliding Away' created
- Five zombies pose questions to human audience
- Explores themes of asymmetry between zombies and humans
Director Okada Toshiki's new theatrical work, 'The Theatre of Zombies Who Want to Make a Movie,' will premiere at Theatre East in Tokyo from August 7-23, 2026. The production marks Okada's first major work since assuming the role of artistic director of the stage arts division at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre of Art in June 2026.
The play is a Japanese adaptation of 'Sliding Away,' which premiered at Hanover State Theatre in Germany in May 2026. Set on a zombie film production set, the work features five zombies who pose philosophical questions to human audience members. The narrative explores themes of asymmetry between zombies and humans, questioning who determines normalcy and humanity, and suggesting that problems may lie not with the zombies but with humans themselves.
The cast includes Ayane Tomiya, You Momose, Momoe Shimada, Asahi Ishikawa, and Kan Fukuhara. The production has garnered attention for its absurdist and sophisticated questioning of theatrical conventions, challenging audiences to reconsider fundamental assumptions about what constitutes normalcy and human nature through the lens of science fiction and performance art.
Why This Matters
This production represents a significant milestone in contemporary Japanese theatre, combining absurdist philosophy with innovative stagecraft to challenge audiences' understanding of normalcy and humanity. Okada Toshiki's appointment as artistic director and this ambitious adaptation demonstrate Tokyo's cultural leadership in experimental theatre, offering both local and international audiences a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be human through the unconventional lens of zombie cinema.
Timeline & Sources
Jun 18, 2026
WireMain visual for 'The Theatre of Zombies Who Want to Make a Movie' released