Natsume Mito will play Shigeko Funamura in the stage play Kuchibue (Whistling), scheduled to be performed at Theater Alpha Tokyo starting on July 23.

This is the latest production of Kuchibue, written by Takayuki Takuma, who runs the popular Takufes and Takulabo. It is being directed by Taka Oyabu, who has appeared in many of Takuma’s works. The Tokyo Seleccion DX theater company first performed the show in 2002 and again in 2005, and the shocking work has not been performed since.

<Comment from the original author, Takayuki Takuma>
“Although writing is not my true passion, when I first started writing a book of plays, I wrote Whistle with the idea of writing a work similar to a French film, filled with both beauty and cruelty that would leave the audience unable to stand up at the end.
This was around the fifth play I had written, and it was the first one that I felt good about.

However…
in a way, I think the beautiful bad ending served to claw at the audience’s heart as I had intended.
I think it shakes people in different ways. At the same time, I remember that many resented that it was impossible. Since then, I’ve stopped writing true bad endings. This work has not been performed since 2005.

This is a very problematic work. It’s a work I was confident in that had been sealed away. This work is not for everyone.
It seems that some people wanted to see a play like this again.
We quickly raised our hands and said that we wanted to do it ourselves.
I was very happy, but also very anxious.
This work that I decided not to do again…prepare yourself for it and enjoy.”

<Comment from Natsume Mito (Shigeko Funamura)>
“I’m very happy to be starring in Whistling. While it’s a bit stressful to be performing something that hasn’t appeared on stage since 2005, I’ll do my best to bring the audience a truly heartrending summer. I’ll see you at the theater!”