is one of Japan's largest theatre companies. Shiki Theatre Company employs around 1,400 actors and staff, and stages more than 3,000 performances to around 3 million audience members a year. It operates seven theaters for their exclusive use. Every year, five or six of the company's productions go on tour. Shiki is one of the largest theatrical companies in the world. Seven theaters in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya are dedicated to Shiki.
The Shiki Theatre Company was established on July 14, 1953 by 10 university students including (æµ å©栶太). Their aim was âÂÂbringing about a revolution in the theater world.â The organization was established as a stock holding company in 1967.
The founders' premiere was AnouilhâÂÂs âÂÂArdèle ou la Marguerite" in 1954. There was a saying that 150 people were in the audience.
Shiki stages three major types of drama. Originally, Shiki Theatre Company staged Shingeki plays. However, in the late 1970s, they branched out into other forms of theatre and found success by staging western and Japanese musicals. All of the company's productions are in Japanese.
Shiki is also known for producing original language musicals. One such example is the Showa trilogy, a set of three musicals about World War II and the aftermath. The series consists of Ri KÃ Âran, a musical about the famous Manchurian-Japanese singer; which tells the story of Japanese prisoners of war at an internment camp in Siberia; and about the trials of innocent B and C-class war criminals in Indonesia.
They have also produced several original "family musicals" based on classical literature for children, such as Anne of Green Gables and The Prince and the Pauper. Others of their originals include a musical adaptation of Mamoru Hosoda's anime film The Boy and the Beast, and The Ghost and the Lady, based on a story from the manga The Black Museum. In 2024, The Ghost and the Lady was voted the top musical of 2024 by contributors to Musical magazine.
Shiki follows a strict meritocratic system in their casting process. The company welcomes all talented performers and does not cast well-known stars from television or movies simply based on their fame. They prioritize the performers' skills and whether they are able to move audiences.
In addition to performances, Shiki also provides theater schools and various workshops to train new actors. A number of renowned actors received training at Shiki.
In 2008, Shiki launched the charitable project Kokoro no Gekijo (Theater of Hearts), which invites children in areas with few opportunities to watch theater to attend at no cost. The company also travels to distant islands such as Rishiri Island in Hokkaido to perform. The shows are offered to elementary school students, and the performances teach children concepts such as the âÂÂimportance of life,â âÂÂconsideration for other people,â and the âÂÂjoy in having faith in each other.â The project has grown to 444 performances in 180 cities across the nation. In 2019 alone, around 560,000 children attended the performances. These activities were interrupted by the pandemic, but resumed in April 2023.
As new plays are produced on Broadway and West End each year and performed worldwide, a number of non-Japanese producers have asked Shiki to produce their plays in Japan. Shiki has been in a partnership with Disney for over 20 years, since the company's opening of Beauty and the Beast in 1995. Almost all Disney stage productions are presented in Japan by Shiki (with exceptions such as Newsies and Mary Poppins, which were licensed by Toho). Shiki has also worked with Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the composer of musicals including Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Shiki has also worked with production companies on the production of Mamma Mia! and Wicked.
In December 2023, Shiki held a "Lion King" exhibition to celebrate the musical's 25th anniversary in Japan. Shiki's Lion King musical first opened in 1998 in Tokyo.
Shiki has its own theater at WATERS takeshiba. From August 6, 2021 to July 31, 2022, a project in collaboration with The Phantom of the Opera took place. This collaboration consisted of a concept room that was inspired by the heroine Christine's dressing room, and was limited to a room per day. From September 13, 2021 to February 28, 2022, a film-inspired lunch and dinner program was also promoted. This experience was only offered at WATERS takeshiba.
Shiki's The Ghost and the Lady (new world premiere) won the Musical Awards Tokyo's Grand Award.
The Shiki Theatre Company owns and operates several theatres across Japan.
Past and present productions by the Shiki Theatre Company include the following: