PRESS: Acclaimed SA production of Yukio Mishima’s THE LADY AOI invited to Milan

Abrahamse & Meyer Productions

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The Abrahamse & Meyer Productions presented THE LADY AOI selected for prestigious Milan-based award, focussed on enhancing a global dialogue on theatre as an art of dignity, inclusion, and fearless imagination. It returns to the Artscape Arena for six performances only before representing South Africa on the international stage in Milan.

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The award-winning Abrahamse & Meyer production of Yukio Mishima’s haunting modern Noh classic THE LADY AOI has been officially selected for participation in the XVI International Prize “The Naked Theatre” by Teresa Pomodoro, presented by the NO’HMA Association and the Municipality of Milan under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic.

The Milan-based award honours the legacy of visionary director Teresa Pomodoro, celebrating theatre that rejects aesthetic excess in favour of moral urgency and human encounter. The Prize seeks works that give voice to marginalised stories, break cultural barriers, and restore theatre as a space of catharsis and social bridge-building.

This invitation places the Cape Town production among a select group of global theatre works celebrated for artistic innovation, social relevance, and a commitment to a theatre stripped of spectacle in favour of raw human truth – the guiding ethos of Teresa Pomodoro’s “Teatro Nudo.”

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Directed by Fred Abrahamse, and performed by Marcel Meyer and Matthew Baldwin, THE LADY AOI is a dazzling fusion of physical theatre, puppetry, mask work, and original music. Mishima’s play – inspired by an 11th-century episode from The Tale of Genji – tells of a jealous spirit who nightly torments the body of her former lover’s new wife. Desire becomes possession; love becomes exorcism.

A landmark meeting of East and West, classical and contemporary, THE LADY AOI distils the essence of Japanese Noh into a visceral modern ritual. Puppets breathe, masks weep, and the stage becomes a chamber of spirits where passion refuses to die. Cape Town audiences have a final chance to witness this celebrated work before it carries South African theatre to Milan and the world.

With a mesmerising soundscape by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder and award-winning designs by Fred Abrahamse & Marcel Meyer, the production conjures a world where the living and the dead breathe the same air. Since its commission by the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival (USA) in 2014, the work has toured internationally and became the most nominated South African production of the 2021/22 season, winning Fleur du Cap Awards for Best Set and Best Costume Design.

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Praise for THE LADY AOI:

“Another extraordinary production… edgy modern Noh… a tale of love and vengeance from beyond the grave.” – The Provincetown Banner

“Breath-taking… sizzles with sexual tension, dark energy, and hidden aggression.” – Ptownie Magazine

“Unforgettable: the staring eyes of the puppet heads.” – David Kaplan, Curator, Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival

“A rarity in our profession today… fearless art that invites audiences to meet themselves.” – Denise Gabriel, Triad Stage / Living Picture UK

“Ghostly and delicate… ultimately both chilling and tender.” – Prof. Annette Saddik, Cambridge University Press author

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The award-winning staging of Yukio Mishima’s THE LADY AOI returns to Artscape for a strictly limited season ahead of its next major international engagement. This Artscape run offers local audiences a rare opportunity to see the production before it travels abroad.

Performance details for the run at the Artscape Arena in Cape Town are as follows:

• Saturday, 14 February 2026 – 15h00

• Wednesday, 18 February 2026 – 19h30

• Thursday, 19 February 2026 – 19h30

• Friday, 20 February 2026 – 19h30

• Saturday, 21 February 2026 – 15h00 & 19h30

Bookings can be made through Webtickets or Artscape Dial-A-Seat.