Junnosuke Tada, a renowned Japanese theatre maker, created Re/Play in 2011 for his theatre company, Tokyo Deathlock. It explores the intent and meaning of re-production through bodily repetition of physical movement. As a re-making of a theatrical production, this version replaces the actors with eight Asian and Japanese leading contemporary choreographer- dancers.
Using pop music, the performers dance until they collapse in exhaustion – and then they get up and do it again, each choreographer-dancer taking a turn at their own approach to the project. This controversial work has an endless structure that subverts the reason and meaning of dance and reveals the urgency of life and chaotic nature of contemporary society.
This is the first international collaboration with TheatreWorks (Singapore) in 2015. The core members established RE/PLAY Dance Edit Committee in 2016 to push forward collaborations between Japan and Southeast and East Asian artists in other Asian countries.