The virtues of the samurai are likened to a flower that is as much a part of Japan as the cherry blossom. Still alive, full of strength and beauty.
Inazō Nitobe, in *Bushido: The Soul of Japan*, 1899

In the heart of a bustling metropolis, kiosk owners are fighting for their survival. Their neighbourhood is under threat from ruthless gangsters who extort protection money and seek to destroy everything the residents have built up. Desperate, they seek help. They find it in a group of outsiders, warriors without a master: the famed samurai. Each of them carries their own past, their own wounds, their own ideals.

Amidst the neon lights and towering buildings, an unexpected alliance emerges. Mistrust meets hope; fear meets determination. As the gangsters step up the pressure, a sense of solidarity grows, and with it the courage to stand up to injustice.

In a fusion of urban dance, operatic singing, martial arts and theatre, Takao Baba, composer Mischa Tangian (Babylon Orchestra) and the ensemble explore the virtues of the samurai: honour, courage, respect and loyalty. And the question of what these mean to us today.

Following the dance and theatre spectacle *Time to Shine*, choreographer Takao Baba is once again at the helm. This time, he is developing a production that breaks through genres and boundaries, full of tension, emotion and powerful imagery, created by German and Dutch artists.

SAMURAI X
by Takao Baba and ensemble, loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s film *Seven Samurai*
Suitable for ages 12 and over
Part of the Interreg programme RESONANZ

Featuring Luc Arnoldussen, Cem Bingöl, Celine Hambach, Minh Cao Huy, Alexander Kalina, Anastasia Kolabanova, Luca Mbiene, Paul Davis Newgate, Rowdy, Eva Maria Schindele, Reve van Wersch, Timbe Karlize van Wersch, Annalisa Weyel.
Directed by Takao Baba
Co-directed and mask design by Matteo Spiazzi
Music by Mischa Tangian
Musical direction by Richard Eisenach
Set design by Aliki Anagnostakis
Costume design by Loek de Jongh
Mask construction by Alessandra Faienza
Dramaturgy by Helena Jackson, Kirstin Hess
Theatre education by Patricia Pfisterer

This production is being realised as part of the Interreg Germany–Netherlands programme and is co-funded by the European Union.