Nissan Seminar: Helen Parker (Edinburgh), 'Global Kabuki and the World of Onnagata'

Convener(s): Dr Alice Baldock and Professor Sho Konishi

Speaker(s): Dr Helen Parker (University of Edinburgh)

The talk examines Japanese and global perspectives on gender performance in contemporary professional kabuki - that is, what Brandon (2012) terms “the kabuki of the Kabuki-za,” in which characters of any gender are depicted by actors who identify offstage as male.

I focus on how gender roles in kabuki, particularly feminine roles, are being introduced and presented to contemporary international audiences. Meet Kabuki: The Art of Onnagata Europe Tour 2026 (Onnagata ga dekiru made), led by Nakamura Takanosuke in April 2026, provides a timely example of this kind of specially curated activity. At the seminar, I will attempt to assess the reception of such events at their designated venues, and to account for the appeal of the onnagata theme to both seasoned and new kabuki audiences beyond Japan. I will also consider how the international reception of gender performance in kabuki impacts the attitudes of Japan’s kabuki community, including performers, promoters, and audiences.