London - "The Great Wave", Day 2

  After a really good night's rest and wash, we went by subway into London. We walked around the Piccadilly area and had a lovely lunch at Patisser Valerie.

 Then, a walk across the Thames to the South Bank and the National Theatre where we saw a matinee performance of, The Great Wave by Francis Turnly at the Dorfman Theatre. We had seat on the balcony, stage right. We had to crane a little bit to see the whole stage, but not much. The set was amazing with noiselessly moving and spinning sets made of Japanese-looking walls.
    The play was brilliant in every sense - acting, writing, staging. It revolved around the abduction of 17-year old Hanako on a stormy night on a beach in Japan by the North Koreans in the late 1970s. At first, it was assumed she had drowned, murdered or run away. Hanako's older sister, Etsuko, had had a fight with Hanako the night she disappeared and often blamed herself. Etsuko's friend, Tetsuo, came under suspicion. It ruined Tetsuo's family's life in the village and they had to leave because so many people believed he had been involved. Etsuko had gone to the beach to search for Hanako that night, but was knocked unconscious by the big wave. She remembered 2 long-haired men and another man being near Hanako. But, few people believed her.

   Years passed. Tetsuo wandered and came across similar stories in coastal villages in Japan of various people having gone missing. He began to piece together the story of abductions, but it took years before Etsuko and her mother got appointments to talk to the Japanese government who acted as if they did not believe her. (All based on fact - the Japanese government did believe the stories, but did not want to jeopardize their precarious relationship with N. Korea.)
   The scenes alternated between the loved ones in Japan and the life that Hanako led in North Korea. She was forced to teach spies the Japanese language and customs. She was promised she could go home if she succeeded, but that never materialized. She was forced to become Korean. Eventually she was married and had a child. She could never tell them that she was really Japanese.
    It was a very moving play which treated the subject matter delicately and without harsh stereotypes. The N. Korean authority figure, while harsh, was also shown in a human light and one who was imprisoned almost as much as Hanako. Hanako's husband was also a complex man who grew up in a labor camp and who had betrayed his family as a teenager. During the course of the play, he decides he will never betray anyone every again. He was tested when their daughter, Hana, drew a caricature of the "Great Leader."
    We all were really moved and impressed by the performance.
 

Afterwards, we continued to walk along the South Bank to the new Bridge Theatre where we had a coffee. Then, back to the train station and home. We stopped to order Indian take away which was delivered. It was delicious and a tradition for us with Maura.
    Another good night's sleep.