The Seymour Centre has played host to some exceptional productions this year and The Face of Jizo is the latest in this string of productions to really grip audiences. The play only has two actors on stage in Mayu Iwasaki and Shingo Usami but for the audience, it feels entirely immersive and all-encompassing when in the Reginald Theatre. 

The play focuses on the relationship between a father and a daughter, with the daughter, Mitsue, struggling to deal with loss in the aftermath of the atrocities of the Hiroshima bombings. She is guided by gentle and sometimes forceful love from her father as he encourages her to move on and rebuild. 

The story starts off quite slowly but builds strongly and poignantly towards the end of the production. The father encourages his daughter to find love again and bring joy to her life but she struggles as she confronts the loss of her friend and the loss of her life as she knows it. As the play continues, it becomes clear that this is not the only loss that she is facing which makes the production feel even more poignant. 

The acting in the production is superb with both Iwasaki and Usami harnessing the emotion that is so beautifully conveyed by the text to accentuate the loss and love (which although diametrically opposed in some ways, feel quite connected in this production). They convey the senselessness of war well, with sensitive nuance and conviction in the characterisation. 

While the context of the play is ever-present, this is a story about human relationships above all else. It shows the power of the bond between a father and a daughter and the last enduring image is one of love, which is alleviated above the tragedy. While the show takes a while to weave all the threads together, when it does so, it is very beautiful. 

Overall, this is a superb show, bringing together a very emotional story with fantastic acting for a highly poignant performance. Matt Cox’s lighting and Zachary Saric’s sound design further add to the ambiance in this production and directors Usami and David Lynch really allow the story to shine. At 80 minutes, it is concise and although it drags a little at the start, the ending certainly makes up for this. This is definitely a show to watch. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

The Face of Jizo plays at the Reginald Theatre until 6^th September. For more information, click here.

All photo credits: Phil Erbacher