Dumb Type: 2020

Before you go

Dumb Type is a multimedia performance collective active since 1984, known for stages weaving together video, sound and the body. 2020 is its first new work since 2002: originally scheduled to premiere at this same theatre in March 2020, it was cancelled due to COVID, with only a recorded screening shown that October. This is the work's first complete live staging — its world premiere — before it travels to the Berliner Festspiele in January 2027. The performance is driven by image and sound, so language is no barrier to watching.

• Youth pricing: ¥3,000 for under-30s, ¥1,000 for under-18s (age ID checked on the day)
• Childcare available for the Dec 13 show (ages 3 months to pre-school, ¥1,000 per child; book by Dec 6, 17:00)
• ¥100 off same-day parking at Okazaki Park Parking with your ticket stub

Getting there

The performance is in the South Hall of Rohm Theatre Kyoto. Address: 13 Okazaki Saishoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8342, in the Okazaki area. Check the theatre's official access guide for train exits and walking routes.

Booking

All seats reserved (tax incl.): 1st floor ¥6,000 (members ¥5,400), 2nd floor ¥5,000, under-30s ¥3,000, under-18s ¥1,000. Under-30 and under-18 ticket holders must show age ID on the day. Pre-school children are not admitted. Member presale August 22; general sale August 29. Book via the Rohm Theatre Kyoto online ticket service, the theatre ticket counter (tel. 075-746-3201, 10:00–17:00), Ticket Pia (P-code 543-408) or e+.

Crowds

Only four performances; as a world premiere, demand is high and the two Saturday (Dec 12) shows may sell out first. Each show is followed by a talk, so the evening ends later than the performance itself — leave slack in your plans.

Good for

Fans of contemporary and multimedia performance. The language barrier is low, so non-Japanese speakers can enjoy it; post-show talks are in Japanese and can be skipped. Pre-school children are not admitted; parents can use the Dec 13 childcare service.

How it differs

Unlike conventional theatre, a Dumb Type stage is a multimedia event of image, sound and body with minimal dialogue — comprehension does not depend on language. Compared with tourist-oriented resident shows like Kyoto's GEAR (fixed seating, fixed storyline, entertainment-leaning), 2020 is a one-off festival-style commissioned new work, closer to contemporary art. Compared with the 2020 recorded screening, this is the work's true complete stage version.

The official page describes it as the long-awaited new work since 2002, receiving its world premiere in Kyoto. The March 2020 premiere planned for the Rohm Theatre Kyoto South Hall was cancelled as COVID spread; the recorded screening that October drew a strong response. Six years later the work is finally staged in full, produced by Rohm Theatre Kyoto and co-commissioned with the Berliner Festspiele, where it plays January 15–17, 2027 at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.