Shoko Ito in Garden of Words [Piers Foley]

SUSAN Momoko Hingley and Alexandra Rutter’s stage adaptation of Makoto Shinkai’s short 2013 Japanese anime The Garden of Words is atmospheric and features committed performances.

Set in Tokyo, we follow the rites of passage of Takao Akizuki (Hiroki Berrecloth) a 15-year-old student who meets troubled teacher Yukari Yukino (Aki Nakagawa) in a beautiful lakeside garden. The two run into one another whenever it rains and Takao begins to develop feelings for Yukari.

Takao’s home life is disruptive – his mother (Susan Momoko Hingley) has been deserted by his father and numbs her distress with alcohol. Takao’s brother Shota (James Bradwell) is about to move in with his girlfriend, Rika (Iniki Mariano). Takao is lonely and dreams of becoming a shoe maker. Despite the age difference, he finds a connection with 20-something Yukari.

We are given glimpses of other lives but need more back story to become properly absorbed. The adaptation is painstakingly detailed, the pace deliberately slow, but without a clear dramatic arc and rounded characters, it fails to convince. Tension is either so subtle we miss it or erupts in sudden bursts and is not sustained.

Lines of poetry from the Man’yoshu are projected onto the back wall but disappear before we have time to finish reading. Watching Takao shade in a shoe on a video projection for five minutes does not make compelling drama.

However, there are some lovely visual touches in Rutter’s production, aided by Cindy Lin’s imaginative set and Rajiv Pattani’s lighting, and Mark Choi’s melancholic score captures the emotional tone of the play and adds poignancy to this gentle, coming-of-age tale.

Until September 9
parktheatre.co.uk