Collaborations
Walking Nippori
with Yamaka Hitoshi, 2016
Walking Nippori was a butoh photoshoot project put together by Yamaka Hitoshi, photographing the dancers on the streets of Nippori, Tokyo, in 2016.
Photography: Yamaka Hitoshi
Performers: Kim Keiun, Matsuoka Shingo, Mai Burns
Location: Nippori, Tokyo
Ginga no Kaze
2016-2017
Ginga no Kaze was a performing group of butoh dancers, Japanese poetry reciters and musicians put together by Umetsu Junji. They performed a run of performances of "Ginga no Kaze" in multiple venues in Tokyo and Hakone in 2016-2017.
Listening
with Jan Valik, 2016
Listening was a performance organised by Jan Valik, a Slovakia-based artist who was visiting Japan at the time. Inspired by his exhibition, this butoh-installation was performed at BankART in Yokohama, Japan along with Jan Valik and Kim Keiun.
Exhibition: Jan Valik
Performers: Jan Valik, Kim Keiun, Mai Burns
Putnam and Joy
with RUNTcollective, 2014
Putnam and Joy was a collaborative piece put together by RUNTcolletive, and was performed at the Bierkeller Theatre (Bristol) in April-May 2014.
Written by Jonathan Firbank and directed by Mai Burns, Putnam and Joy was an exploration into the lives and deaths of puppets. Performed in four scenes and on four stages (in a reverse-round), the play followed the four horsemen of Pestilence, Famine, War and finally Death. Inspired by characters from Punch and Judy, this was the result of Mai's research into the differenes between puppet and human actors during her BA dissertation, and Jonathan's macabre interpretations of her ideas.
Script: Jonathan Firbank
Directed by: Mai Burns (credited Taz Burns)
Music by: Izy Ellis
Stage Manager: Natt Różańska
Deputy SM & Co-producer: Mark Ferbrache
For more information:
RUNTcollective website
Cast:
Putnam - Toby Mann
Joy - Livvie Salvage
The Doctor - Andrew Cunningham
Polly - Jasmine Atkins-Smart
Jack Ketch - Ian Halverson
The Skeleton - Bee Daws