Onnagata are the female roles performed by the male actors. The image illustrates Fuji Musume

Fuji Musume is the visual climax of a Kabuki show, in which the dancer performing the role of the Wisteria Maiden changes kimonos four times and dances against a gorgeous backdrop of clusters of mauve and purple wisteria flowers. There is no story to speak of; the pleasure of the dance comes from the fast changes of costume which are performed on stage behind the trunk of a tree and the charming and winsome glances of the maiden as she expresses sentiments of love.

Dr Helen Parker, Lecturer in Japanese at Edinburgh University, whose main research interests lie in traditional and modern performing arts, will focus on the portrayal of male and female in kabuki, which is a form of traditional Japanese drama rooted in popular entertainment for newly wealthy townsfolk in the Edo period (1603-1867), distinctive for its spectacular make-up, costumes and movement, and its all-male cast.

She will also introduce some comparisons with the all-female Takarazuka Revue Company and other Japanese performing art forms characterised by gender fluidity. She will examine how male and female characters look and sound on stage, and discuss how audiences respond to the performance of gender, paying particular attention to the appeal of onnagata, or male specialists in female roles in kabuki, and otokoyaku, or female specialists in male roles in Takarazuka, among the respective fan groups before going on to explore what happens in settings such as amateur kabuki performances at local festivals and recent “super kabuki” performances, where the all-male cast and onnagata tradition are less fixed.

Admission is free and no booking is required.

This event is part of the Mini Orkney Japan Festival coordinated by the Orkney Japan Association