Hong Kong staging of Ninagawa’s Macbeth to go ahead despite Japanese director’s death
Samurai-style adaptation of Macbeth at 1985 Edinburgh Festival set Ninagawa. who has died aged 80, on path to worldwide fame; he adapted most of Shakespeare and ancient Greek tragedies
Hong Kong audiences will still have the chance to see Yukio Ninagawa’s new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth in July 2017 despite the death of the legendary Japanese director on Thursday at the age of 80.
The world-renowned stage director, known for his adaptations of Shakespeare, died on Thursday at a Tokyo hospital of complications from pneumonia, his theatre and a family member announced. The director had reportedly been hospitalised since December.
He was last in Hong Kong in 2014 when he brought over Ravens, We Shall Load Bullets for the New Vision Arts Festival. He had to be treated in hospital in Hong Kong for pneumonia. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department arranged for the performance of Macbeth as part of celebrations next year of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty. It said on Friday that the performance would go ahead.
Ninagawa’s daughter, photographer Mika Ninagawa, mentioned his passing on her blog.