Tuesday 28 July, 4pm – c.6pm
£15 (£20 donation ticket available)

A dramatic live performance portraying the turbulent life of an iconic artist who continues to captivate the world, brought to life through historical period instruments, story telling, and media art.

Driven by an unceasing spirit of inquiry and an undying passion for creation, Katsushika Hokusai devoted his entire life to painting.

From his boyhood as an apprentice, through repeated setbacks and expulsion, he continued to refine his art while changing his name time and again, ultimately reaching the pinnacle with Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. Even after being struck by illness, he rose again, and in his later years called himself Gakyō Rōjin Manji, continuing his relentless pursuit of ever greater heights. On his deathbed, he left the words, “If Heaven would grant me just ten more years…”—a testament to the profound longing of a man who dedicated his life to the act of creation.

An especially intriguing episode concerns the pigment known as <Berlin Blue= (Prussian blue), which Hokusai used. It is said to have originated through the patronage of Frederick II—who also supported C. P. E. Bach—and, having travelled across the seas to Japan, ultimately contributed to the creation of Hokusai’s iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

Focusing on this connection, we present a live performance centred on the music of C. P. E. Bach, alongside works by composers such as Vivaldi, Rameau, Haydn, and Gluck. The programme unfolds in alignment with the different periods of his life, interwoven with corresponding ukiyo-e artworks.

In this performance, powerful and evocative narration intertwines with unprecedented musical expressions created by historical instruments, including harpsichord, violin, viola, cello and contrabass tracing Hokusai’s inner world and artistic journey.

As a multisensory stage experience where narration, music, and visuals converge, this performance vividly brings to life the spirit and lifetime of Katsushika Hokusai for contemporary audiences.

For any access requirements please email the Box Office on boxoffice@ncem.co.uk or leave a note on your booking.
Please note there is a £1.50 administration fee per transaction