Masks, Lies, and Hells: Introduction to Terayama Shūji’s Bluebeard’s Castle

Abstract: Japanese playwright/filmmaker/poet Terayama Shūji (1935–1983) was a key figure in the Japanese avant-garde of the postwar period. His works feature a fascination with pre-war popular entertainments such as circus sideshows and traditional biwa music. His themes often focus on nearly incestuous mother-son relationships. Sexual violence often underlays the works. These elements are juxtaposed with pop-cultural images to create a unique mix. His theatre company, Tenjō Sajiki (The Peanut Gallery), included actors whose physical appearance was outside the Japanese norm, such as hunchbacks, dwarves, and the obese. Bluebeard’s Castle (Aohigekō no shiro, 1979) contains many of these signature devices. The play has remained popular in Japan and abroad. Its most recent production, directed by the Japanese-Korean Kim Sujin and performed in Japanese with English subtitles, took place in New York in February 2025.