Spotlight on: Takayuki Ueda
I'm Taka Ueda from Osaka Japan, falling in love with the NZIF because of everybody's heart warming support to let me advance on the way to the next stage in international improv scene. I'm an improviser and an artistic director of IMPACT360 in Osaka Japan. I started to do improv in 2003 only in Japan, and my international improv started in 2013 as a student of international summer school in Loose Moose Theatre Calgary, Canada. After that, I have traveled to join improv festivals in 5 or 6 countries for 7 years. It's the third time that I have took part in NZIF. Once in two years, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Taka Ueda holding the Maestro Impro Guide (a book)
Tell us a bit about your show and the idea behind it, and why/how it excites you.
My show title is "Something You Lost". I am very forgettable so I left behind many things in the lesson room of improv one day in this summer. Fortunately, I was able to find everything in a couple of hours after that, but I remembered then that I have lost many things in my life. We often say "I lost my wallet!", "where is my phone?", but it's impossible that they disappear at the moment. They exist somewhere.
After such like separation, the stuffs would go on their own lives that we were not able to know, though some of them might have been thrown away (sad but the old the story is, the more often it happens). What if we could know their LIVES after the separation? If we could hear their voice now? What would they like to say to the previous owners now?
I would like to try to make scenes to chase their lives after the separation, hope that audience would feel fun and more something gentle to remember, often it may be called as the word " Nostalgia". It might include the separation with someone who immigrated to the other country long time ago. Do you have anything what you want to be said?
What show other than your own are you most excited to see? Why?
I would like to enjoy every moment of NZIF so I can't choose one! Sometimes a couple of workshops and shows will go on at the same time in the two or three venues. I wish that I could be two or three people. As a members of workshops, performers, audience, I would love to enjoy every moment! It includes the general sightseeing time, with delicious ice creams and of course meeting EVERYBODY.
What's the best thing about improv?
The best thing in improv is collaboration. I had not tried to speak in English till I became 36 years old so my English is totally still bad. But without language to communicate, Improvisers can make it possible and Improv always allow us to make mistakes in front of audience. (What a good key word we had "Nau mai te hapa" on Festival T-shirts in 2017. I love it).
I would love to be helped by everybody all over the world and it is possible to learn how improv is beautiful from it. (I strongly hope if I could help everybody!)
Book now for Something You Lost at BATS Theatre!
7:00m, 17 October at BATS Theatre
Tix F $20 / C $15 / 15 Groups 6+