HAMLET｜TOILET is a contemporary reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet that explores human existence through the uniquely Japanese notion of an “aesthetics of excretion”. Created by KPR／Kaimaku Pennant Race, the performance uses toilet paper, pipe-like structures, and minimal objects to form a symbolic space where universal questions of life and death are confronted through physical rather than linguistic expression. By highlighting involuntary bodily functions - pain, absurdity, and the irrational impulses beneath conscious control - the work reframes Hamlet’s tragedy from a visceral and corporeal perspective.
Premiered at Japan Society in New York in 2024, the production received strong critical responses. American Theatre wrote that “the absurd marriage of toilet trivia and Shakespeare made powerful theatrical sense”. Diva Gals Daily noted “Murai is onto something… the toilet is one of the few private places we truly face ourselves”. Broadway DNA Blog praised it for creating “an evening of laughter and unmistakably human concerns”, while THEATRELY called it “a mindbending yet insightful example of Under The Radar’s spirit”. This Week in New York highlighted Murai’s bold dive into “the shapes, textures, and scents of human waste” alongside themes of cowardice, sanity, and revenge.
