Notice of cancelation of the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka 2020, and the Mt Fuji World Theatre Festival “Antigone,” and postponement of the STRANGE SEED SHIZUOKA street-theatre festival.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, SPAC has decided to cancel this year’s World Theatre Festival Shizuoka 2020, and “Antigone,” which were both scheduled for the Golden Week holiday period in May. In addition, the STRANGE SEED SHIZUOKA street-theatre festival will is being postponed.

These moves follow its decision in mid March to withdraw foreign programs from the World Theatre Festival 2020 to restrict the spread of COVID-19 between countries in line with the World Health Organization’s March 11 declaration of a worldwide pandemic.

As a result of the latest decision, the General Artistic Director MIYAGI Satoshi’s productions of “Mary Poppins with her Upside-down Umbrella,” and “Antigone,” will no longer be staged as part of the World Theatre Festival or the Mt.Fuji World Theatre Festival, respectively.

We are very sorry to have to make these announcements, which have been made unavoidable by the spread of COVID-19 in Japan and a request by the national government to avoid all travel that is not urgent or necessary.

SPAC staff will be contacting everyone who booked tickets with a view to refunding monies between April 4 and May 10.

But all is not completely lost because — having thought about what we could do under these circumstances — SPAC has decided to present a World Theatre Festival on the Cloud 2020 during the period when the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka 2020 would have run.

With this event, we will aim to connect directly, through theatre, with the rest of the world in the most effective way available in the circumstances. Please check SPAC’s website at https://spac.or.jp/ for further details soon.

Above all, however, we look forward to the pandemic ending as soon as possible. And, though we can't gather together at a theatre just now, let's avoid mental isolation by sharing our love of performing arts in different ways.

» Message from MIYAGI Satoshi
» STRENGE SEED SHIZUOKA
» Ticket Refund