Funatoku (Toku the Boatman)

船徳・ふなとく

The story

Toku, a disowned young gentleman, is living off the charity of a riverside boathouse when he decides, with no experience whatsoever, to become a boatman. On a blazing midsummer day he takes two passengers out onto the wide Okawa river, and the amateur's boat promptly begins to wander helplessly out of control.

What to listen for

A tour de force of physical mime, with the performer conjuring an entire runaway boat using nothing but a single imaginary pole.

Background

The Okawa is an old name for the Sumida River running through Tokyo; pleasure-boating on it was a summer pastime. A wakadanna is a well-off merchant's son, here comically out of his depth doing manual work.

Notable performers

八代目桂文楽春風亭一之輔

#夏 #若旦那 #身体芸