Nedoko (The Bedchamber)
寝床・ねどこ
The story
A wealthy landlord who has grown obsessed with gidayu chanting gathers his shop's servants and the tenants of his row-houses to treat them to his beloved recitation. Trouble is, he is dreadful at his hobby, and everyone finds his chanting an ordeal, inventing every excuse to slip away. When the master discovers that not a soul will come, he sulks in a mighty huff.
What to listen for
The tug-of-war between a master determined to make everyone listen and a crowd just as determined to escape, plus the head clerk's frantic efforts to coax the sulking master back into good humor. A lively, good-natured piece built around a rich man's ruinous hobby.
Background
Gidayu is a style of dramatic sung narration (joruri) for the puppet and kabuki theater. Amateur gidayu was a favorite pastime of well-off Edo townsmen, who would inflict their unpolished performances on their servants and tenants.
Notable performers
六代目三遊亭圓生桂米朝