Rakugo featuring Katsura Sunshine & Luca Cupani bring their unique show to the Leicester Square each month for the rest of the year. Canadian Sunshine and Italian Luca combine stand-up and 400-year-old Japanese comic storytelling for the first time. The show is now in its third year in London with Luca joining Sunshine from 2023 and with Rakugo celebrating its 5th year on Broadway.
The stories of Rakugo have been passed down from master to apprentice aurally through the centuries. Every story is preceded by a comic monologue which consists of the individual storyteller’s own “material”, much like stand-up comedy.
Toronto born Sunshine has been living in Japan for more than 20 years and in 2008 he became the 15th apprentice to the great Rakugo Master Katsura Bunshi VI, from whom he received the name Katsura Sunshine. Luca is considered the most British of the new generation of Italian comedians, not just because of his double citizenship, but also because of his style and quirky dry humour.
The pair met for the first time at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014, where they realised they had many things in common: they were both expats (Katsura in Japan, Luca in England), they were both performers with a background in Classics and they were both performing comedy in a second language. Now they finally get to share the stage together in the West End: Sunshine performs in English Rakugo and Luca performs a stand-up set and a short Rakugo story.
SUNSHINE AND RAKUGO: In order to become a recognised professional Rakugo storyteller, one must apprentice to a Rakugo master. The apprenticeship lasts for 3 to 4 years, and is very strict, nearing indentured servitude. Sunshine went to his master’s home every morning for 3 years, did laundry, cleaned, carried bags, folded kimonos, and watched and learned in the way that every Japanese apprentice has done for hundreds of years.
“I will never forget the first day I saw Rakugo - in a tiny tatami room on the second floor of my favourite Yakitori shop in Yokohama.Two storytellers did two stories each. They came out in Kimono, accompanied by Taiko drum and Shamisen, kneeled on a purple cushion, bowed formally and then proceeded to have the audience of 30 in absolute stitches. The first half of each set was like stand-up comedy - observational humour, personal experiences and all very self-deprecating, which made them endearing. The second part was the story proper - learned from masters who had learned from their masters, stories from one or two hundred years ago that were just awesome. I fell in love at first sight: This is what I was born to do!!
The Yakitori shop owner my dear late friend and mentor Ken, said impossible. Of 800 professional storytellers, not one was Western, or any kind of foreign for that matter. He couldn't fathom me putting myself through it nor could he imagine a master would take me. It took a few years, but one master did indeed take me. And what a master! Katsura Bunshi VI, one of the most prolific composers of new Rakugo stories in history, a TV star in Japan for the last 50 years, and a living national treasure in every sense of the word except the official government one... He gave me the name Katsura Sunshine with a beautiful play on words with the kanji characters, because he wanted me to bring warmth and humour all over the world, like a true Sunshine. Katsura Sunshine桂三輝
SUNSHINE: Was the first ever Western Rakugo-ka in the Kamigata tradition (Osaka / Kyoto) and only the second in Japanese history, after his predecessor Kairakute Burakku a hundred years before. He has toured over 5 continents performing in 3 languages (Japanese, English and French). Sunshine was appointed Cultural Ambassador for Canada and Japan for over 15 years, and Friendship Ambassador for Slovenia and Japan. He has been invited to some of the most prestigious centres of learning in the world including Harvard, Yale and Cambridge universities. Sunshine has performed at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan at numerous embassies across the world including Canada, USA, U.K, France, Slovenia, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Nepal, India and Australia.
He was the bilingual MC for the opening reception of the Osaka G20 Summit in 2019 and was the key member of the successful campaign bid for the Osaka Expo 2025 featuring in the video at final judging ceremony in Paris where he was personally congratulated by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. https://youtu.be/UkFTXodN-0E. He has been a guest on the legendary Japanese TV program “Tetsuko’s Room” with the previous three non-Japanese guests being Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise and Robert De Niro.
Based in London, Luca Cupani is considered the most British of the new generation of Italian comedians, not just because of his double citizenship, but also because of his style and quirky dry humour. His first stand-up gig was at the famous Gong Show at the London Comedy Store - and he won. This set him off nicely on his path to winning the So You Think You’re Funny? at the Fringe in 2015. He has performed in Dubai and across Europe including The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and of course in Italy, where he has appeared on Zelig, the most successful Italian TV comedy show.
He has appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, competed in Seattle and San Francisco International Comedy Festival (where he placed second) and regularly performs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Luca’s last show ‘Happy Orphan’ received multiple rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe. His solo show in Italian has been broadcasted on the TV channel Rai 5 and it is available on streaming on Amazon Prime Video (Italian Stand Up, episode 3). Luca’s UK credits include appearing on Comedians Vs. News (BBC World Service) and on The Arts Hour (BBC World Service)
The dates are as follows:
Thurs 6th June @ 7pm, Sat 13th July @ 3:30pm, Sat 10th August @3:30pm, Sat 14th September @ 3.30pm, Sat 12th October at 3.30pm & Tues 12th November @ 7pm. Buy tickets here.
Watch Rakugo below
