Date no Juyaku: Ten Roles of the Date Clan

'Super kabuki' mastermind Ichikawa Ennosuke III created a sensation with his 1979 revival of The Ten Roles of the Date Clan, a retooled version of Meiboku Sendai Hagi in which one actor plays ten different characters. There are a gobsmacking 47 costume changes required for the bravura performance, which climaxes with the actor flying off over the audience's heads. Purists might dismiss it as a gimmick (a criticism that frequently plagued Ennosuke III's productions), but for sheer crowd-pleasing chutzpah it's hard to beat. Ruggedly handsome actor Ichikawa Ebizo XI will be returning to the role – sorry, roles – that he last played back in 2010, heading a cast that also features Kataoka Ainosuke.