( interview yuuki, junya, shougo & tomoru for star people - stage pia october 14th 2016 )

[devilism]

Ikeda Junya x Suzuki Shougo x Akazawa Tomoru x Izawa Yuuki talk about "Star ☆ People!!"

Ikeda Junya, who's not only attracting attention as an actor, but also as a developer, is involved with the "En＊Geki" series as a director. The long-awaited second part of the series, "Star☆People!!", will be kicked off in January of 2017. This time the setting is space. A planet that's facing a serious cirsis is shown in the production, and seven people are sent off to Earth in order to overcome the crisis. It's the story of a scientist from Earth. The seven have not very useful special abilities, but something happens when they meet an earthling?! It's an entertaining production full of laughter and marvelous things with a powerful cast. Among them are a set of aliens: Suzuki Shougo, who plays Star, Akazawa Tomoru who plays Light, Izawa Yuuki who plays Beam. Along with Ikeda-san, who plays Shine, they talked about the production.


Since Ikeda-san was also involved with the casting, how did you decide on this lineup?

Ikeda: From the viewpoint of making my own theater production, there's also thoughts about who I would want to perform it with or who I wouldn't want to perform it with. I want to write and shape roles while thinking about the casting so I could call the people I like who fit those roles, and this is the result. (laughs)


What was it like when the other three heard from Ikeda-san?

Suzuki: I was simply very happy. I thought Ikeda Junya is someone radiant who always persists when it comes to the things he wants to do, so I was very honored to be chosen as someone he wants to realise those things with.

Akazawa: Although Junya-kun and I are acquaintances, we never co-starred together. It's why I was really surprised at first. But he must have put a lot of things on the line to direct his own production, it can't have been simple. So I thought that I had to do this.

Izawa: To put it in a simple way, to me Ikeda Junya is a really amazing person.

Ikeda: That's really simple, huh? (laughs)

Izawa: No, but although I'm saying it like that, he really is cool. Even as an actor he can be intense towards his surroundings, makes no compromises and thinks things through in a stoic way. When that sort of guy asked me for this, I was really happy.


What did Ikeda-san look for in these three?

Ikeda: Although I wanted Sho-chan (Suzuki) to play the protagonist Star, I think it'll be really challenging since he hasn't done a role like this one before. There haven't been any directors who put Suzuki Shougo in that sort of role, but I think I'm making him do that sort of role since I'm both a close friend and a rival. (laughs)

Suzuki: Indeed, I personally like doing tricky roles a lot, but I haven't done these more normal roles before. But no matter what role I'm playing, I always enjoy getting into the story's world, and when I listened to Junya, the story seemed really enjoyable. Although I don't know if the director might get angry (laughs), I want to take a wide stance for this kind of normal role with little color.

Ikeda: Akazawa-kun plays the role of Light, Star's close friend. It's a mysterious sort of role where you don't know what he's thinking, I thought that sort of overlapped with Akazawa-kun's own personality. When you face him, you can't really sense what's on the inside. I think that's what I like about him when I see him on the stage or eat a meal with him.


Akazawa: Although I think it's a difficult character since he lines out the story's path, I want to make the protagonist, Star, shine as Light.

Ikeda: Well said. (laughs) And Izawa.. since he can do just about anything skillfully, I gave him the role of Beam for which skillfullness doesn't apply. I wanted to give him that kind of challenge.

Izawa: It really is something I've never done before. It's a strong role that seems to radiate strength. Well, if it was given to me as a test, I want to repay that by saying "did you see that?" once I climb over that wall of a challenge. (laughs)


What are you aiming for with this production?

Ikeda: It hasn't changed from the first installment of the series. I want to give the person who spends their valuable time and money to come and see it the feeling of "ah, it was amusing" when they return home afterwards. I want to make something that is amusing to anyone at all who sees it, and that can make people laugh and even move them just a little bit.

Suzuki: Even when I just read the script it seemed amusing. It was written in a way to draw laughter out of the audience, and because of that I believe in it and want to be part of it. Although I actually want to see it as part of the audience. (laughs)

Izawa: I really understand that feeling too. But in any case, I think this production has a good spice to it once you get familiar with it.

Akazawa: In order for Junya-kun's world to be shown properly, I really only can do my best, huh.


( link to the original )