Noh Theatre Meets Contemporary Scottish Literature and Music in Edinburgh
Noh Reimagined has been invited to present its work as part of the 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF), one of the world's leading literary festivals. On 24 and 25 August 2026, the company will perform the Scottish premiere of Song of Rona Island alongside the half-Noh (han-noh) Nonomiya at the historic Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh.
Performance information and tickets:
https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/events/nonomiya-song-of-rona-island
Song of Rona Island is an original cross-cultural collaboration between Noh theatre, contemporary Scottish literature and traditional Scottish music. The work is based on "On Rona," an essay by Scotland's acclaimed poet and essayist Kathleen Jamie, from her collection Sightlines. Set on the remote, uninhabited island of Rona in the Outer Hebrides, the work reflects on Jamie's own experience of the island while exploring its layered history, natural environment, changing ecology, and the transience of both human life and civilisation.
Following a work-in-progress presentation in Tokyo in January 2024 and its London premiere in November 2025, the production now arrives in Scotland—the land that inspired its creation.
Nonomiya is regarded as one of the masterpieces of the classical Noh repertoire. Written by Konparu Zenchiku (1405–1471) and based on an episode from Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, it tells the story of the spirit of Lady Rokujō, whose lingering attachment to Prince Genji prevents her from finding peace.
Presenting Nonomiyatogether with Song of Rona Island places side by side two works inspired by the writings of women separated by both time and culture: Murasaki Shikibu, writing in Japan's Heian period, and Kathleen Jamie, one of Scotland's foremost contemporary writers.
Performers

• Kanji Shimizu – Shite (principal actor); Japanese script; stage direction
• Takao Nishimura – Jiutai (chorus)
• Kyosuke Tanabe – Kotsuzumi (shoulder drum)
• Keinosuke Ōkura – Ōtsuzumi (hip drum)
• Satoshi Tsukitaku – Nohkan (nohkan flute)
• Aidan O'Rourke – fiddle; composer
• Brìghde Chaimbeul – Scottish smallpipes
• Julie Martis – Actress (as Witness)

Creative

• Gareth Mattey – Dramaturg; stage direction
• Akiko Yanagisawa – Director

Since 2016, Noh Reimagined has presented performances at major festivals and venues in London, Aldeburgh, Birmingham, Sheffield, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona and Tokyo. Its invitation to the Edinburgh International Book Festival marks another significant milestone in the company's international activities. Bringing both a newly created work and a masterpiece from the classical Noh repertoire to one of the world's foremost literary festivals represents an important new chapter in the global development of Noh theatre.