Written and directed by Michinari Ozawa and translated by Susan Momoko Hingley, the critically acclaimed Our Cosmic Dust tells the story of Shotaro, a young boy who believes his recently deceased father has become a star.
Originally a Japanese play performed in Tokyo, Our Cosmic Dust kicks off its UK premier at the Park Theatre in London. The story is an enchanting blend of puppetry, animation and acting, exploring the concept of death and what happens after we die. The play begins with Shotaro running away from his mother, Yoko (Millie Hikasa), in her desperate attempt to find him, she meets some colourful characters along the way. Hikasa does a great job of playing a grieving mother struggling to cope with her recent loss as she feels her quiet son slipping away from her.
Shotaro’s puppet is given life through Hiroki Berrecloth’s brilliant puppetry, his subtle movements convey the nervousness and sadness of the child extremely well. There’s a particularly poignant moment where Shotaro is running, and the whole cast represents his movements through the puppet, which is a nice artistic touch and works well in portraying his frantic struggle as he comes to terms with what’s happened. Berreclothe is also joined by Tara (Nina Bowers), Orion (Ian Hallard) and Alastair (Hari Mackinnon), who play characters that are also dealing with grief in their own way. Each of these characters brought some much-needed comic relief with their own stories and gave some perspective on how they cope, from keeping mementoes to constantly reliving moments the loved one was alive, which was touching to witness.
Michinari Ozawa’s staging is simple: a black stage with a few chairs cleverly used as props throughout the performance. The stage functions merely as a canvas for Eika Shumbo’s video design, displayed on a large LED screen that serves as a dynamic backdrop, shifting from a sparkling constellation to hand-drawn illustrations, transporting the audience into a starry night sky seen through Shotaro’s perspective.In one particularly moving scene, a flatline from a life support machine transforms into a line that Shotaro balances on, as if physically representing the line between life and death.
Our Cosmic Dust is a visually stunning exploration of loss and grief underneath a dazzling cosmic sky told through a child’s eyes. For those seeking a heartfelt show which finds comfort and solace through the absurd and shared experience of losing someone you love, this play may be for you.
Our Cosmic Dust is currently playing at the Park Theatre until 5th July. You can find tickets and more information here: https://parktheatre.co.uk/events/our-cosmic-dust/
Reviewer: Gemma Prince
Reviewed: 6th June 2025
North West End UK Rating: