Tomoko Komura

Tomoko grew up in Yokohama and trained in ‘underground’ theatre with Theatre Group ‘Oct/Pass’ in Sendai Japan, before moving to the US to study theatre at the University of Colorado. In 2004 she moved to the UK and gained a Master of Fine Arts in Lecoq-based Physical Theatre at the London International School of Performing Arts. Since then, she has performed in theatre shows with award-winning companies such as Theatre Ad Infinitum, Theatre Témoin, and Out of Chaos. She is one of the few modern benshi, a traditional storyteller and writer for silent films. Her credits include: Benshi for Ozu’s Walk Cheerfully (1930), Kameko in We Like to Move It Move It (ice & fire theatre), Takako in Baaba’s Footsteps (Susan Hingley), and Young Tomomi in Art of Gaman at Theatre503. Tomoko is a member of the pop performance art group Frank Chickens and plays the piano for bands. and live shows. She is also an experienced conference interpreter for Japanese and English, working for the BBC, United Nations, EU Commission, etc.