Kabuki Heroes.

30 June-11 September 2005. Time is running out to visit the British Museums fantastic celebration of Kabuki, Japanese urban theatre, which focuses in particular on the notorious rivalry between its two most renowned performers - Rikan and Shikan. Kabuki theatre started in the 1600s and flowered in Tokyo in the late 1700s, attracting millions of fans and spawning its own memorabilia in the form of woodblock prints. This exhibition traces the developments both on the stage and in the spin off art inspired by Kabuki. The intense rivalry between Rikan (1769-1821) and Shikan (1778-1838), actors that dominated Osaka Kabuki up until Rikans death in 1821, has come down to us in a fascinating series of written exchanges that attest to the star quality of the performers. There are countless interesting exhibits including costumes, prints and photographs of modern Kabuki performers.

Tickets cost 5 (3 concessions), Sat-Wed 10.00-17.30, Thu-Fri 10.00-20.30.