As part of this year's Lincoln Center Festival, Haruki Murakami's mysterious novel comes to the stage, directed by renowned Japanese director Yukio Ninagawa. In a parallel tale that switches back and forward between a 15-year old Kafka and an older man in search of a powerful stone, we are treated to an Oedipal tale that explores the role of fate, our uncertain grasp of reality, religious tradition and the importance of cultural legacy in Japanese society. With both characters treading the line between fantasy and reality, Ninagawa uses an elaborate staging of this ethereal novel.

what is it about?

The story is hard to explain in terms of narrative, and is best enjoyed at face value without looking too deeply. In one part of the story, we see 15-year-old Kafka and an imaginary friend flee from home in search of his estranged mother and sister and to escape an Oedipal curse that threatens to ruin his life. On his surreal journey, he comes into touch with an remarkable and possibly magic old man who seeks divine guidance through a magic stone. Both characters' adventures are intertwined against the backdrop of modern-day Japan.