Kakegoe
【掛け声】
【KAKEGOE】
Kakegoe of Yago called out from O-muko in a performance of “Kagamiyama Kokyo no Nishikie”. Nakamura Kikaku 2nd as Motome, Ichikawa Kamejiro 2nd (Ichikawa Ennosuke 4th）as Ohatsu, and Bando Kamesaburo 5th (Bando Hikosaburo 9th) as Chikara. March, 2004 at the National Theatre.
Those who go to a Kabuki performance for the first time will be surprised by a loud call from the audience. The calls are the actors’ family names or number of generations. For example, the current Ichikawa Danjuro is called “Narita-ya!” or “12th!”. A spectator calls out at the very moment when an actor makes a Mie pose on stage.
In the Edo period, the spectators who called out were called “O-muko”, because they were seated in the 2nd floor on the farthest side (Muko-gawa) from the stage. Today’s “O-muko” spectators call out up from the 3rd or 4th floor.
The timing of calling out requires a skill, but it can make the whole atmosphere more excited when effectively done. Calling out from the audience can be said to be an active participation in a performance.
In the Edo period, the spectators who called out were called “O-muko”, because they were seated in the 2nd floor on the farthest side (Muko-gawa) from the stage. Today’s “O-muko” spectators call out up from the 3rd or 4th floor.
The timing of calling out requires a skill, but it can make the whole atmosphere more excited when effectively done. Calling out from the audience can be said to be an active participation in a performance.
