Stage names:

Bandô Shûchô V
Bandô Keizô II

Real name: Hike Kazuo

Guild: Yamatoya

Line number: GODAIME (V)

Birthday: 24 March 1948

Connections:

Great-grandfather: Bandô Shûchô II

Grandfather: Bandô Shûchô III

Father: Ichikawa Komazô X

Career:

April 1955: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Kabukiza, where he receives the name of Bandô Keizô II.

March 1977: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Shiranui Monogatari"; Keizô plays the role of the spirit of a spider [more details].

January 1980: revival at the National Theatre of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's kaomise drama "Modoribashi Sena-ni Gohiiki" [more details]; Keizô plays the role of Minamoto Nakamitsu's sister Sekiya.

March 1981: revival at the National Theatre of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Keizô plays the role of the bonze Unnen [casting].

September 1987: Bandô Keizô II takes the name of Bandô Shûchô V at the Kabukiza, playing the roles of Sakuramaru and Ariwara no Yukihira in the plays "Kurumabiki" and "Ranpei Monogurui".

April 1988: Shûchô celebrates his shûmei at the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza, playing the role of Shûrinosuke and the daimyô in the drama "Domo Mata" and the dance "Bô Shibari"; this is also the 30th anniversary of the Ôsaka Shinkabukiza.

March 1991: revival at the National Theatre of Namiki Gohei I's play "Sode Nikki Banshû Meguri"; Shûchô plays the role of Takaoka Gengo [more details].

March 2009: Kabuki adaptation by the famous stage director Ninagawa Yukio of Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night", which is entitled "Ninagawa Jûniya", from the 24th to the 28th of March 2009 in London (UK) at the Barbican Theater; Shûchô plays the role of Banta (Valentine) [more details]. The same play is staged with the same casting in June 2009 at the Shinbashi Enbujô and in July 2009 at the Shôchikuza.

Comments:

Bandô Shûchô V is an outstanding supporting actor endowed with a powerful voice. He was trained as an onnagata at the beginning of his career but shifted later to tachiyaku roles.

The mon of Bandô Shûchô V

The Bandô Keizô line of actors

The Bandô Shûchô line of actors