King John (2020)

The Saitama Shakespeare Series ends with "King John," starring Shun Oguri and Kotaro Yoshida. The series began in 1998 with the goal of performing all 37 of Shakespeare's plays. "King John," originally planned as the 36th play, was postponed due to COVID-19 but performed from December 2022 to February 24, 2023, in Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka, and Saitama. Oguri played the young "bastard," while Yoshida portrayed the King of France in Tokyo and King John in Aichi, Osaka, and Saitama. The production continued the series' tradition of all-male casting. This historical drama, exploring themes of madness and war, concludes the 25-year series.