If you are going to see kabuki

Five things to know before you go

You can enjoy kabuki with no preparation at all. But these five will let you read what is happening on stage. About fifteen minutes in all.

5 steps · about 15 min

What kabuki actually is

It began four hundred years ago with one woman, Izumo no Okuni. Start there.

The hanamichi, the revolving stage, the trap. Knowing why a walkway cuts through the audience changes how you choose a seat.

The actor freezes and a voice flies from the gallery. Know what that instant is, and you will not miss it.

Red for righteousness, indigo for menace. The colour tells you what kind of being you are watching.

What to wear, eating in the interval, single-act seats. The practical side of actually going.