A new theater project called Dawn Stage has launched, and its debut production, Dawn Stage Vol. 1 "BAD END," runs from Friday, August 28 through Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at Atelier Fanfare Koenji in Tokyo.
The play is an immersive noir comedy set in a locked room, following a gang of robbers who successfully hit a cash transport vehicle, only to fall into mutual suspicion over 40 million yen that goes missing from their hideout in an abandoned warehouse.
Writing and directing the piece is Yoshikatsu Kimura, known for the film KG Karate Girl and the drama 牙狼〈GARO〉東ノ界楼.
The cast brings together performers with a wide range of backgrounds: Mayuko Ohara, a former otokoyaku (male-role performer) with the Takarazuka Revue's Yuki Troupe; Shuri, an active wrestler with the women's pro wrestling promotion Stardom; Ayano Kato, an active adult video actress; Ao Ueshita, a former member of the idol group Kamen Joshi; Marina Arisato, who is also active as a film director; and Rena Nara, known for her TikTok account "Aomori no Kanojo" (My Aomori Girlfriend).
Also joining the cast is Taichi Kodama, a former exclusive model for Men's Non-no who is also active as a musician. He takes on his first-ever stage performance, reuniting with director Kimura for the first time since 牙狼〈GARO〉東ノ界楼.
The production also features a distinctive layout in which the audience seating surrounds the stage, letting viewers experience the characters' maneuvering, betrayals, and even their breathing up close, in an immersive style of staging.
General ticket sales open via Corich starting at 8:00 PM on Friday, July 17, 2026.
The "Premium Front-Row Seats with Bonus," which let audiences experience the play from extremely close range, are limited to just 17 seats per performance.
Synopsis
A group who successfully pulled off a bank robbery gathers at an abandoned warehouse to divide up the stolen cash.
But 40 million yen is missing from the 200 million yen they took.
Did one of their own steal it?
As suspicion swirls, each member's hidden secrets and desires are gradually revealed.
Before long, the plan they staked their lives on begins spiraling toward a "BAD END" that no one can stop.
Performance Overview
Title
Dawn Stage Vol. 1 "BAD END"
Performance Period
August 28 (Fri) to September 1 (Tue), 2026 [7 performances total]
Venue
Atelier Fanfare Koenji
(4-44-6 Koenji-Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Yunzu Building B1F)
Cast
Mayuko Ohara / Shuri / Ayano Kato / Ao Ueshita / Marina Arisato / Rena Nara / Taichi Kodama
*Plus one rotating guest performer per show (to be announced)
Staff
Written & Directed by: Yoshikatsu Kimura
Co-writer: はだのりな
Producers: Koji Matsumoto / Marina Arisato / Yoshikatsu Kimura
Production: Project Dawn
Performance Schedule
August 28 (Fri): 7:00 PM
August 29 (Sat): 1:00 PM / 5:00 PM
August 30 (Sun): 1:00 PM / 5:00 PM
August 31 (Mon): 7:00 PM
September 1 (Tue): 7:00 PM
*Doors open 45 minutes before curtain; running time is approximately 90 minutes.
Ticket Details
Seat Types
General seating: ¥6,500 (tax included)
Premium front-row seats with bonus (limited to 17 seats per performance): ¥9,500 (tax included)
*Free seating within each area; bonus includes a cast-autographed limited-edition photo card
Sales Schedule
General sales (first-come, first-served) via ticket site Corich: from 8:00 PM, Friday, July 17, 2026
https://dawnstage.corich.co/badend/common
Comments
Mayuko Ohara (as Sugar)
I first met writer-director Kimura five years ago.
He gave me a great deal of influence in terms of expression and range as a performer.
Meeting him again and getting to take on the leading role of Sugar makes me happy, but I also feel a kind of fear — a sense that I'm being tested on how much I can bare my own emotions and grow as an actor.
Rather than being tested by anyone else, I'll spend this summer giving everything I have while searching for my own "HAPPY END."
Please look forward to the stage production BAD END!
Shuri (as Flower)
How do you see me?
Because I've kept doing pro wrestling, people probably often get the impression that I'm stoic.
But actually, I'm someone whose emotions move easily.
That's exactly why I love acting.
Flower is a former police officer — a woman who looks cool on the surface but carries loneliness and inner conflict, living with a sense that her life isn't fulfilled.
Layering my own emotions onto her wavering heart and pain, I'll build the performance carefully, piece by piece, and give it everything I have to create something that stays with the audience.
I'd be happy if you could come see it at the theater.
Ayano Kato (as Money)
This time I've been given the role of Money.
True to the name, my passion for "money" is intense, haha.
I'll be showing you a new side of Ayano Kato, staying in high spirits the whole time!
I'll let you in on a little secret — there's a twist to the role of Money that's different from what you'd expect from the key visual.
That has me a little nervous, honestly.
But I'm also excited about this new challenge.
Please come to the theater and see for yourself.
I'll do my best to give everyone plenty of tension, moments to catch their breath, and lots to experience firsthand, so thank you for your support.
Ao Ueshita (as Water)
I'm Ao Ueshita, playing Miss Water.
This production unfolds in a way that makes you feel as if the entire theater itself is the stage...!
I hope you'll come experience an atmosphere that's a little different from ordinary theater.
By facing this work, I feel like I might encounter emotions in myself that I haven't noticed before.
I want to push my emotional barometer past its limit and go beyond my own boundaries.
I'll deliver the worst, and best, "BAD END" to everyone who comes to see it.
Please come witness that ending for yourself at the theater.
I'll be waiting for you!
Marina Arisato (as Dark Star)
"What kind of story is a 'noir comedy,' anyway?"
That's what I kept wondering as I read through the script.
Every page turns up characters who are anything but simple.
And Dark Star, the character I play, is like a free-spirited jester running wild through that world.
As a character who is free, pure, and bold, I want to give this work everything I have — not only delivering the betrayals that unfold in the story, but also betraying the audience's expectations in a good way.
Please come to the theater and dive into the world that BAD END depicts!
Rena Nara (as Seven)
Seven, the character I play, is Money's younger sister.
She's full of mystery, and I plan to throw out plenty of riddles.
This is a work where the more you empathize with the script, the more it hurts — everyone's own agendas are tangled together.
You won't know what the "right answer" is, but I hope you'll enjoy thinking it through, imagining that each character was probably convinced they were in the right.
Everyone, you're definitely going to be betrayed, a lot.
This is Renaten's first role in a black suit, and it looks incredibly cool — definitely a highlight!
I'll be waiting for you at the theater!
Taichi Kodama (as Bank)
My first stage performance ever.
And its title is "BAD END."
What an irony.
It sends chills down my spine in more ways than one.
I feel happy to be able to create a work again with my mentor, Yoshikatsu Kimura.
The character Bank is, true to the name, a bank employee who takes part in the robbery.
Like Jekyll and Hyde, he's drowning in greed, spitting ugly words, and giving in to cowardly, dishonorable emotions — how could I possibly see that as someone else's problem?
Accepting the pain and love of living recklessly, without ever hitting the brakes, I want to perform this role all the way through while still believing, deep down, in a happy ending.
Set your watches, and let's meet later at the hideout warehouse.
Yoshikatsu Kimura (Writer & Director)
I believe everyone carries some form of "anger" inside them — some aware of it, some not.
Normally, people naturally release it through various outlets, like sports, supporting their favorite idols, or eating their way around town.
The characters in this story direct that anger toward crime instead.
And yet, I think "anger," in the end, is something ultimately directed at oneself.
How do you get past it, or work through it? That question is the central theme of this piece — a noir comedy about a group of sharply dressed misfits, laughing and writhing their way toward a single crime!
Official Social Media
X: @DAWN_STAGE (https://x.com/DAWN_STAGE)
Instagram: @dawnstage_official (https://www.instagram.com/dawnstage_official)
Hashtags: #舞台BADEND #ドーンステージ
We sincerely hope you'll come enjoy Dawn Stage's debut production, BAD END, at the theater.
