Theatre Review: Our Cosmic Dust at Park Theatre

A Tender, Ambitious Show with Stunning Visuals

West End has been flooded with Japanese productions in recent years, especially Studio Ghibli ones like My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away. These shows have set a high bar, offering audiences stunning visuals alongside rich emotional storytelling that bridges cultures beautifully. For that reason, I was genuinely excited to see another Japanese production off the West End, all the way in North London. I was curious to see how Our Cosmic Dust would compare, especially in a smaller venue with more experimental staging.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith

Our Cosmic Dust tells the story of Shotaro, a young boy who runs across the stars in search of his deceased father. His mother, Usami, follows after him, encountering various members of the town along the way.

The use of LED lighting and puppetry was highly creative, and Hiroki Berrecloth truly became one with Shotaro, delivering a heartfelt performance that drew me in. The first scene, when Shotaro spends time in his room learning about the stars, was simply striking and magical. The LED lighting lifted and highlighted Tokyo writer and director Michinari Ozawa’s vision, bringing the vastness of space into an intimate setting. The puppetry added a delicate, dreamlike quality, helping to blur the line between reality and fantasy in Shotaro’s journey.

As the story progressed, I found myself waiting for moments of emotional connection that never quite arrived. For example, when Usami meets the townspeople in her search for Shotaro, these encounters feel rushed or superficial, missing the chance to add depth or tension. The grief that should have been driving her actions often felt secondary to more playful or exaggerated interactions. This left the central theme of loss feeling diluted.

I also found Millie Hikasa’s portrayal of Usami confusing. Her delivery felt strangely upbeat for a character dealing with the loss of a partner, and it stopped the emotional core of the piece from really landing for me. The performances from the other characters left me similarly puzzled. Perhaps someone less familiar with Japanese theatre might view it differently, but I found myself unsure whether this production was meant to be set in Japan or Britain. The characters and their delivery often felt gimmicky, almost like panto, yet the themes of grief seemed aimed at adults. The occasional swearing from Tara (Nina Bowers) felt jarring if this was meant to be a family show.

Our Cosmic Dust deserves credit for its ambition and creativity. There is no question that it tried to bring something fresh to the London stage. Yet in trying to speak across cultures and age groups, it felt as though the heart of the story, a boy’s search for his father and a mother’s unconditional love, became lost among the stars. With more clarity of tone and focus on its emotional core, this could have been a truly memorable piece.

Rating: 3.5 stars - a visually inventive production that delights at times, though it does not always fully capture the emotional depth of its story.

Venue: Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3JP

Dates: 2 June - 5 July 2025

Tickets: from £15, for further details visit: https://parktheatre.co.uk/events/our-cosmic-dust/