Our Cosmic Dust [© Pamela Raith Photography]

IN the UK premiere of Michinari Ozawa’s award-winning play Our Cosmic Dust, a young boy, Shotaro (Hiroki Berrecloth, last seen at the Park Theatre in The Garden of Words) is mourning the death of his beloved father and has stopped speaking.

They shared a passion for astronomy. When Shotaro’s well-meaning mother, Yoko (Millie Hikasa), tells that him that his father has become a star, he scribbles down his thoughts and sketches the night sky, hoping to find him in the constellations.

Driven by grief, he sets out on a quest to discover what happens to the soul after death, followed closely by Yoko, who is desperate to bring him home. Along the way, Shotaro encounters several characters dealing with bereavement in different ways. He visits a hospital where he questions Tara (Nina Bower), a nurse, who keeps a silver tooth as a memento of her dead mother.

At the crematorium, he meets Alastair (Hari Mackinnon) grieving for his dog, while Orion (Ian Hallard), the manager of a planetarium, is mourning the death of his partner.

The show is recommended for ages 12+, yet it’s not always clear whether Ozawa’s script, translated and adapted by Susan Momoko Hingley, is aimed at children or adults and this is reflected in some of the performances.

The production occasionally tends towards sentimentality, but is elevated by stunning visuals.

Eika Shimbo’s video design and animations, projected onto a giant LED backdrop, and Mikayla Teodoro’s expressive puppet (deftly handled by Berrecloth) add depth to the story.

Our Cosmic Dust is a poignant reflection on grief, our enduring need for connection, and how the vastness of the universe can offer comfort in the face of loss.

Until July 5
parktheatre.co.uk