A couple of weeks ago I attended my first ever Noh performance. Noh is a traditional Japanese performance art, described by Wikipedia as “a major form of classic Japanese musical drama […] performed since the 14th century”.

Noh Flyer

As with many such traditional art forms, women are unable to take part in performances so their roles are played by men. In the case of Noh, men wear masks to portray women and extra-ordinary characters. These are reminiscent of Victorian-era porcelain dolls and—coupled with the rather aggressive dancing of Noh—would have given me many a nightmare as a child.