Japanese drummers are big hit

11:31am Monday 5th March 2001

WITH more than 800 schoolchildren and a gang of Japanese drummers, Lewisham Theatre was not the place for peace and quiet.

Pupils from schools around the borough packed into the auditorium for a lesson in the oriental art of Taiko drumming and Japanese story-telling.

Some were lucky enough to be invited on stage to bash out a thumping beat on the huge wooden drums in front of their classmates.

But the rest were also encouraged to join in, by chanting and pounding out rhythms on their laps.

The show was performed by Mugenkyo, Europe's leading Taiko group, and organised as an educational insight into Japanese culture with help from Lewisham Council.

It has already proved a hit with schools across the rest of country, in Europe and Japan.

The response was so good in Lewisham that another sell out show is scheduled later this month.