ANN AYANO

Actors who can play their trade across a broad range of diverse cultures and languages are still a rare commodity these days but all of a sudden it has become a rapidly evolving phenomenon due to an explosion of content on streaming services such as Netflix. Outside of the Hollywood fishbowl, there has always been a devoted international industry that lauds its leading lights but now that love can be found in Tinseltown itself.

Ann Ayano is certainly one of those talented performers who has learnt her craft away from the bright lights of the established studios in California. Born and raised in Tokyo, she began pursuing a love of the arts from the age of three and discovered the mechanics of movement and grace through her education in ballet, contemporary modern dance and opera. Eventually she would enroll and graduate from the Nihon University College of Art majoring in Theater but soon realized early in her career that she needed to challenge herself and reach a more substantial audience.

In 2015 she made the brave choice to migrate from the Japanese capital and a country steeped in tradition, discipline, etiquette, and meticulous devotion, to the decadent city of Berlin. She deliberately chose a city that thrived in a climate of countercultural expressionism supported by an avant-garde mentality, and an eclectic mix of music, comedy, dance, and political satire reflecting the city's historical legacy.

She enrolled in the Actor's Space and Chubbuck Studio which expanded her critical screen acting skills. That knowledge and ability to fully inhabit her characters has seen her rewarded with major roles on screen and stage which began as the lead actress in the play, ‘The Fall of Babel’ by Yoko Tawada and directed by Matthias Rebstock at the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele.

Her vitality and strong collaboration skills has allowed her to work seamlessly with directors, fellow actors, and production teams in both Germany and Japan. She has collaborated with some of Japan's most renowned directors such as Hideki Noda and Tetsu Taoshita, as well as conductors Michiyoshi Inoue and Alexander Lazarev.

Her passion for storytelling and continuous desire to learn and evolve, elevates her performances, making them captivating and memorable to audiences everywhere. Most recently she has appeared in Chekhov's 'The Seagull' at the Schauspielhaus Zürich in the role of Mascha, receiving rave reviews in the German press. Since 2022, she has also been performing in the stage adaptation of Mieko Kawakami's novel ‘Breasts and Eggs’ under the direction of Christopher Rüping at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg.

Those performances saw her come to the attention of director Tim Brückmann who elevated her to the lead role of Kaya in his short film Immortal. That led to arguably the biggest German hit on Netflix so far in 2024 The Signal directed by Sebastian Hilger. Featuring on a series that was critically acclaimed around the globe demonstrates how Ann is truly breaking new ground with every step she takes.

Currently sharing her time between Berlin and Tokyo, she is perfectly placed for productions that require an ability to work across the international spectrum including the added dimension of speaking English, German and French. Ann Ayano is the perfect blend of Eastern and Western cultural exchanges and an actor that will shine no matter where she roams.

ANN AYANO

Die japanische Schauspielerin Ann Ayano ist in Tokio geboren und aufgewachsen. Von 2022 bis 2024 spielte sie unter der Regie von Christopher Rüping in der Bühnenfassung des Romans Brüste und Eier der japanischen Autorin Mieko Kawakami am Thalia Theater in Hamburg. In der Spielzeit 2023/24 war sie als Gast am Schauspielhaus Zürich in Die Möwe ebenfalls unter der Regie von Christopher Rüping zu sehen. 2019 spielte sie im Musiktheaterstück der Fall Babel unter der Regie von Matthias Rebstock bei den Schwetzinger SWR Festspielen. Darüber hinaus übernahm sie bei der Japanpremiere von Stravinskys Perséphone die französische Erzählerrolle. Zu dieser Produktion wurde eine CD veröffentlicht.

Zudem arbeitet sie mit einigen der bekanntesten japanischen Regisseure, wie Hideki Noda, sowie mit Dirigenten wie Michiyoshi Inoue zusammen. Sie absolvierte ihr Studium an der Nihon-Universität für Schauspielkunst in Tokio. 2015 verlagerte sie ihren Lebensmittelpunkt nach Berlin. Sie steht immer wieder in diversen Produktionen vor der Kamera. Ab der Spielzeit 2025/26 gehört sie zum Ensemble des Schauspiel Hannover.

彩乃　あん

東京生まれ、東京育ち。日本大学芸術学部演劇学科演技コース卒。2015年、日本からベルリンに拠点を移し、シュヴェツィゲン音楽祭で「Der Fall Babel」（作・多和田葉子）の主演に抜擢される。その他「ストラヴィンスキー：ペルセフォーヌ」が日本で初演された際にフランス語のナレーションを担当し、CDがオクタヴィアレコードよりリリースされた。2022年よりドイツで最も重要な劇場とされるタリア劇場で、クリストファー・リューピング演出の舞台「夏物語」（作・川上未映子）に出演。野田秀樹や田尾下晢といった日本を代表する演出家の舞台へ出演。井上道義、アレクサンドル・ラザレフといった指揮者と共演。2023年からスイスのチューリッヒ・シャウシュピールハウス劇場で「かもめ」（作・チェーホフ）にマーシャ役で出演。2025年からはドイツのハノーファー州立劇場で専属俳優となる。ドイツと日本を拠点に、母国語の日本語のほか、独、仏、英といった外国語能力を活かし、国内外の様々な映画にも出演している。