Although kabuki stretches back to the 1600s when a female troupe in Kyoto first performed on the banks of the Kamo River, kabuki really flourished in the late Edo period in Tokyo with the rise of the merchant class. Characterised by glamorous costumes, heavily stylised moves, archetypal characters, and an all-male cast in which some actors perform onnagata female roles, kabuki reflected the everyday life of the times. Join this private experience to learn about its history, try out the distinctive kumadori makeup on your own face and see a kabuki actor in full dress demonstrate the famous keburi move (where the hairpiece is swung in circular motion to accentuate a dramatic point).