David Toguri

David Toguri (25 October 1933 – 15 November 1997) was a Canadian dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and actor born in Vancouver, British Columbia. A Nisei, or second-generation Japanese Canadian, he was raised in Toronto following the Second World War, where he attended Jarvis Collegiate Institute. His early admiration for Gene Kelly led him to pursue formal dance training under Boris Volkoff at the Toronto Theatre Ballet.

Toguri's Broadway debut came in 1958 with the musical Flower Drum Song, a credit that would define the early arc of his career. When the production transferred to the West End in 1960, he made his first journey to the United Kingdom, the country where he would spend the majority of his professional life. He reprised his role as a dancer in the 1961 film adaptation of Flower Drum Song, and also appeared as a dancer in the London stage production at the Palace Theatre that same year.

His acting work extended across British film and television throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He played Commander Yamada in the television series Danger Man, appearing in the episodes Koroshi (1966) and Shinda Shima (1968). In 1967 he appeared in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice as an assassin. Additional screen acting credits include Welcome to the Club (1971), Rentadick (1972), Soft Beds Hard Battles (1974), Eskimo Nell (1975), and Rock Follies (1976), in which he played Alan Nagouchi. His final film role was in Alicja (1982), in which he played the Duchess. On stage, he appeared in Chaganog at the 1964 Edinburgh Festival and subsequently at the Vaudeville Theatre, followed by Charlie Girl (1965) at the Adelphi Theatre.

As a choreographer, Toguri worked extensively in British theatre, film, and television. His stage choreography credits include The Rocky Horror Show, The Baker's Wife at the Phoenix Theatre directed by Trevor Nunn, Measure for Measure and The Blue Angel, both also directed by Nunn, and Street Scene and Pacific Overtures, both produced at the London Coliseum for English National Opera. He choreographed Gulliver's Travels at the Mermaid Theatre, directed by Gerald Frow with design by Sean Kenny. For the National Youth Theatre he choreographed Blitz! at the Playhouse Theatre in 1990 and Maggie May at the Royalty Theatre in 1992. In 1989 he served as choreographer on Pa Pa Can You Hear Me Sing, a Cantonese-language musical directed by Ho Yi for Spotlight Productions under the Urban Council in Hong Kong.

Among his most prominent theatrical achievements was his work on Guys and Dolls (1982) at the National Theatre, for which he received the Olivier Award for Best Choreography. He directed and choreographed the production again in Australia in 1986 and returned to the National Theatre for its 1996 revival. His choreography credits at the National Theatre also include The Threepenny Opera, The Beggar's Opera, and other productions. His screen choreography credits span more than two decades and include The Devil Rides Out (1968), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Absolute Beginners (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Memphis Belle (1990), and Peter's Friends (1992), among others.