So the university's Za Kabuki theatre club has made some modern and hilarious twists to traditional play The Remembered Mother; produced by Okumura and hitting the stage of ANU Theatre 3 from Friday night.

Cue a random Mickey Mouse head, an excessive amount of slapstick, mixed gender roles and even the occasional line performed in English.

"People will definitely get a taste for what Kabuki is - they'll definitely see the difference between modern western theatre and traditional Japanese theatre," Okumura said.

"But what we want to do is bring it into a more familiar setting for people, so they're not thrown deep into, 'What is this artform we've never encountered before?'"

Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese drama featuring song, mime, and dance. It became a popular artform in the 17th century and to this day is performed in Japan primarily by male actors - "it's like Shakespeare in that way," Okumura said.

The hallmarks of Kabuki theatre - Japanese translation: 'song dance art' - include exaggerated gestures to express emotions and highly stylised costumes.

As far as Okumura knows, the ANU's Za Kabuki club is the only kabuki theatre club in Australia, which might explain why its performances have remained so popular since it was established at the ANU in 1976.

Students come from a range of courses to perform in Za Kabuki plays - some who are fluent in Japanese and others who don't speak a word. What unites them is a passion for Japanese culture and the country's unique approach to storytelling.

Performing in the traditional Kabuki style is challenging, Okumura said.

"The movements are very, very specific in traditional Kabuki, and they're very much in line with Japanese traditional dance," she said.

"We obviously can't replicate that in our theatre because we're not professional actors and those kind of dances require years, sometimes decades, of training.

"So we try to mix it up a bit with movements that we find natural but with a Kabuki touch - trying to walk slower, maybe speak a little slower, sometimes changing the voice a bit to suit Kabuki - it's the very, very small things."

It's hard to predict who will be in the audience of The Remembered Mother this weekend - "sometimes I just look at the crowd and wonder, where did these people come from?" - but Okumura's hoping to see families sitting together enjoying Kabuki for the first time.

"It's fun for them to engage in something very different and the play is very much focused on the family dynamic," she said.

"Lots of people watch Kabuki in Japan and then come and watch us, and then some will come and see us and be interested in Kabuki, so it's like a passage to Japan as well.

"Canberra audiences won't have another chance to see Za Kabuki again until next year."

The Remembered Mother, Friday October 5 and Saturday October 6 at 6.30pm. Sunday October 7 at 1.30pm. ANU Theatre 3, 3 Repertory Lane, Acton. Tickets at the door.