The small troupe of physical artists work on the Ukiyo Theatre stage at Gluttony, a three-quarter-in–the-round venue, with raked seats and a reasonably high ceiling. This means the audience are so close to the action you can feel the shifting air as the artists fly through it, which they do, frequently.
The all-male troupe perform in black jeans, orange sneakers, bare chested, wearing make-up in traditional Sichuan opera mask style; of course, all of this is tantamount to outrageous for traditionalists. They warm-up in full view of the audience, another break in tradition.
No Dragon No Lion is about reforming, hybridising and establishing new ground, so it deliberately steers away from many of the trappings you’d expect to see when watching martial arts, Sichuan opera, Shaolin kung fu demonstrations or Biàn Liǎn, they use commedia dell’arte, parkour and acrobatic tricks.
There isn’t really a linear story, but the troupe have brief interludes when the ensemble listens to the voice of Bruce Lee, (yes, Kato from The Green Hornet) and then collectively respond to his wisdom, “Express yourself honestly,” and, “Be water my friends,” and this prompts them into routines that employ, but stray from, pure tradition, to incorporate these other styles into their traditional forms.
It’s a fabulous mash-up. Before anyone starts to complain that this is a product of colonialism or the breakdown of traditional values, I’d argue that it absolutely is not. I’d say it is a demonstration of a group who are seeking to cherry pick things from the universe, that they are inspired by, to use and further their own expressiveness. The result is fantastic, universal, global and definitely ground breaking.
It deserves platinum stars, six out of five; for the many shades of masculinity it reveals, the inherent comedy they create, the impeccable beatboxing plus the sheer artistry of their amazing physicality. Don’t miss the TS Crew and this excellent family show.
No Dragon No Lion is on at the Adelaide Fringe for a nine-show season until 2 March. Get tickets here.
