Hong Kong Soul returns to Edinburgh Festival Fringe

This year at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Hong Kong Soul are returning with a showcase of three of the best shows from the Hong Kong arts scene. The festival is curated by TS Crew, who first appeared at the Fringe in 2019, and it will contain shows No Dragon No Lion, Must I Cry and a dance double bill of It's Not My Body: Chapter 3.5 / This Is. In addition, street art will be performed by Lai Yee, a flow artist who performs a variety of circus skills including Cyr wheel and dragon staff, and Hong Kong Freestyle Football Champion Lyson Sze.

Curator Andy Lo from TS Crew spoke about how they were motivated to create the showcase when they realised that “apart from TS Crew, there were quite a few Hong Kong artists who went to Edinburgh, but we didn’t know. [So] we decided that we have to make one Hong Kong platform at Edinburgh Fringe.” Lo is excited for British audiences to experiences the culture of Hong Kong and he hopes they will feel “the diversity and uniqueness of Hong Kong artists using their way to tell their stories as well as something about the city.”

As a part of the showcase TS Crew are returning with their show No Dragon No Lion, which re-creates the classical Lion Dance and Chinese Opera as contemporary performance with live beatboxing and a fusion of Kung-Fu, dance-circus, martial arts, parkour and puppetry. When speaking with TS Crew about sharing their show with British audiences they reflected on how “audiences with different cultural backgrounds react differently but at the same time, a good show should have a clear context as well as reasonable layers and complexity, then it might be able to cater more audiences with different cultural backgrounds.” TS Crew also spoke about how “there is no way to capture all the audiences at the Fringe of course” but they have learned from their previous visits that “if you pick the right venue, it is easier to get the right audience”. With this in mind they hope that with their return they may be able to cultivate a long-running show for the Edinburgh Fringe.

The showcase’s second show is a double bill of dance shows It's Not My Body: Chapter 3.5 / This Is which use different approaches to interpret body and dance. In It’s Not My Body: Chapter 3.5, Wong Tan-ki explores “the love and hate about dancing” as he wrestles with his own shadow, building a picture of the effect a life in dance has on the artist and their body. Whilst Dick Wong describes his work This Is as “a mind map” which draws from visual art, such as Duchamp, Kosuth and Lewitt, to reinvestigate time, space and the body on stage. Both the creators are excited to bring their work to the Edinburgh Fringe and look forward to how the “specific energy from the festival might make this work look different.”

Finally, after over 30 years Theatre du Pif are returning to Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the final instalment of the Hong Kong Soul showcase and their new show, Must I Cry.  When reminiscing on their experience of the Fringe in the 90s and how it has changed, they spoke about how “it was vibrant, with a sense of camaraderie among performers. Venues ranged from pubs to grand stages. Technology was limited, relying on physical promotion. In recent years, the Fringe has become more diverse and inclusive. Audience expectations may have evolved due to changing landscapes. The core spirit of people, creativity, and celebration of the arts remains.”

Their new show Must I Cry draws inspiration from the literary works of Xi Xi, a renowned Hong Kong author, with a particular focus on one of her pieces from 1968, Hong Kong Island I Love. Must I Cry explores the themes of memories and loss, creating a defining portrait of a city transitioning away from British rule interwoven with the story of the last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan. The celebrated director and Bonni Chan spoke on the aims of the piece and how “through this theatrical experience, we delve into the profound impact of urban transformation on both human and natural histories, which form the crucial foundation of human's existence. The show encourages reflection on where we can channel our grief. It aims to evoke emotions and provoke contemplation in audiences.”

No Dragon No Lion will be at C ARTS, C venues, C aurora, main house, 31 July – 25 Aug 2024 (not 5, 6, 12, 13 & 19), 13.50 (14.40). For tickets go to https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/no-dragon-no-lion

It’s Not My Body: Chapter 3.5 / This Is  will be at Assembly @ Dance Base, Dance Base 1 2 – 11 Aug 2024 (not 5), 16.05 (17.05). For tickets go to https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/it-s-not-my-body-chapter-3-5-this-is

Must I Cry will be at Paradise in Augustine – The Sanctuary, 19 -25 Aug 2024, 20.45 (21.45). For tickets go to https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/must-i-cry