Edinburgh Fringe Review: China Goes Pop
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Produced by renowned Tony award-winners Broadway Asia International, China Goes Pop is a fast paced acrobatic show, which leaves the audience gasping for more.
From the moment you enter Assembly Hall, you become instantly aware that China Goes Pop is going to be infectiously energetic, and the next hour does not disappoint.
Based on the story of two young people as they fall in love and eventually get married, the show features a series of martial arts, physical comedy, acrobatics, and dance, alongside stunning visual effects and costumes.
Performed by the Shandong Acrobatic Troupe, many of whom have performed in the eminent Cirque du Soleil shows, the acrobats featured in China Goes Pop are utterly amazing athletes. From doing backflips whilst jumping rope to a simply impossible upside down contortion routine, there are moments where the audience were simply too mesmerized to remember to applaud.
Even the small, and totally voluntary, moment of audience participation is well done, something which any festival veteran can testify has the potential to become a disaster.
Indeed, there is only one moment of fault that I can find in the entire hour of spell binding performance, in the form of a stilted and slightly awkward dance number which reveals that, although the performers are unquestionably exceptionally good at acrobatics, their dancing leaves something to be desired.
Overall, however, China Goes Pop is a completely mesmerizing show for the whole family and as such an absolute must see during the festival.
China Goes Pop runs every day at 4:20 pm until 27th August at Assembly Hall. Find out more, here.