Bringing a slice of Hong Kong to Edinburgh, TS Crew’s physical theatre performance, No Sugar No Milk (Prototyping) is a pleasure to watch.
Choreographed by Hugh Cho, the production presents a mix of acrobatics, beatboxing, dance and comedy, all set in a Hong Kong diner.
Following a subtle and graceful beginning, the cast kick off playing a game of stacking cardboard boxes on top of one another. Completely unsuspectingly, their movements later segue into an array of very impressive lifts, gymnastics and tricks that demonstrate their technical abilities, all very well received by the audience.
Featuring little dialogue, the emphasis in the show appears to be on the body and movement, telling a story through delivering stunts and creating shapes as a collective. Simultaneously, the performers also offer engaging humour, entertaining the audience through mimes and jokes, a unique contrast to simply telling puns through words.
There are times in No Sugar No Milk where there are multiple scenes going on at once, which the dancers do an expert job of carrying out. Every member of the cast plays a key role in the production, moving gracefully and with purpose.
Tying all these different aspects together is the diner, a setting choice that I found intriguing, though would have enjoyed learning more about.
Simple situations such as a mouse appearing in the café and the act of switching on a light were developed into comical dance sequences, both of which I found really engaging and impressive.
Props are used creatively by the cast, with one very talented dancer in particular performing a mesmerising solo with lights. Long white pieces of fabric guide the dancers on the stage and complement their manoeuvres in an earlier scene.
The audience is entertained by No Sugar No Milk’s song choices, which feature throughout and then return at the conclusion of the creative, absorbing and skilled show.
