The ancient Japanese sport comes to the Fringe for the first time…
HIRAKUZA bring their Osaka show to Edinburgh, aimed at providing an overview of sumo to beginners. Their show is split into three parts, named after the three principles: spirit, body, and technique. After a brief history of the sport, Spirit covers the terminology and rituals involved in a match, such as purifying the ring and cleansing one’s hands; Body shows us some basic moves, and technique culminates in a real sumo match. It’s all presided over by a charismatic presenter, a referee, and three wrestlers: Toma, Waka, and Matsu.
The atmosphere was not unlike a Western wrestling match, with exciting VTs on-screen for our competitors and the presenter hyping up the crowd. Likewise, the humour was along the same lines; the wrestlers demonstrating rule-breaking and Toma’s childish antics throughout brought a lighter tone to proceedings. As the heaviest contender, the audience assume he won’t be flexible enough to touch his toes, but as a volunteer discovers he’s more than capable!
The brief nature of the show means that we can only really get a summary of sumo, but it found an appreciative audience anyway. A lottery brought two audience members on stage after the match to try leg stomping and pushing Toma over amid much pec-wiggling and showboating to the crowd. It was a fun way to end the show!
The Sumo Show HIRAKUZA is a great family-friendly choice and a fascinating insight into the practice.
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The Sumo Show HIRAKUZA is at Underbelly George Square from Aug 6-31 (not 18th) at 18:00