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The Review - THEATRE by SARA NEWMAN
Published: 1 May 2008

Side-splitting ‘family fun’ gets joint jumping

JUMP
Peacock Theatre

THE Ye-Gam Inc troupe greet the soon-to-be-humbled audience in a blaze of cheesy prog rock, excitable dancing and effusive grins.
This is a decidedly genius manoeuvre, as it makes what follows all the more spectacular.
The family, who at first seem like slapstick children’s entertainers, live in a toy town room under the auspices of a wispy bearded grandfather brandishing an impressive walking stick.
An alcoholic uncle good-naturedly bears the wroth of his slickly choreographed kin, allowing the other performers to show off their expertise.
Mum can break wooden planks with enthused ferocity and takes particular glee at using the other cast members’ heads as her tools. Dad, meanwhile, unwittingly spins out flying kicks.
The Korean champion gymnasts and Drunken Wushu/Tae Kwon Do masters balance, grace and farce with precision in this physical comedy.
Despite its sparse plot and dialogue, this is not simply performance without context. The sadistic humour is derived from a long tradition of martial arts and silent era cinema, and the cutesy love story is straight out of any soap opera in every country in the world.
When a couple of burglars foolishly pick the family’s house for a spot of looting the director takes his cue to gently mock the slow motion special effects of movies like the Matrix or Crouching Tiger.
Thunder and lightning strikes, every time the fliptastic daughter’s suitor removes his glasses.
His repetition of frenzied spasms as he transforms from geek to martial arts love god, complete with ridiculous pornographic undulations, ensures a hysterical reception.
The laughing fits turn to riotous applause as the hero effortlessly careers backwards across the stage in a cascade of somersaults.
Nevermind “family fun”, Jump is so side- splittingly funny, it should come with a health warning.
Until May 10
0844 412 4322

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