I was first introduced to 2ShoulderPads: Galaxy Train at one of their street performances along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, imagining it would be like any other busking performance fulfilling their thirty-minute slot. Picture this: my mother and I are watching in the front-row of 2ShoulderPads’ street performance, as the male Japanese performers danced elegantly dressed in their sharp suits, in accompaniment to the beautiful singing of female performer Chobi Natsuki. Much to our surprise, as the music came to a rise, the men ripped off their suits to reveal their true outfits: one singular shoulder-pad covering their privates. Hilariously, the cast showed no acknowledgement of this while they continued their graceful choreography and the audience (predominantly consisting of children) were filled with giggles.
You can imagine our difficulty in explaining what had occurred to the rest of our family, who had unfortunately only just missed the ephemeral performance.
After witnessing their street show, I knew I had to get my hands on a ticket to one of their sold-out physical, comedy theatre performances, and 2ShoulderPads: Galaxy Train definitely did not disappoint.
Performed in a mixture of Japanese, English, and “original mixed up words,” the cast made up of five male performers and one female performer (who stays clothed) relay a tale that is wondrously “strange, funny, and full of heart” following young Giovanni and his childhood friend, Campanella.
This original musical, founded by Maruichiro Maruo and Chobi Natsuki, is based on a beloved Japanese classic novel: ‘Night on the Galactic Railroad.’ The transition between comedic segments to the audience feeling like we’re on the brink of tears is flawless. I was apprehensive at first that the concept of ‘nudity-as-humour’ will get exhausted through the show’s duration, but not once did I stop laughing at their almost-nude clownery and physical theatrics. Expect the unexpected as the musical fulfills their promise of “not [being] Japanese standards at all.”
I felt disheartened to see Natsuki’s singing voice coming out quite hoarsely, but it’s no wonder that her voice has become raspy as we near the end of Fringe — I can only fantasise how tough it has been to maintain singing everyday with such raw emotion. The songs were awe-inspiring, resulting in everyone in the audience having their mouths agape in fascination.
In the age of AI, I greatly appreciated the multitude of handmade signs used throughout the performance, utilised as both subtitles in some segments and as cut-scene titles to inform us of our fictional location. Those holding the signs, alike to their dancing, moved both fluidly and with such precision that I could tell that they have had years of expertise in their field of theatre. It encapsulated the human-feeling apparent in 2ShoulderPads’ heartwarming narrative, and ultimately reminds us that “we are all made from the same Big Bang explosion, so everything you see in the world is me.”
2ShoulderPads: Galaxy Train is running until 30 August at Belly Button at Underbelly, Cowgate. Buy tickets here.
Image Via 2ShoulderPads Team.
