No Milton in Leodo's Paradise Lost
By J.H. Kamper
Norian Maro Company's ethos is that “The best communication is led by a heartfelt movement rather than understandable words.” As they set about to tell the story of a woman finding her way to the island of Paradise, this is what shone through above all else.
A quick caveat: don't go into this show expecting anything to do with Milton. In fact, don't go in expecting an intricate story at all; just brief descriptions of stages of the journey, which serve as premises for performances of traditional Korean drum and dance. Nevertheless, these premises proved to be enough for the music and dance to expand on, ultimately succeeding in conveying the spirit of the scenes.
You absolutely should go and see this show. It was a visual and auditory pleasure. While little more than an extensive series of drumming, chanting, and dancing, I was utterly captivated. The music flowed seamlessly from up-tempo jovial drumming to more contemplative, restive pulses (I could never have made that distinction before seeing this show), and the beautiful choreography and vibrant costumes made it impossible to look away. An intelligent use of projection, hampered only slightly by tech problems, added a pleasant modern touch that blended well. The (regrettably small) audience were drawn all the way in; I found myself in a trance, not even realising I was clapping along at the end, let alone that a full hour had passed. The performers have clearly been practising and playing together for years, and the fact that they were visibly enjoying themselves served to pull us even further in.
I came out of the show feeling culturally enriched. I'd known nothing about the Jeju myth of Leodo, the island of Paradise for those lost at sea. I'd never even seen their instruments before, let alone encountered such mesmerising music created solely with drums and voice. But now I've experienced all of this. And that, I think, is the key attraction of shows like this. It is something so far out of the scope of Western culture that most of us wouldn't give it a thought, but if you do go, I guarantee you'll enjoy yourself, and you'll come out feeling enlightened and educated. This is exactly the kind of show you should be watching at the Edinburgh Fringe.
★★★★ #UNBORING
Leodo: Paradise Lost
C Venues – C (Venue 34) 15:35
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