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DoodRock, a high-octane production of breathtaking dance and percussion skills from Seoul, Korea, comes to Scotland direct from the Opening Ceremony of the World Cup. The European Premiere of this explosive show hits The Gateway Theatre from 2 to 26 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2002. In this visualisation of sound the hugely talented ensemble of nine female and thirteen male performers, clad in tight leather outfits, give a stunning 70 minute display of big-scale traditional Korean drumming blended with rock music, high-energy contemporary dance, tap, mime and slapstick together with a magnificent light show. Following in the innovative steps of Cookin and Stomp, DoodRock, uses an eclectic mix of percussion instruments ranging from the conventional Korean drums to kitchen utensils and police batons to provide the backdrop for a number of individual scenes including a 20's gangster chase, a beautifully choreographed martial arts fight and a foot-stamping comic parody of Swan Lake. Even artworks made of milk cans, ladders, boxes, plastic bottles, rubber basins and an old refrigerator are used to create this symphony of heart pumping rhythms. DoodRock is a master class in percussion virtuosity that creates sounds so explosive that it not only leaves audiences completely energised and exhilarated but it also achieves the company's stated aim which is 'to deliver a high-powered spiritual message from earth to heaven'. This show is definitely not for the faint-hearted. To make sure that audiences are entering into the spirit of the occasion and to test their sense of rhythm there will be a hand-clapping contest; so be prepared to let your soul soar as the percussive heat rises! The 22 Dood Rock performers are all extremely talented individuals having studied a multitude of disciplines of the performing arts. These include Shamanist and Latin music, mime, magic, 'yot' scissor music and tap as well as traditional Korean percusssion. By combining their talents DoodRock has been able to create new styles and blends of energy fuelled performance. DoodRock, in its present form with Korea's most influential percussionist Ik-Hwan CHOI at the helm as Artistic Director, exploded onto the Korean Arts Scene in the 1990's. They performed their first show that combined many different art forms at the Seoul Arts Centre in August 1998 to great critical acclaim. With further additions and improvements to the show the company performed numerous times at the Seoul Arts Centre and the Sejong Cultural Centre Convention Hall. In March and April 2001 their present show, with the assistance of the best of Korea's technical talent was staged at Seoul's Jeong-dong Theatre.

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2002 (1 listings)