The Sumo Show HIRAZUKA - Adelaide Fringe Review
Image credit: The Sumo Show HIRAKUZA
Making its way straight from Osaka and debuting for the first time outside of Japan, The Sumo Show HIRAZUKA delivers an hour of cultural history and education about the significance of Grand Sumo, a crash course on the sports rules, and an exhibition showcase of sumo up-close and personal.
Featuring retired professional sumo wrestlers Waka, Toma, and Matsu, an enthusiastic MC, and match official, the cast embody their character roles with both spirit and cheesiness in their personalities. There’s evidently a triumphant show of pride in sharing Japan’s national sport to more western-centric crowds, with an overarching layer of comedy throughout most of the theatrics.
The show progresses chronologically, building up to the ultimate Grand Sumo showdown between each of the wrestlers. A short video provides audiences with a brief history of Sumo, before each of the sport’s rules and taboos are demonstrated in-action.
As we progress to the much anticipated sumo match showcase, everything comes into practice and the intensity heats up to determine who will be crowned the champion of the night. You do get a good feel of the specific techniques and strength which sumo wrestlers possess, but evidently it isn’t a full-stakes battle. Nevertheless, it’s still a lot of fun to watch and experience.
The show is presented primarily in English, with Japanese-spoken segments translated by the MC. It’s both entertaining and educational, drawing from typical Japanese comedy and game show humour-tactics. There’s a brief opportunity to hear from the sumo wrestlers themselves, which would’ve been insightful to hear a little more about their connection with sumo.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience what it’s like to wrestle with a real Sumo Wrestler, then this is your one chance to do so. You can volunteer yourself up-on-stage as an audience member to put on a mock sumo suit and go head-to-head with one (or even two or three) of the wrestlers in the ring. Of course, everything is done in fun and games, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t give it a hot crack and try to defeat a former professional sumo wrestler!
All in all, it’s an all-ages friendly, entertaining and culturally immersive experience which will give you a greater understanding and appreciation of the sport of sumo, being able to experience it outside of Japan.
Rating: ★★★★1/2
Show details: The Sumo Show HIRAKUZA - Adelaide Fringe
