Arirang Party

Asia's answer to Britain's got Talent; Arirang Party is a fun-packed frenzy of dancing, fighting, comedy, drumming and daredevil stunts. And although the nine-strong troupe are finely tuned and unquestionably talented, the whole package is garish, gimmicky and a tad over the top.

From the offset, the piece feels confused. The overwhelming mix of elegant traditional dance, martial arts and physical percussion is loosely held together with the thread of a story, but this is frustratingly difficult to follow and compounded by constant changes in direction.

After a crazy concoction of sword-wielding warriors and elegant fan dancing, one poor unsuspecting audience member is dragged on stage, blindfolded, and screamed at. The front row begin to shift uneasily in their seats and nervous laughter echoes around the room. Amid the chaos, intermittent drumming sections, led by "world class percussionist" Choi So-Ri, add some genuine atmosphere and flair, the drummers using every inch of their perfectly sculpted pint-sized frames to beat out an explosion of sound.

With over an hour of high impact performing, what Arirang Party lacks in structure, it certainly makes up for in energy. However, despite the apparently huge Asian following, it remains to be seen whether this off-the-wall variety show will succeed in winning over more discerning Edinburgh crowds.