It’s never easy to charm your in-laws, but imagine having to woo and subdue them with kung fu dance moves. This is the fate that befalls one man in Jump, the comic martial arts performance that reimagines a traditional Korean story – about a boy courting an entire family to win their daughter’s hand – with the help of thumping music, peppy fighting and manic break-dancing. These fast-paced elements take the place of dialogue, making the show fit for audiences of all languages and backgrounds.

“It is really hard to act without lines,” says Sung- Yul Noh, who stars as the son-in-law. “Instead, I think the words in my mind while performing, so others can feel my expressions through the gestures.”

Director Jun-Sang Lee agrees that the dances can say what words can’t – especially the elaborate climactic steps.

“Our performers are pouring forth enormous energy during the [entire] hour and a half. However, dare I say it, they work hardest of all during the tango scene,” he says of a key dance where the suitor literally sweeps his lady off her feet. “It’s very difficult for the performers since they need to demonstrate ability in gymnastics, acrobatics, martial arts, drama and comic timing.”

But before the suitor can dance with the daughter, he must go toe-to-toe with her overprotective grandfather. That frenzied scene – which critics have described as “Jackie Chan meets Charlie Chaplin” – almost turns into a shotgun wedding. But instead of squeezing a trigger, the grandfather forces the youngster to punch through pine boards and get tangled in a fencing match.

The performers, despite their prowess, must work hard to achieve the nuanced slapstick of such scenes.

“ Nothing is easy to control,” admits Noh. “There is a scene where the son-in-law attacks a burglar with a toy hammer which makes a ‘pip’ noise. When I go over the top, it gets laughs, but otherwise, it can seem too serious.”

That balance needs to be nimbly struck at every turn, but it helped Noh understand his character’s lopsided nature. “[I wanted] to show the double-sidedness before and after his transformation. He is naïve and playful, but changes into a sexy and strong man. To express these two aspects is not easy.”

Go from naïve to sexy with Jump on Jan 17 & 18 at Poly Theatre.

Click here to see the January issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photo courtesy of the organizers