Search

Toggle dark mode:

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

2ShoulderPads: GALAXY TRAIN

 
Elanor Parker Review by Elanor Parker 4 Published: 5 May 2026 WundaBarn at the SpiegelGardens Show Dates: 1 May 2026-4 May 2026

It’s a sold out theatre at SpeigelGardens and there are at least five men on stage who must be grateful that this Bank Holiday has been a sunny one. After all, they are completely nude except for a carefully placed shoulder pad clinging perilously to the most sensitive area of their body with the help of some highly trusted elastic string.

You won't understand everything, but that's fine

2Shoulderpads hail from Japan. As they introduce themselves, they claim that COVID meant that they couldn’t afford costumes – and what could be cheaper than a simple shoulder pad? The female body is often sexualised in our society, shown nude or partially undressed to titillate – if you can pardon the pun. However, besides Michelangelo’s David, the male naked body tends to be a lot more elusive. Japan may be famous for onsens (public geothermal baths typically experienced naked), but how will an altogether more British audience react to this bold move? Well, this is Brighton Fringe, so at least those who have wandered up into the Kemptown adjacent area of the beach won’t be so surprised by the male form proudly displayed in (almost) all its glory.

The truth is, you soon forget about the nakedness. By stripping back their clothes, the performers of 2Shoulderpads reveal a vulnerability that allows the audience to be vulnerable in return. The show is a mix of English words, some Japanese, and occasional big sketchbook English-language captions to aid understanding. Crucially, however, they also reassure us that, 'you won’t understand everything, but that’s fine.' By baring almost all, they ask us to trust them in their storytelling and – even if you may not follow every moment of this surreal enterprise – they provoke laughter and poignancy all the same.

The story – told through a mix of song, dance, and physical theatre – follows a young boy named Giovanni, who is played fully clothed in an oversized white suit by the only woman on stage, Chobi Natsuki. The fairy tale narrative that follows reflects that it is based on Night on the Galactic Railroad, a popular children’s book in Japan, written by Kenji Miyazawa almost 100 years ago. Natsuki’s compatriots form the ensemble and dive into fantasia of characters, such as Giovanni’s sick mother with white-painted face and a ridiculously long wig, Giovanni’s best friend at school Campanella, and many other humorous and memorable appearances including children orphaned by the Titanic disaster, and even a nun (with carefully chosen stockings and wimple to supplement the shoulderpad). They are fascinating to watch, with movements that are as impeccable and masterfully rehearsed no matter whether they are performing pratfalls or graceful pliés, their effort and precision clearly reflected in the visible tensing and flexing of their muscular bodies.

Alongside a lot of laughter and silliness, the show also promised to bring a tear to your eye by the end. Although I had enjoyed everything prior, I suspected this wouldn’t be the case for me. That was until Campanella’s final speech. Its message of ‘we are all one’ may not be unique and the accompanying score was certainly pushing you towards an emotional denouement. However, in this ever divided world, it did feel touching and magical to have visitors from Japan sharing their talents and their hearts with us here in Brighton. As RuPaul once sang, 'we’re all born naked and the rest is drag': by baring all, 2Shoulderpads reminds us of the universality of emotion that unites us all beneath our adornments.

Amir Nisi

Elanor Parker

Elanor is a Brighton based marketer, freelance writer, and English graduate. Pursuing her interest in live performance, Elanor has trained with Nottingham's New Perspectives theatre company and worked at Edinburgh Fringe, where one year she managed to see over 65 shows during the festival.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

A musical that sold out its entire run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and won the Spirit of the Fringe Award. Based on classic Japanese literature, this poetic work uses an extreme minimal costume concept: male performers wear only “two shoulder pads.” There is nothing obscene—laughter at the wiggling bottoms soon gives way to imagination, and by the final scene many are moved to tears. Exploring universal themes of life, death and parting, the show blends humour, live music and kabuki-inspired physicality into a joyful theatrical experience for audiences of all ages.
Lion King
Wicked
Matilda
Popular now
Phantom of the Opera
Titanique
The Play That Goes Wrong