Q&A: Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground

As Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground returns to Edinburgh to the delight of children and families attending the Fringe, The Recs is delighted to catch up with the show’s creator, Musette Tsang, to discuss the inspiration behind the show’s distinctive musical world.

Hello Musette and thank you for taking the time to chat to us about Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground. The show is returning to Edinburgh for a third and final consecutive year. What has made the Fringe such an important part of the show’s journey?

The Fringe is the ultimate testing ground for interactive theatre! There is absolutely nothing like the raw, unpredictable energy of Edinburgh families.

Returning to theSpace @ Surgeons Hall allows us to prove that Cantonese opera isn’t a dusty museum piece—it’s a live, vibrant, action-packed world. The feedback here directly shapes how we bring this art form to life.

Why did you decide that this would be the show’s final Fringe run and was that a difficult decision to make?

We wanted to go out on an absolute high! This is our third and final consecutive year at the Fringe, and we are treating it as a celebration.

We’ve poured all our energy into making this fast-paced, 40-minute spectacle the most explosive and magical version yet. It’s bittersweet, but creating that sense of urgency means this August is your absolute last chance to experience it!

Looking back over your previous Edinburgh visits, what have you learned from performing for Fringe audiences and has the show evolved since your first Fringe performance?

We learned very quickly that children are the most wonderfully honest critics—they don’t just want to watch a show; they want to live it! Because of that, the production has evolved significantly.

Our 2025 version was deeply modified based on our 2024 premiere, and this year’s run is the absolute best of all these two years of experience. It has transformed into a highly polished, award-winning production—honoured as the Asia Art Special Award Runner-Up 2024 and Best Production at the IC Award.

The Edinburgh Fringe is renowned for attracting audiences from all over the world. How rewarding has it been to introduce Cantonese opera to people who may have never encountered it before?

It is an absolute rush! We love the exact moment when the language barrier completely dissolves.

In our script, the characters explicitly switch to English the moment they realize international friends are watching in the auditorium. Seeing a room full of children from entirely different cultures suddenly shouting Cantonese opera commands in unison is pure theatrical magic. It proves that great physical storytelling is universal.

Let’s go back to the beginning. What first inspired you to create an introduction to Cantonese opera specifically for children and families?

Traditional heritage can sometimes feel intimidating or unapproachable from the outside. At One Table Two Chairs, we wanted to completely flip that script.

By blending authentic, centuries-old operatic disciplines with high-energy interactive theatre, we give families an open invitation to play. We keep this cultural treasure alive by making it endlessly fun for the next generation.

For those who haven’t seen Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground, could you give us a sense of the storyline?

Think of it as a high-stakes superhero adventure meets traditional folklore! The story follows Captain Dic Dic and Chang Chang, two young guardians of Cantonese Opera Land.

They must defend their magical world from the villainous Boring King—a puppet tyrant determined to spread a “boring virus” that makes everyone stop laughing. Guided by the Cantonese Opera Fairy, the audience must step up, learn the ropes, and help defeat him!

Captain Dic Dic and Chang Chang take their names from the sounds made by Muyu and Gong instruments. Why were these instruments such a natural inspiration for the show’s heroes? And could you tell us a little about the role the Muyu and Gong traditionally play in Cantonese opera?

In Cantonese opera, percussion instruments are the literal heartbeat of the performance. The character names directly echo the striking sounds heard on stage—the Muyu (wooden fish) provides the rhythmic “dic dic”, while the Gong brings the crashing, energetic “chang chang”.

Traditionally, these instruments call the stage to order, drive the emotional pace, and punctuate dramatic physical movements. They are natural heroes because, without them, the stage has no drive!

Audience participation – learning gestures, phrases and magical spells together – is at the heart of the production. Why was it important that children become active participants rather than simply spectators?

Because you can’t learn to be a special agent just by sitting in the dark! We draft the children directly into the storyline as essential teammates.

When they practice the stylized operatic hand gestures and chant our magical spell—”Chang cha lei Chang cha lei Chang”—they become an active force. They realize that their voices and actions are what actually save the day.

Have there been any particularly memorable or unexpected audience interactions that have stayed with you?

The sheer scale of the children’s imagination always blows us away. We hand out individual water flags to every single child in the room, transforming the entire auditorium into a massive, rocking “Mexican Wave” ocean.

Watching them get so completely invested that they perfectly decode our traditional mime gestures—like guessing that the Fairy is delicately feeding newborn chicks—is incredibly rewarding.

For families who leave wanting to discover more about the art form, where do you hope their curiosity will lead them?

I hope they walk away realizing that minimal staging can unlock infinite imagination. Our company name, One Table Two Chairs, refers to the classic, minimal stage setup central to Cantonese opera.

With just those basic items, performers can conjure up mountains, palaces, or raging seas. I hope families look up the work of our veteran Artistic Director, Professor Yuen Siu Fai, and realize that traditional theater is a boundless playground of creativity.

And are we allowed to ask what is next creatively from you?

Our foundation is always cooking up new ways to fuse heritage with contemporary storytelling.

But right now? Our entire universe is focused on making this final Edinburgh run an unforgettable, ticket-selling blast. Don’t miss out—grab your tickets before the Boring King wins!

Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground Tickets

Cantonese Opera x Children's Interactive Theatre: Dic Dic Chang Chang Playground plays at Theatre 3 at theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall from 7 - 15 Aug 2026

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