JAPANESE manga, kung fu movies and hip-hop culture are fused in this new production by award- winning dance company Boy Blue Entertainment.

The Five And The Prophecy Of Prana tells the story of five young Tokyo troublemakers who are recruited by ageing warrior Wang Tang to help keep balance in the universe.

“Those five are linked back to a mystical power that keeps balance on Earth called Prana,” says Boy Blue co-artistic director Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, who formed the Olivier award-winning company with Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy in London back in 2002.

“It is out of balance because of one of Wang Tang’s old training partners has become power hungry and started to look for ways to harness the Prana power for herself.

“So Wang Tang sees the opportunity to bring balance back by training The Five – building them up to become a set of warriors to fight for, and look after, the Prana and get it back in sync.”

Boy Blue is an associate artist of London’s Barbican Theatre, having received a 2007 Olivier Award for their production Pied Piper.

Both Asante and Sandy were also involved in the music and choreography behind sections of Danny Boyle’s 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony.

The initial idea for The Five And The Prophecy Of Prana came from a sketch of a comical kung fu guy made by Sandy several years ago, with the plot developing out of Asante’s movie and comic obsession.

“In manga films and comics there are classic tropes or stories that exist,” he says. “It’s the fight to bring balance to something, whether it’s Star Wars or The Fifth Element. It’s always mystical and dramatic, and that’s The Five.”

To create a video backdrop Boy Blue hooked up with manga artist Akio Tanaka and video animation studio Yeast Culture.

“Instantly when you saw Akio’s work it was just so visually powerful,” says Asante. “His style is very dark, a bit raw. There’s more than one aspect going on that you have to try to connect with.

“I tell people to watch the show a few times and they’ll find lots of little breadcrumbs that have been dropped in. We’ve tried to make a moving comic on stage – it’s pretty cool.”

Asante believes Japanese manga and martial arts culture naturally lends itself to hip hop theatre, and was integral to its development.

“The pioneers of hip hop dance – specifically breaking – were looking at kung fu films of the 1970s and 1980s and challenging themselves to do stuff like them,” he says.

In preparing for the performance Boy Blue collaborated with the Shaolin Warriors – and came away transformed in terms of their attitude to training and discipline.

“The way they responded and work is really amazing,” says Asante. “It taught us the biggest thing – dedication to your craft, regardless of what it is.

“For me, the biggest philosophy was one I was hit with when doing a Taiko drumming workshop.

“I was told I had to understand the drum was a mirror. If you’re hitting it with total purity, peace with a total spiritual centre, and your body is at an optimal level, the drum is going to give you back exactly what you are giving it.

“If your body doesn’t have that high level of fitness, you’re not going to give the drum the right hit for it to give the right sound. That really changed our philosophy about how we train. I now train at least every day and I eat specific things. It changed how I perceive my craft and what I do.”

The Five And The Prophecy Of Prana, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Tuesday, October 7, and Wednesday, October 8

Starts 7.30pm, tickets from £10. Call 01273 709709.