h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's not something we do very often. Go to the theatre to see a show, let alone an opera but this was different, very different. The show we went to see was Monkey, Journey To The West a chinese circus opera, part of the first Manchester International Festival. Developed by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlet the people behind the cartoon band Gorilaz and with Chen Shi-Zeng they retold the ancient tale of the monkey king and his journey to enlightenment.
If you're after knowing the whole story including all the spiritual and pholosophical aspects of it then you're in the wrong place. This owes more to the tv series Monkey from the 80s so if you want two action packed hours of song, dance and acrobatics then come along.
All the singing is in mandarin with english lyrics displayed below the stage area. There are acrobatic fight scenes, acrobatic dances, more fight scenes, contortionists bending thenselves in places that shouldn't be bent, people and gods flying through the air (and of course fighting) animated sequences, acrobats dancing while wound up in hanging silks, stick and sword weilding and ending up with a sequence of plate spinning acrobats on a grand scale.
In the end of course the Monkey King atains enlightenment, Tripitaka returns from India with the sacred budhist texts and Pigsy and Sandy earn redemption from their earlier sins and everyone leaves the theatre smiling having enjoyed themselves.

Sounds as if you had a wonderful time!

Somehow, the description reminds me of a film I once saw with a friend, and neither of us have ever laughed so hard while simultaneouly finding it awesome.

The film? Peking Opera Blues. 'A strange, unique, but very accessable mix of hard action and outrageous comedy' as one reviewer wrote.

sounds great Phil !

I'm a mega-massive Monkey fan ....had a few geeky DVDs at one time ... a couple of episodes in the original Japanese with subtitles rather than overdubs ....

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Sandy is my fave character ..and the dude who turns into a horse ...

you got me going now, Phil ...

(heads off to reclaim Monkey DVDs .....)

H

I've never seen Monkey. It scares me! Still, sounds like that was theatre at its best, doing what only works in live action rather than film.

Chinese music?
My ability to sit and listen to that is about a third of yours if so. But I love it in small doses. Sounds like a fun night out either way.

Well it was music as mostly played by a western orchestra with some chinese instruments (also a hurdy gurdy and saw down in the pit) as written by a western musician. Not knowing too much about traditional chinese music I can't tell you how authentic it was.

It was good to see a live performance of it to see all the performers close up running, leaping doing their acrobatics (with and without props - sticks, swords, diabolos, bolas, spinning plates etc). I think it wouldn't be the same watching a filmed version because there was so much going on on stage for most of the time.

It was certainly influenced by the tv series Helen, Damon and Jamie have said so.

There will be a tv show following the the two as they go about bits of the making of the show, Imagine BBC1 Wed 4th July at 10:40pm - http://www.bbc.co.uk/imagine/tag/monkey_journey_to_the_west.shtml

You know what, Phil? I am so JEALOUS I think I may explode. I wantwantwant to see this. Why? Mostly because my favourite auntie used to let me sneak into her room and watch King Monkey with her even though my grandmother disapproved (we lived at my grandparents for a few years). Monkey tastes of excitement and being terribly, terribly grown-up (and bewildered). Have never knowingly listened to a Gorillaz song in my life. My sister is mad keen on Tank Girl, though...

Having watched the Imagine programme about the opera, I can now say that I didn't realise just how strange some of the instruments down in the orchestra pit were. In the show it shows Daman Albarn collaborating with Thomas Bloch who owns and plays not just an Ondes Martinot but a Glassharmonica (think of it as a mechanical instrument designed to get the sounds you get when rubbing round glasses) and a Cristal Baschet (which I'm not sure at all how to describe!)