Monkey, Journey to the West

With music composed by Damon Albarn, animation, stage sets and costumes designed by Jamie Hewlett, and an enchanting plotline, Monkey: Journey to the West subtly mesmerises the senses with its playfulness and imaginative direction.

Based on a popular Chinese fable that dates back to the 16th century, Monkey tells the tale of a cheeky chimp on a quest for immortality, a journey during which he befriends a host of characters which include the virtuous Buddhist monk Tripitaka who is on his way to India to collect the Holy Scriptures and return them to China in a bid to halt the country’s fall from grace. It’s soon clear that he requires protection. Monkey takes care of him along with the fellow companions they encounter on their travels: the lustful Pigsy, the once evil Sandy, the Dragon Prince and Monkey manage to escape unscathed from the attacks of numerous villains thanks to their playful demeanour and Monkey’s arrogance.

Chen Shi-Zheng’s direction is light hearted and fun, and the performers appear to enjoy their onstage antics as much as the audience.  Each scene reveals a different visual treat, such as the Spider women’s pirouettes on ribbons suspended from the ceiling, and the dancers’ synchronised plate-spinning, all coming together beautifully to give the impression of an underwater flower.

The dancers have wonderful acrobatic prowess, in a show that turns out to be part opera, part play, part circus act, all combined with ornate stage sets - particularly striking is the giant hand of Buddha as it tosses Monkey on to the floor. Jamie Hewlett’s ( he who co-created the Tank Girl comic and Gorillaz) animation is cleverly woven in with the actors in scenes which are difficult to represent on a stage; when Monkey swims through the oceans he appears in animated form on the screen, only to be reincarnated moments later as the cartoon is superimposed over the actor.

With all the obvious talent displayed on the stage, it’s a wonder the music manages to shine through - but it does. Anyone familiar with Damon Albarn’s output over the years in Blur, Gorillaz or The Good The Bad and The Queen will immediately recognise his tinkering melodies. For Monkey, Albarn had to learn how to compose using Chinese scales and chord progressions, and the result combined with his own writing skill is superb. At times melancholy, at times magnificent, he has perfectly captured the emotion of this ancient story in his unique blend of Western and Far Eastern instrumentation.

Monkey Journey to the West is on at the O2 Centre, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX until 5th December.
www.theo2.co.uk  0844 856 0202