Damon Albarn's MONKEY - The Opera

[Rob McCow]

From NME.com

Damon Albarn's circus opera launched the Manchester International Festival last night (June 28).

The Blur man composed the music for 'Monkey: Journey To The West', a show designed by Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng.

The opera, a mixture of stunning live-action circus acts and animations, saw Albarn, Hewlett and Shi-Zheng received a standing ovation as they joined the cast onstage for the curtain call at the Palace Theatre.

An adaptation of an ancient Chinese legend, the opera follows the story of The Monkey King, a hyperactive ape who gains immortality after leading a revolt against heaven.

The sub-titled production unfolds amongst a series of impressive live-action acts, including acrobats, contortionists and martial artists.

"It's the original adventure story, but it's 2000 years old; that's what really drew us to it," said Albarn. "We went to China and travelled around, to get a picture of what China is like now, and combine it with ancient, classic China. Just come and see it!"

Festival Director Alex Poots added: "It's a fantastic idea, a fairytale, a legend and a contemporary opera being made by three truly innovative global artists."

The show, which runs at the Palace Theatre until July 7, was the opening event of the first bi-annual Manchester International Festival, an eighteen day bash which includes gigs by Kayne West, Happy Mondays, PJ Harvey and The Fall.

For more information visit Manchesterinternationalfestival.com.

Albarn meanwhile returns to band duties as The Good, The Band And The Queen return to live action with a concert at the Tower Of London on July 9.

Sounds way cool to me. Although I know a lot of people who hate Opera / Damon / Monkeys!

[Si Hunt]

Write some more hits you wretched man!!

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Looking forward to Dave Roundtree's aircraft concept album.

[Perry Vale]

Although I know a lot of people who hate Opera / Damon / Monkeys!

It's also completely in Mandarin dialect, I seem to recall?

[Si Hunt]

What was that one he did about parklife? That was really good.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

It's also completely in Mandarin dialect, I seem to recall?

How pretensious! Who does he think he is? Mel Gibson?

[Simon R]

He's another one from the Annie Lennox school of being too high and mighty to write commercial hits anymore.

[SiHart]

Aside from all those top selling and fun Gorillaz tracks, eh?

Si xx

[Carol Baynes]

It's based on "Journey to the West", which was a Chinese 16th century collection of stories if I remember. The TV series "Monkey" was based on them, but this opera isn't a new version of that TV series, but it is based on "Journey to the West".

Felt the need to clear that up!

I was going to go tomorrow, but the tickets had sold out. So, wanting to impress my date (who's idea "Monkey" had been) I suggested "The Tempest" at the Royal Exchange, but that'd bloody sold out as well.

"Shrek the third" it is then!

[Si Hunt]

Aside from all those top selling and fun Gorillaz tracks, eh?

I have a sneaking suspicion that Gorillaz was a self-indulgent wheeze that was accidentally phenomenally popular. Hence pack it away and get the Mandarin-spoken obscure Chinese Opera out.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Gorillaz was a self-indulgent wheeze that was accidentally phenomenally popular.

Well nobody writes an album to not be succesful.

[Si Hunt]

Tell that to a Belinda Carlisle fan!

Si.

[WhiteCrow]

You know this reminds me of when I used to listen to BBC London Live and they would always rave about a musical called "Fossey", how it's costumes were incredible, and the tap numbers just amazing.

For some reason I thought it was the musical life of Diane Fossey, the gorilla woman - so some kind of strange tap dancing fusion of Gorillas in the Mist and Caberet. Which I REALLY wanted to see.

Instead it was actually a musical about Bob Fosse a famous choreographer!

[Carol Baynes]

As pointed out by someone who knows more about Oriental drama than I do, Shakespeare (one of our greats) is performed upteen times in China every year, and part of the idea is that (for once!) we have a go at one of their greats.
That story means a lot to that culture, and isn't just some fondly remembered late '70s TV show. If that means it has to be in mandarin then I'll watch it in mandarin, and I'll be quite happy to think that it may actually be like the source material, and feel a bit priveledged rather than thinking Albarn's deliberatly being a pretentious arse. There are subtitles, so it's not a problem and will probably sound a lot more authentic.

I've got tickets. I'm going tomorrow.

[Carol Baynes]

Instead it was actually a musical about Bob Fosse a famous choreographer!

You say that as if you didn't know who Fosse was! To my mind, that's like saying "Who's Tom Baker?"

[Alex]

I'm quite disappointed that it isn't based on Monkey, without Pigsy and Fishface (er, or whatever he was called) and co being overdubbed in a hilariously bad way I have no interest in seeing this at all!

[Paul Monk]

Monkey for all of it 70's cheese, actually sticks reasonably closely to the original legend

[Carol Baynes]

I'm quite disappointed that it isn't based on Monkey, without Pigsy and Fishface (er, or whatever he was called) and co being overdubbed in a hilariously bad way I have no interest in seeing this at all!

As Paul says, it is the same story with the same characters. Hope you and the rest are joking, because I think you're all missing something new, epic and quite special. I'll let you know tomorrow.

[Alex]

Oh yeah, that post was definitely tongue in cheek. I'd like to see this, even though I've struggled with opera in the past. Hope you have a great night tonight, anyway Carol!

[Carol Baynes]

I did!

Absolutely, phenomenally fantastic! It defies my attempts to say how good it was right now. But on last night's evidence, and the sarky comments in here (not you Alex!),some of you haven't got a clue. You're missing a treat!