Monkey

Unfortunately, due to the current restrictions outlined by Premier Mark McGowan, we have had to cancel the two performances of the College Production of Monkey! that were originally scheduled to go ahead this week on Thursday 29 April, 6.30pm and Friday 30 April, 6.30pm. This cancellation is due to our Theatre being classed as an entertainment venue with a permissible maximum capacity of 20 people under the current restrictions.

The College has a tentative plan to schedule two new performance times—a midday matinee and 5.00pm evening show—for Saturday 1 May. These proposed showtimes are subject to government restrictions on capacity for entertainment venues. Tickets are currently not on sale and will only be released once the situation is further clarified by the government later this week. Due to the likelihood that reduced capacity may still be enforced, priority will be given to parents of cast and crew members for the matinee.

To access the full statement of the cancellation visit: www.corpus.wa.edu.au/monkey

Monkey! By Colin Teevan tells the story of Monkey and his friends Pigsy and Sandy as they accompany the monk Tripitaka from China to the Buddha of the Western Heaven in search of the Sacred Scriptures and Enlightenment. A College production like no other, this fun-filled retelling of the classic Chinese story Journey to the West will excite and delight while conveying the message that it’s through the journeys in life – and not the destinations – that we perfect ourselves.

Students have been encouraged to contribute to the overall artistic vision of the show, with the production challenging them to learn more about stage craft, including digital set design, make-up, stage combat, lighting techniques and more. In addition to the creative utilisation of media, the performance will include many actors playing more than one part, placing a strong emphasis on the notion of shared roles within an ensemble.

Director James Dove is passionate about this piece and aims to educate and entertain in this retro-classic. ‘My intention is to bring this classic tale to life in what might be described as a ‘Noh Theatre’ and ‘Kyogen’ style that is both high energy and high comedic,’ he said. ‘It will be similar to Asian Kung Fu Cinema and Traditional Japanese performance style. The performance will have a considerable ‘physical’ element with a number of mimed martial arts scenes. These scenes will incorporate elements of stage fighting and will be choreographed as movement/mime sequences, set to music.’