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.’