Monkey Survives First Night Nerves

6:05 PM GMT 13/11/2008

DESPITE A SMATTERING of regulation press-night cock-ups, Monkey: Journey To The West opened last night to a rapturous response in its new tented home in the back lot behind London’s O2 Arena.

The hip-erati were out in force, as Grace Jones and Mos Def (arriving conspicuously late) joined a 2,000-strong standing ovation for the Chinese singers, actors and acrobats. Over two hours, they brought the ancient Monkey legend alive, aided by bravura Jamie Hewlett production design and a frequently lovely Damon Albarn score – notable for its incorporation of traditional Chinese instrumentation, Gorillaz-style dance beats and some exquisite saw playing courtesy Tom Waits collaborator David Coulter.

Fuelling recent rumours of a Blur rapprochement, also present were bassist/cheesemaker Alex James and guitarist Graham Coxon.

They witnessed a handful of bloopers, including a point where the “subtitle” screens went down, leaving viewers to invent their own Mandarin-English translations, and a point where one of Buddha’s heavenly host ended up tangled in his trapeze harness until he was slowly winched off stage. But only a churl would focus on such things.

Overall, the “magical” word seemed supremely applicable, the event scoring over July’s Royal Opera House showings in being a) affordable by real people and b) having a lot of kids running around digging it hugely. With a smaller band, the music favours the Monkey album’s funkier gib over the Opera House incarnation’s classical bias and the bespoke venue means circus-y coups like Bodhisattva Guan Yin floating above the audience on invisible wires like a pearly apparition.

If nothing else, as the pantomime season kicks in, it beats the hell out of Aladdin.

Monkey will run in its current venue until December 5.

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:05 PM GMT 13/11/2008

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