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ARTS&LEISURE
210
November14
By Amy Greenburg
Pantomime season is upon us, which means it’s time for
Wild Rice to roll out its annual musical extravaganza. This
year, the theatre company presents
Monkey GoesWest
,
a cheeky retelling of the beloved Chinese fantasy classic
set in amodern-day Singapore. And what better person to
direct this playful rendition than comedic musical talent,
SEBASTIAN TAN of
Broadway Beng
fame? We spoke to
him about the performance, which is packed with catchy
songs and gags to entertain the entire family.
Tell us about
Monkey Goes West
. What can we expect?
It’s the story of Tripitaka’s journey to the West, retold in Singaporean
style. Audiences can expect a funny, fabulous and fantastical time!
Can you give us some hints as to how this old Chinese tale
has been adapted to current-day Singapore?
Tripitaka is Singaporean, enough said. Come watch the rest for
yourself!
What drew you to this production?
As a kid, Tripitaka’s journey to the West evoked so much of my
imagination and was such an inspiration that I want to share that
with audiences.
What do you love most about the story?
The magical, fantastical adventures of the lovable characters,
Tripitaka, Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy, on their wonderful journey.
Who is your favourite character and why?
I have four: Tripitaka for his purity, Monkey for his mischief, Pigsy for
his laziness and Sandy for his steadfastness.
How did you come to swap the
stage for the director’s chair this
time around?
Somebody’s got to do it! Ha! And also,
it’s good to create a show from the
production point of view. It provides a
different set of challenges; it makes me
grow as an artist.
So, what have you enjoyed most
about your directorial debut with
Wild Rice?
The wonderful love and support from
my whole creative team.
See Wild Rice’s adaptation of
Monkey Goes West
,
written by Alfian Sa’at and with music by Elaine
Chan, from 21 November to 13 December at the
newly reopened Victoria Theatre, 11 Empress Place.
Tickets from Sistic.
wildrice.com.sg
A Centuries-old Tale
Monkey Goes West
is an adaptation of the
classic Chinese novel,
Journey to the West
,
by Wu Cheng’en, written during the Ming
Dynasty in the 16th century. It’s one of the four
great classic novels of Chinese literature, with
strong roots in Chinese folk religion, Chinese
mythology, and Taoist and Buddhist philosophy.
In English-speaking countries, the work is
known as
Monkey
, the title of Arthur Waley’s
popular abridged translation in 1942. Enduringly
popular, the tale is both a comic adventure story
and an allegory in which a group of pilgrims
journeys toward enlightenment, which they can
achieve only with the help of one another.
The novel was first adapted for the stage
in 2007, when
Monkey: Journey to the West
premiered at the Manchester International
Festival. Since then, it’s been staged in theatres
around the globe, from France to the US to
China – and now, Singapore.