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After a successful season at The Dream Factory, Monkey prepares to take flight to the USA. En route the show will play carnival variations at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party on Monday 14th July at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, as well as making appearances at The Croft Summer Fete, Warwick Prep Summer Fete, Kenilworth Carnival and the Waitrose Kenilworth launch event.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Monkey. What a fantastic show! I saw it yesterday and despite the rain it was a show full of summer sunshine. A terrific family show - will see it again!

Walking through the auditorium at The Dream Factory I couldn't help but notice a giant blue hand on stage. Blue?! My knowledgeable companion pointed out, "Buddha's hand is blue, as a sign of true enlightenment. Monkey and his companions are on a quest to discover this." Of course, I should have known!

Playbox Theatre's dynamic new production of Monkey - Journey To The West will appear at the prestigious Mad Hatter's Tea Party on Monday 14th July at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, supported by Barclays.

Emily Jane Quash's production will be reworked into a series of outdoor presentations for the delightful gardens to entertain over 20,000 children from across Birmingham.

It's time to fear... The Playbox 'Lion's Den' is when senior staff and guests view a very early and loose run through of an upcoming show in rehearsal. Monkey was given the treatment on Sunday!

The team, I am pleased to report, are in great shape and the whole animé concept is working well. In an exhausting hour the 20 strong company dance, tumble, spin and fly across the stage telling the episodic journey of The Monkey King. For Playbox it's a real new area of work, building on the success of shows like Varjak Paw and The Treasure of Ogre Island. Emily Jane Quash retells the ancient Chinese legend in cartoonesque style that hints at the cult 80s TV series.

With a month or so to go before Monkey sees his audience, the cast are tuning up every episode and adding thrills along the way. Good to see guest lighting designer Wayne Dowdeswell enjoying it so much. Requests are coming in for the outdoor version this summer and, of course, the whole menagerie is off to California in the fall.

[28/04/08]
Kenilworth's new Waitrose supports Playbox Theatre's extraordinary new production

A week ahead of Playbox Theatre’s announcement of its major new production inspired by the 16^th Century Chinese fable Monkey, we are delighted to reveal that Waitrose Kenilworth will be supporting this exciting project.

The project will see 20 local young people, aged 14 – 18, performing in a lavish

carnival-style production,
with a further 1500 local children and young people, aged 5 – 18, participating in Monkey inspired workshops across the area.

The Waitrose investment will also enable the show to be readapted for carnivals and outdoor presentations during the summer months and as the new store opens in Kenilworth, young Playbox actors will provide street theatre on site.

Liane Howard, Director of Corporate Alliances for Playbox said ‘We are thrilled that Waitrose Kenilworth have chosen to partner us on this project, which offers many new and exciting opportunities for young people across the region and will be a real spectacle for local audiences.’

“Waitrose is passionate about encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle and about being a part of the local community. Playbox Theatre has given us a tremendous opportunity to combine the two as we look forward to opening our first food shop in Kenilworth in the summer.”

Monkey – Journey To The West has inspired many arts projects, including a 1980s television series, Gorillaz opera by Damon Albarn and countless graphic adaptations. Stewart McGill, Playbox’s Artistic Director has described the Playbox production as one that will be ‘a visual feast of movement, dance, comedy and lavish storytelling in a carnival style. Audiences can expect something very different! The show will tour to California later in the year.

Image depicts the Manager of the new Kenilworth Waitrose, Nick Harris with Monkey cast members Tom Ball (Kenilworth), Kezia Harper (Warwick) and Lawrie Abdullah (Chadwick End).

A full press kit on Monkey – Journey To The West will be available from our press page next week with details of casting, tour dates, carnival and the US tour.

[17/04/08]
Monkey - Fast, furious and wild!

Like Lord of The Rings, Narnia and Starwars, there are some stories that seem embedded in cultures and societies that are timeless and speak afresh to every generation.

In China, the great tale is that of Monkey, the journey of The Monkey King to the West. It has in recent years inspired a wildly exciting and comic television series in the 80s and very recently the co-creators of Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett who made Monkey an opera for Manchester International Festival.

Playbox Theatre for over five years have toyed with the idea of making a ‘live-action anime’ work based on Monkey for the stage. With a fabulous collection of characters and locations ranging from Buddah’s Great Palm to Volcano City, the opportunity to arose again this year. Playbox felt it important on the route to 2012 Olympics in the UK to celebrate China 2008 Beijing and also with a planned visit to our sister theatre in California, Santa Monica Playhouse in the Autumn the project seemed very timely.

Emily Jane Quash directs a multi-skilled company of young actors (15-19 years) in the all-new version of Monkey. It retains an anime style of fast and furious physical storytelling, dance, acrobatics and sheer eccentricity! The show, opening in Warwick at Playbox’s own theatre The Dream Factory on 28^th May, will also appear in various guises at carnivals and special events until the US tour in October.

Production sponsors for Monkey are the new Waitrose in Kenilworth and a collaborative series of appearances are planned in summer when the store opens.

Joining the creative teams is former RSC lighting designer, Wayne Dowdeswell who will create a dynamic visual style to accompany the action.

Children and adults will love The Monkey King and his companions Tripitaka, Pigsy, Sandy and The Dragon Prince as they journey on a quest of adventure and excitement. Playbox Theatre believe all theatre should be exciting, challenging and immersive. For the duration of Monkey, audiences will be ‘in the anime style’… fast, furious, wild!!