MONKEY
Fri, 5 Oct 2001, 10:09 pmToby2 posts in thread
MONKEY
Fri, 5 Oct 2001, 10:09 pmShow:
MONKEY! and the Hung Well Monks
Company:
University Dramatic Society, Perth.
Performance:
Friday October 5th, Dolphin Theatre, UWA.
Well, what can I say? As a member of UDS's Alumni, I faithfully have been coming along to the company's shows since I finished with them a few years ago - and for the first time in years, I experienced tonight the halcyon days of UDS coming roaring back to me. Zac Gillam's brilliant adaptation of the cult 70's Chinese TV series 'Monkey' had the capacity crowd at the Dolphin Theatre rolling in the aisles, with carefully timed and subtle wit combining expertly with slapstick humour. The actors seem to have studied hours and hours of footage from the old TV series, brilliantly mimicking the characters of Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaca almost flawlessly. The story plays on the familiar line of the series: Monkey and the gang defend their master Tripitaca from an evil demon, meeting the drunken Hung Well Monks along the way. What we find is a remarkably savvy production, hinging on all of your childhood memories of playing Monkey in the backyard with broomsticks and rakes. Zac Gillam and the company deserve a huge wrap for what they have done - simply the best night (at a little over an hour, perhaps calling it a 'night' is a bit rich) out at the theatre I have had for ages.
An extra show has been scheduled due to the popularity of the production, for saturday night, October 6th. In addition to their 8pm show, they will also give a 9.30 performance, which is the final show in the season. I'm told the final show is bound to be crazy due to closing night adrenaline, so make sure you get down to UWA to have a look! Otherwise, start picketing UDS now for a revival season of this wonderful show - not enough people have seen it yet!!
Do yourself a favour. Have a look and support a great compnay that has fallen on some hard times of late. I have a feeling this little gem will be the must see show of the summer if they are able to get it up again. Twould be a good thing.
Cheers
Toby
MONKEY! and the Hung Well Monks
Company:
University Dramatic Society, Perth.
Performance:
Friday October 5th, Dolphin Theatre, UWA.
Well, what can I say? As a member of UDS's Alumni, I faithfully have been coming along to the company's shows since I finished with them a few years ago - and for the first time in years, I experienced tonight the halcyon days of UDS coming roaring back to me. Zac Gillam's brilliant adaptation of the cult 70's Chinese TV series 'Monkey' had the capacity crowd at the Dolphin Theatre rolling in the aisles, with carefully timed and subtle wit combining expertly with slapstick humour. The actors seem to have studied hours and hours of footage from the old TV series, brilliantly mimicking the characters of Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaca almost flawlessly. The story plays on the familiar line of the series: Monkey and the gang defend their master Tripitaca from an evil demon, meeting the drunken Hung Well Monks along the way. What we find is a remarkably savvy production, hinging on all of your childhood memories of playing Monkey in the backyard with broomsticks and rakes. Zac Gillam and the company deserve a huge wrap for what they have done - simply the best night (at a little over an hour, perhaps calling it a 'night' is a bit rich) out at the theatre I have had for ages.
An extra show has been scheduled due to the popularity of the production, for saturday night, October 6th. In addition to their 8pm show, they will also give a 9.30 performance, which is the final show in the season. I'm told the final show is bound to be crazy due to closing night adrenaline, so make sure you get down to UWA to have a look! Otherwise, start picketing UDS now for a revival season of this wonderful show - not enough people have seen it yet!!
Do yourself a favour. Have a look and support a great compnay that has fallen on some hard times of late. I have a feeling this little gem will be the must see show of the summer if they are able to get it up again. Twould be a good thing.
Cheers
Toby
TobyFri, 5 Oct 2001, 10:09 pm
Show:
MONKEY! and the Hung Well Monks
Company:
University Dramatic Society, Perth.
Performance:
Friday October 5th, Dolphin Theatre, UWA.
Well, what can I say? As a member of UDS's Alumni, I faithfully have been coming along to the company's shows since I finished with them a few years ago - and for the first time in years, I experienced tonight the halcyon days of UDS coming roaring back to me. Zac Gillam's brilliant adaptation of the cult 70's Chinese TV series 'Monkey' had the capacity crowd at the Dolphin Theatre rolling in the aisles, with carefully timed and subtle wit combining expertly with slapstick humour. The actors seem to have studied hours and hours of footage from the old TV series, brilliantly mimicking the characters of Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaca almost flawlessly. The story plays on the familiar line of the series: Monkey and the gang defend their master Tripitaca from an evil demon, meeting the drunken Hung Well Monks along the way. What we find is a remarkably savvy production, hinging on all of your childhood memories of playing Monkey in the backyard with broomsticks and rakes. Zac Gillam and the company deserve a huge wrap for what they have done - simply the best night (at a little over an hour, perhaps calling it a 'night' is a bit rich) out at the theatre I have had for ages.
An extra show has been scheduled due to the popularity of the production, for saturday night, October 6th. In addition to their 8pm show, they will also give a 9.30 performance, which is the final show in the season. I'm told the final show is bound to be crazy due to closing night adrenaline, so make sure you get down to UWA to have a look! Otherwise, start picketing UDS now for a revival season of this wonderful show - not enough people have seen it yet!!
Do yourself a favour. Have a look and support a great compnay that has fallen on some hard times of late. I have a feeling this little gem will be the must see show of the summer if they are able to get it up again. Twould be a good thing.
Cheers
Toby
MONKEY! and the Hung Well Monks
Company:
University Dramatic Society, Perth.
Performance:
Friday October 5th, Dolphin Theatre, UWA.
Well, what can I say? As a member of UDS's Alumni, I faithfully have been coming along to the company's shows since I finished with them a few years ago - and for the first time in years, I experienced tonight the halcyon days of UDS coming roaring back to me. Zac Gillam's brilliant adaptation of the cult 70's Chinese TV series 'Monkey' had the capacity crowd at the Dolphin Theatre rolling in the aisles, with carefully timed and subtle wit combining expertly with slapstick humour. The actors seem to have studied hours and hours of footage from the old TV series, brilliantly mimicking the characters of Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaca almost flawlessly. The story plays on the familiar line of the series: Monkey and the gang defend their master Tripitaca from an evil demon, meeting the drunken Hung Well Monks along the way. What we find is a remarkably savvy production, hinging on all of your childhood memories of playing Monkey in the backyard with broomsticks and rakes. Zac Gillam and the company deserve a huge wrap for what they have done - simply the best night (at a little over an hour, perhaps calling it a 'night' is a bit rich) out at the theatre I have had for ages.
An extra show has been scheduled due to the popularity of the production, for saturday night, October 6th. In addition to their 8pm show, they will also give a 9.30 performance, which is the final show in the season. I'm told the final show is bound to be crazy due to closing night adrenaline, so make sure you get down to UWA to have a look! Otherwise, start picketing UDS now for a revival season of this wonderful show - not enough people have seen it yet!!
Do yourself a favour. Have a look and support a great compnay that has fallen on some hard times of late. I have a feeling this little gem will be the must see show of the summer if they are able to get it up again. Twould be a good thing.
Cheers
Toby
Amanda ChestertonFri, 5 Oct 2001, 11:43 pm
RE: MONKEY
WHAT: Monkey! And the Hung Well Monks Written & Directed by Zac Gillam
WHEN: 8pm Friday 5 October 2001
WHERE: Dolphin Theatre, UWA Campus, Perth WA
WHO: UDS
CAST:
Monkey: Sharyl Lidzhan Sapan
Tripitaka: Lindsay Harlow
Sandy: Jamie McNamara
Pigsy: Benjamin Tredrea
Spirit Demon: Brendan Fisher
SDÂ’s Daugter: Keziah Gillam
Old Monk: Richard Flanagan
Policeman: Joel Collins
Narrator: Zac Gillam
Hung Well Monks: Ben Shannahan, Marianne Hicks, Ichina Sasamori, Clare Stevens, Fiona Bujok, Veronica Moore
Goons: Julian Goodrom, Javier Pereira, Jason Roe, Zac Gillam
Runner: Tony Petani
What a damn fine show that was. UDS has been in a bit of a rut for a couple of years now, and we havenÂ’t heard much from the once-great alma mater of stars such as Jeremy Sims, Greta Scacci, and, to those in the know, Gen Hegney. But theyÂ’ve returned to the glory days of the 90s with this one.
This show was an adaptation of the well known TV series, re-enacted in schoolyards around the world by a whole generation of children in the early eighties by those who were either not popular or interested enough in the concurrent Star Wars games. I’m sure I wasn’t the only ex-Tripitaka mouthing the ‘In the worlds before Monkey…’ intro. What the hell does that mean anyway?
Running at just under an hour and a half in length it was perfectly timed. The joke may have started wearing rather thin had it run to your average evening length performance. Which is a perfect lead in to my first plug for this show: itÂ’s such a good length they have tacked on an extra performance tomorrow (Saturday) night. Go and see it, at either 8pm or 9:30pm. At $9 concession (and they didnÂ’t ask for proof) itÂ’s gotta be better than The Bill.
To the cast: they were all terrific. I must admit that my first childhood crush was on Sandy, the fish-spirit and Jamie McNamara did rather well. But where was his pointy fringe? And I’m sorry, but those tennis balls around his neck were not skulls…but I’m nit picking. He did damn well, particularly considering his weapon died during the (slightly dodgy) opening sequence. Sharyl Lidzhan Sapan in the title role looked great and he did a fine job of the trademark ‘hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut’ of pain. Tripitaka was good, but there was something not quite right about that head piece…he/she looked like St Peter’s Basilica…
Among an overall sensational cast the two major standouts were Benjamin Tredrea as Pigsy and Keziah Gillam as the Spirit DemonÂ’s Daughter. If Tredrea isnÂ’t a disciple of the show you could knock me down with a q-tip. He was bloody brilliant and hilarious. Keziah was unrecongnisable as the squeaky voiced sex-kitten. You can scream nepotism all you like but I canÂ’t imagine anyone delivering the role better than she did.
The fights were fab. I was wondering how theyÂ’d get away with them, considering how blasé we all are about that style of fighting considering the amount of Jackie Chan & Crouching Tiger weÂ’re used to seeing. But it was handled very, very well and none of them even looked puffed at the end. There was this one particular little guy with a swordÂ…zowie.
The onstage band was a nice touch. The bassist in the kimono gave the show the right level of kitsch and camp from the outset, although, I really, really needed to sing along with ‘Gundara’ at the end. The cast got to sing along, dammit, why couldn’t I??
The adaptation itself was extremely clever. I must admit I had a bit of an ‘uh-oh’ at the back of my mind with the ‘Hung Well’ gag, and I did feel it was milked a little too unnecessarily, but it really didn’t affect the otherwise skilful script.
This is one of those rare shows where the audience has as much fun as the cast. ItÂ’s self-confessed mental bubblegum and unashamedly so.
Go and see it. If youÂ’re a Monkey! fan youÂ’ll die happy. If youÂ’re not a Monkey! fan you are not worth the elemental forces and pure essences of Heaven you walk onÂ…
You have two more chances to see it tomorrow night: 8pm and 9:30pm, Dolphin Theatre, UWA, Perth, WA.
Amanda Chesterton
WHEN: 8pm Friday 5 October 2001
WHERE: Dolphin Theatre, UWA Campus, Perth WA
WHO: UDS
CAST:
Monkey: Sharyl Lidzhan Sapan
Tripitaka: Lindsay Harlow
Sandy: Jamie McNamara
Pigsy: Benjamin Tredrea
Spirit Demon: Brendan Fisher
SDÂ’s Daugter: Keziah Gillam
Old Monk: Richard Flanagan
Policeman: Joel Collins
Narrator: Zac Gillam
Hung Well Monks: Ben Shannahan, Marianne Hicks, Ichina Sasamori, Clare Stevens, Fiona Bujok, Veronica Moore
Goons: Julian Goodrom, Javier Pereira, Jason Roe, Zac Gillam
Runner: Tony Petani
What a damn fine show that was. UDS has been in a bit of a rut for a couple of years now, and we havenÂ’t heard much from the once-great alma mater of stars such as Jeremy Sims, Greta Scacci, and, to those in the know, Gen Hegney. But theyÂ’ve returned to the glory days of the 90s with this one.
This show was an adaptation of the well known TV series, re-enacted in schoolyards around the world by a whole generation of children in the early eighties by those who were either not popular or interested enough in the concurrent Star Wars games. I’m sure I wasn’t the only ex-Tripitaka mouthing the ‘In the worlds before Monkey…’ intro. What the hell does that mean anyway?
Running at just under an hour and a half in length it was perfectly timed. The joke may have started wearing rather thin had it run to your average evening length performance. Which is a perfect lead in to my first plug for this show: itÂ’s such a good length they have tacked on an extra performance tomorrow (Saturday) night. Go and see it, at either 8pm or 9:30pm. At $9 concession (and they didnÂ’t ask for proof) itÂ’s gotta be better than The Bill.
To the cast: they were all terrific. I must admit that my first childhood crush was on Sandy, the fish-spirit and Jamie McNamara did rather well. But where was his pointy fringe? And I’m sorry, but those tennis balls around his neck were not skulls…but I’m nit picking. He did damn well, particularly considering his weapon died during the (slightly dodgy) opening sequence. Sharyl Lidzhan Sapan in the title role looked great and he did a fine job of the trademark ‘hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut-hut’ of pain. Tripitaka was good, but there was something not quite right about that head piece…he/she looked like St Peter’s Basilica…
Among an overall sensational cast the two major standouts were Benjamin Tredrea as Pigsy and Keziah Gillam as the Spirit DemonÂ’s Daughter. If Tredrea isnÂ’t a disciple of the show you could knock me down with a q-tip. He was bloody brilliant and hilarious. Keziah was unrecongnisable as the squeaky voiced sex-kitten. You can scream nepotism all you like but I canÂ’t imagine anyone delivering the role better than she did.
The fights were fab. I was wondering how theyÂ’d get away with them, considering how blasé we all are about that style of fighting considering the amount of Jackie Chan & Crouching Tiger weÂ’re used to seeing. But it was handled very, very well and none of them even looked puffed at the end. There was this one particular little guy with a swordÂ…zowie.
The onstage band was a nice touch. The bassist in the kimono gave the show the right level of kitsch and camp from the outset, although, I really, really needed to sing along with ‘Gundara’ at the end. The cast got to sing along, dammit, why couldn’t I??
The adaptation itself was extremely clever. I must admit I had a bit of an ‘uh-oh’ at the back of my mind with the ‘Hung Well’ gag, and I did feel it was milked a little too unnecessarily, but it really didn’t affect the otherwise skilful script.
This is one of those rare shows where the audience has as much fun as the cast. ItÂ’s self-confessed mental bubblegum and unashamedly so.
Go and see it. If youÂ’re a Monkey! fan youÂ’ll die happy. If youÂ’re not a Monkey! fan you are not worth the elemental forces and pure essences of Heaven you walk onÂ…
You have two more chances to see it tomorrow night: 8pm and 9:30pm, Dolphin Theatre, UWA, Perth, WA.
Amanda Chesterton