Monkey
Sat, 6 Oct 2001, 11:21 amWalter Plinge1 post in thread
Monkey
Sat, 6 Oct 2001, 11:21 am'Monkey Magic and the Hung Well Monks'
Written and Directed by Zac Gillam
Presented by UDS
Dolphin Theatre
Performance: Thursday October 4th, Dolphin Theatre UWA
One could be forgiven for not knowing quite what to expect from a stage production based on the 80s television show ‘Monkey Magic’. After all, the original series itself involved a peculiar combination of slapstick, action and Buddhist principles. Within a few minutes of the curtain opening, however, it is clear that Zac Gillam’s ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ is rooted firmly in the comedy genre.
That is not to say that the play is not a faithful reproduction of the original series. The plot - in summary - could have been lifted straight from the back of a ‘Monkey Magic’ collectors’ video. Pigsy, after being admonished by Tripitaka, leaves his companions but soon finds solace in the arms of a beautiful girl he finds wandering the desert. In the meantime, Tripitaka, Monkey and Sandy attempt (as usual) to fight injustice by facing an evil demon who has placed a curse upon the well which provides the only source of fresh water for the Hung Monastery. Without Pigsy by their side the trio find themselves overpowered, and (as usual) Tripitaka is captured. Of course, Monkey must try to rescue his master, while Pigsy must overcome his crisis of conscience and choose between his desire for his newfound love and his duty to aid his old companions.
It is when the details of the plot are revealed, that one begins to realise that this is to be a foray into the realm of the absurd and the satirical. In writing and directing ‘Monkey’, Zac Gillam has borrowed the basic framework of plot and characters from the original series, and strewn on top of it a flurry of low-brow puns, hysterical send-ups, 80s pop culture references and general madness. Regular asides to the audience are made, in an often witty, sometimes crude, spoof of the philosophical overtones of the series and the 16th century text on which it was based.
The portrayals of the various heroes and villains in the piece are performed in a similar manner. Those who have never seen the original television show may be appalled at the over-acted reactions in many parts of the play, but as a tribute to the pantomime nature of the original characters it is spot on. The same can be said for the playÂ’s production credits. With no attempt made to create a realistic looking backdrop (there is even a funk band on stage strumming away in the background to the various fight scenes), the deliberately cheap-looking props and special effects mirror perfectly the low-budget feel of the TV series. Of course, as in the original, an exception is made for the well-choreographed, and extremely comical, fight scenes, in which martial arts expert Brendon Fisher (who plays the villain of the show) gets to display his considerable prowess.
In many ways, this play is designed to appeal to the Generation X’s out there who have in recent years developed a strong taste for both the popular TV shows of their childhood and for satirical comedy. For those persons wishing to have a mind-opening, high-cultured experience, then this is certainly not the show for you. If, however, you are looking for a night of rather silly but hilariously funny entertainment, then ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ will be your dish.
Written and Directed by Zac Gillam
Presented by UDS
Dolphin Theatre
Performance: Thursday October 4th, Dolphin Theatre UWA
One could be forgiven for not knowing quite what to expect from a stage production based on the 80s television show ‘Monkey Magic’. After all, the original series itself involved a peculiar combination of slapstick, action and Buddhist principles. Within a few minutes of the curtain opening, however, it is clear that Zac Gillam’s ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ is rooted firmly in the comedy genre.
That is not to say that the play is not a faithful reproduction of the original series. The plot - in summary - could have been lifted straight from the back of a ‘Monkey Magic’ collectors’ video. Pigsy, after being admonished by Tripitaka, leaves his companions but soon finds solace in the arms of a beautiful girl he finds wandering the desert. In the meantime, Tripitaka, Monkey and Sandy attempt (as usual) to fight injustice by facing an evil demon who has placed a curse upon the well which provides the only source of fresh water for the Hung Monastery. Without Pigsy by their side the trio find themselves overpowered, and (as usual) Tripitaka is captured. Of course, Monkey must try to rescue his master, while Pigsy must overcome his crisis of conscience and choose between his desire for his newfound love and his duty to aid his old companions.
It is when the details of the plot are revealed, that one begins to realise that this is to be a foray into the realm of the absurd and the satirical. In writing and directing ‘Monkey’, Zac Gillam has borrowed the basic framework of plot and characters from the original series, and strewn on top of it a flurry of low-brow puns, hysterical send-ups, 80s pop culture references and general madness. Regular asides to the audience are made, in an often witty, sometimes crude, spoof of the philosophical overtones of the series and the 16th century text on which it was based.
The portrayals of the various heroes and villains in the piece are performed in a similar manner. Those who have never seen the original television show may be appalled at the over-acted reactions in many parts of the play, but as a tribute to the pantomime nature of the original characters it is spot on. The same can be said for the playÂ’s production credits. With no attempt made to create a realistic looking backdrop (there is even a funk band on stage strumming away in the background to the various fight scenes), the deliberately cheap-looking props and special effects mirror perfectly the low-budget feel of the TV series. Of course, as in the original, an exception is made for the well-choreographed, and extremely comical, fight scenes, in which martial arts expert Brendon Fisher (who plays the villain of the show) gets to display his considerable prowess.
In many ways, this play is designed to appeal to the Generation X’s out there who have in recent years developed a strong taste for both the popular TV shows of their childhood and for satirical comedy. For those persons wishing to have a mind-opening, high-cultured experience, then this is certainly not the show for you. If, however, you are looking for a night of rather silly but hilariously funny entertainment, then ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ will be your dish.
Walter PlingeSat, 6 Oct 2001, 11:21 am
'Monkey Magic and the Hung Well Monks'
Written and Directed by Zac Gillam
Presented by UDS
Dolphin Theatre
Performance: Thursday October 4th, Dolphin Theatre UWA
One could be forgiven for not knowing quite what to expect from a stage production based on the 80s television show ‘Monkey Magic’. After all, the original series itself involved a peculiar combination of slapstick, action and Buddhist principles. Within a few minutes of the curtain opening, however, it is clear that Zac Gillam’s ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ is rooted firmly in the comedy genre.
That is not to say that the play is not a faithful reproduction of the original series. The plot - in summary - could have been lifted straight from the back of a ‘Monkey Magic’ collectors’ video. Pigsy, after being admonished by Tripitaka, leaves his companions but soon finds solace in the arms of a beautiful girl he finds wandering the desert. In the meantime, Tripitaka, Monkey and Sandy attempt (as usual) to fight injustice by facing an evil demon who has placed a curse upon the well which provides the only source of fresh water for the Hung Monastery. Without Pigsy by their side the trio find themselves overpowered, and (as usual) Tripitaka is captured. Of course, Monkey must try to rescue his master, while Pigsy must overcome his crisis of conscience and choose between his desire for his newfound love and his duty to aid his old companions.
It is when the details of the plot are revealed, that one begins to realise that this is to be a foray into the realm of the absurd and the satirical. In writing and directing ‘Monkey’, Zac Gillam has borrowed the basic framework of plot and characters from the original series, and strewn on top of it a flurry of low-brow puns, hysterical send-ups, 80s pop culture references and general madness. Regular asides to the audience are made, in an often witty, sometimes crude, spoof of the philosophical overtones of the series and the 16th century text on which it was based.
The portrayals of the various heroes and villains in the piece are performed in a similar manner. Those who have never seen the original television show may be appalled at the over-acted reactions in many parts of the play, but as a tribute to the pantomime nature of the original characters it is spot on. The same can be said for the playÂ’s production credits. With no attempt made to create a realistic looking backdrop (there is even a funk band on stage strumming away in the background to the various fight scenes), the deliberately cheap-looking props and special effects mirror perfectly the low-budget feel of the TV series. Of course, as in the original, an exception is made for the well-choreographed, and extremely comical, fight scenes, in which martial arts expert Brendon Fisher (who plays the villain of the show) gets to display his considerable prowess.
In many ways, this play is designed to appeal to the Generation X’s out there who have in recent years developed a strong taste for both the popular TV shows of their childhood and for satirical comedy. For those persons wishing to have a mind-opening, high-cultured experience, then this is certainly not the show for you. If, however, you are looking for a night of rather silly but hilariously funny entertainment, then ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ will be your dish.
Written and Directed by Zac Gillam
Presented by UDS
Dolphin Theatre
Performance: Thursday October 4th, Dolphin Theatre UWA
One could be forgiven for not knowing quite what to expect from a stage production based on the 80s television show ‘Monkey Magic’. After all, the original series itself involved a peculiar combination of slapstick, action and Buddhist principles. Within a few minutes of the curtain opening, however, it is clear that Zac Gillam’s ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ is rooted firmly in the comedy genre.
That is not to say that the play is not a faithful reproduction of the original series. The plot - in summary - could have been lifted straight from the back of a ‘Monkey Magic’ collectors’ video. Pigsy, after being admonished by Tripitaka, leaves his companions but soon finds solace in the arms of a beautiful girl he finds wandering the desert. In the meantime, Tripitaka, Monkey and Sandy attempt (as usual) to fight injustice by facing an evil demon who has placed a curse upon the well which provides the only source of fresh water for the Hung Monastery. Without Pigsy by their side the trio find themselves overpowered, and (as usual) Tripitaka is captured. Of course, Monkey must try to rescue his master, while Pigsy must overcome his crisis of conscience and choose between his desire for his newfound love and his duty to aid his old companions.
It is when the details of the plot are revealed, that one begins to realise that this is to be a foray into the realm of the absurd and the satirical. In writing and directing ‘Monkey’, Zac Gillam has borrowed the basic framework of plot and characters from the original series, and strewn on top of it a flurry of low-brow puns, hysterical send-ups, 80s pop culture references and general madness. Regular asides to the audience are made, in an often witty, sometimes crude, spoof of the philosophical overtones of the series and the 16th century text on which it was based.
The portrayals of the various heroes and villains in the piece are performed in a similar manner. Those who have never seen the original television show may be appalled at the over-acted reactions in many parts of the play, but as a tribute to the pantomime nature of the original characters it is spot on. The same can be said for the playÂ’s production credits. With no attempt made to create a realistic looking backdrop (there is even a funk band on stage strumming away in the background to the various fight scenes), the deliberately cheap-looking props and special effects mirror perfectly the low-budget feel of the TV series. Of course, as in the original, an exception is made for the well-choreographed, and extremely comical, fight scenes, in which martial arts expert Brendon Fisher (who plays the villain of the show) gets to display his considerable prowess.
In many ways, this play is designed to appeal to the Generation X’s out there who have in recent years developed a strong taste for both the popular TV shows of their childhood and for satirical comedy. For those persons wishing to have a mind-opening, high-cultured experience, then this is certainly not the show for you. If, however, you are looking for a night of rather silly but hilariously funny entertainment, then ‘Monkey and the Hung Well Monks’ will be your dish.