Gorillaz creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett are to collaborate on an innovative new circus production to open next year.
“Monkey: Journey to the West”, a groundbreaking new circus opera is currently in production. Albarn will create the musical soundtrack, and Hewlett will design, both are the creators of phenomenally successful cartoon band Gorillaz.
The show is the opening production of the highly anticipated Manchester International Festival to be held next June.
As a pre-festival warm-up, 2005’s live performances of “Gorillaz: Demon Days” were commissioned. Gorillaz, the hip-hop cartoon band sold out five nights at Manchester’s Opera House theatre performing their second album “Demon Days” live, to great critical acclaim. The original show included 3D puppets, a school choir, “Happy Monday”’s Shaun Ryder and a wealth of colour in animation and lights. It was later released on DVD as ‘Demon Days Live At The Manchester Opera House’.
“Monkey: Journey to the West” has additionally been designed and created by the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris in co-production with the Manchester International Festival and State Opera in Berlin.
“Monkey: Journey To The West” runs from 28 June – 7 July 2007.
Tickets go onsale October 31 from 10.30am.