O2 ARENA

"A sensual delight and a life-enhancing triumph”
Evening Standard

"Monkey: Journey to the West is a ravishing fusion of circus, dance, theatre, animation, martial arts and song."
The London Paper ****

After a phenomenally successful run, wowing audiences around the world to exceptional acclaim– Monkey finds a new home in London.

See ‘Monkey: Journey to the West’ in Monkey's World in the Meridian Gardens, next to The O2.

A purpose-built theatre has been created especially by the Monkey team, to host a kaleidoscope of incredible animation, spectacular visual effects, acrobatics and martial arts.

People are invited to immerse themselves in Monkey’s World from the minute they step inside. A bespoke theatre with interiors designed by Jamie Hewlett and the Monkey team, this brand new event space includes a bar, restaurant, foot massage palour and a VIP after show area. 

In a mythical time, on the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, Monkey was hatched from a stone egg. So begins the tale of the Monkey King, our headstrong, self-important hero. After crossing the all-powerful Buddha, Monkey is given the opportunity to redeem himself by travelling to India with the young monk Tripitaka to bring the Holy Scriptures back to China.

Accompanied by a motley crew of helpers, the pair meet and overcome terrific challenges, finally returning with the sacred texts. Despite its playful, bawdy tone and colourful characters the story of Monkey is deeply serious in intent. It's a fable of spiritual change and growth, a 16th Century story which is still familiar to all Chinese schoolchildren.

Monkey: Journey To The West re-tells the 400 year-old tale for a new audience. This production is a triumph of collaboration - between old and new, sight and sound, East and West. Developed in conversation between Beijing, Dalian, Paris, London and Manchester it brings together traditional disciplines - acrobatics, singing, dancing - with emphatically modern technology including animation and dazzling video projections.