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.