In November, Albarn’s cartoon band Gorillaz launched the Festival with a five night sell-out run at Manchester’s Opera House - the first of three trailblazer events this year before MIF opens in 2007.  | | MIF director Alex Poots |
And now, the Blur frontman is hoping to ape his previous success by writing the original score for this unique production based on the Chinese tale of The Monkey King. MIF director Alex Poots says that while many people will know the story of Monkey from the cult 1980s TV series, this will be a totally new staging of an ancient legend. "It’s a kind of new form of circus really with songs,” says Alex who is busy lining up a host of world premieres for the Festival. “The show will feature 40 Chinese acrobats and martial arts experts - and a major international talent in Damon Albarn writing the music." The show will also feature martial artists and singers. So how will stand apart from other alternative circus shows? “While we’re obviously as interested in the acrobatic side of things, we’re very interested in the music and how it’s directed and I think that’s where we’ll differ to shows like Cirque du Soleil." Demon Damon | | Gorillaz: in Manchester |
‘Monkey’ is based on a very old and popular Chinese book called The Monkey King. It’s a transcendental story of enlightenment about a monkey who through his travels turns into a human then a Buddha. Alex Poots says he asked Damon Albarn to get involved having worked with him previously on his Mali music album. “That’s when I realised that he was the kind of artist who could really get under the skin of music from other parts of the world in an artistic way and collaborative way…. Some people just kind of appropriate music from abroad, and just hijack it. But he finds a way of communicating very effectively in a kind of open dialogue with musicians. “So when it came to finding someone to writing a score for a Chinese story I thought he’d be a good person from my world to go to China - which we did last September - and do a recce and meet musicians and hear the sound of China.” Going international | | Cult TV show Monkey |
MIF was born out of the Commonwealth Games when the City Council announced that it would be hosting a truly international event to put Manchester on the map. “It’s the first festival of its kind which is solely dedicated to commissioning new work and presenting new works and world premieres” says Alex. “So the whole premise of the festival, is to bring to Manchester world premiere events and have them seen there first before anywhere else.” Adding: “I remember the Commonwealth Games very well, and not only did it bring international athletes to the city but it presented something that had an international profile and that really put the city on the map, not just regionally and nationally but internationally. “The aspiration is that not only do we invite the world’s greatest artists including those from the North West but also to welcome national and international audiences – so that Manchester has a place alongside all the great international cities.” Monkey: Journey to the West will receive its global premiere at the inaugural Manchester International Festival in 2007. Written and directed by Chinese theatre director, Chen Shi-Zheng; music by Damon Albarn; artistic design by Jamie Hewlett. | 
