The Chinese spirit

HAVING WATCHED and worked on a few android theatre projects by Japan’s Seinendan Theatre Company, I’ve become a fan of robots in performance, though that’s probably in part due to my frequent childhood playtime with Gundum. At the Esplanade Theatre Studio last Saturday evening, the audience attending “Huang Yi and Kuka” witnessed how the Germany-born and Taiwan-bred robot Kuka worked with human dancers from Huang Yi Studio. Much to everyone’s amazement and notwithstanding its industrial look, the droid moved in such a precise way that it seemed it too had been trained in classical ballet. Bending, twisting and even picking up extra equipment in different scenes to play with the dancers and the audience, it added many surprises to the 70-minute performance and reminded us of the credit due to the human artists and technicians who created this happy marriage of art and technology.
Having watched and been astounded by U-Theatre’s performances in Lyon and Bangkok, I was also looking forward to their new work “Beyond Time” at the Esplanade Theatre, which explores the relationship between man and universe. With training in traditional drumming and martial arts, U-Theatre performers are both musicians and dancers and in comparison to the other two works of theirs I watched, the production design of “Beyond Time” with reflecting stage floor and video images not only filled up space and added excitement but also drew the audience into the performance. The 75-minute experience was a little like meditating and with my eyes and ears focused on such an aural and visual treat, I was transported to share the space and time with U-Theatre’s performers. It was only when I came back to the real world that I realised that mystery as well as philosophy remained to be studied and I was glad that I was only middle-aged.
What’s fun about going to a festival is you can try watching a performance by an artist you’ve never heard of, in a language you do not understand, and become a new fan. Such was the case for me at the Esplanade Concert Hall where I enjoyed a late afternoon musical treat by Chinese singing sensation Gong Linna. Thanks in part to her partner-in-crime and in-life, German composer Robert Zollitsch, this collaboration not only showcased a wide range of vocal and singing skills but also brought traditional poems and folk songs to new life on a contemporary, and international, stage. My favourite was her rendition of “The Golden Cudgel”. This not only allowed classical Chinese opera singing techniques to come to the fore but the monkey god Sun Wukong, and his adventures involving several transformations, to come alive in the audience’s imagination. We returned after the intermission with high expectations for the second half of the concert and were not disappointed.
Like Huang Yi, this is an artist not strictly confined to her background but one who keeps experimenting and exploring new possibilities. And that’s why their works can be universally understood and appreciated.
And so I watched three Huayi performances in the space of 23 hours – with enough sleep and good food in-between. Back in my car driving into the city of Bangkok, I put on Gong’s double-CD album to relive my fond memories of her performance.
While Chinese New Year means little to me, the Huayi experience gave me enough joy and inspiration for this year of the monkey.
The writer thanks the Esplanade’s See Ling Ling for all assistance.
 MORE THIS WEEKEND
- Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts runs until Sunday at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore. A highlight this weekend is the Cantonese version of Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage” by Dionysus Contemporary Theatre from Hong Kong.
- Many programmes are free. For tickets, check www.Sistic.com.sg. For more details, visit www.HuayiFestival.com.
- Coming up at the Esplanade is the Super Japan – Japanese Festival of Arts from May 13 to 22. Performers include Butoh company Sankai Juku and J-pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. For details, check www.Esplanade.com.