Slippery Mountain

Published Thursday 27 March 2008 at 12:35 by Liz Arratoon

And now for something completely different. Slippery Mountain is one of China’s oldest fables and tells the story of Mulian, a monk on the verge of enlightenment whose virtue is tested to the max when he is sent to confront his mother, Liu Qing Ti, over her alleged misdeeds against Buddha.

It is a fascinating tale, combining elements of East and West, that keeps you gripped. Peking Opera performance and live music and song from the London Jing Kun Opera Association sit easily with Western-style acting and clowning. There are strong performances from Eriko Shimada as Mulian, Ghaffar Pourazar as his teacher and, in her first professional theatrical role, Ming Lu as his mother. The Attendants, played by Emilia Brodie, Peter Savizon and Charlie Tighe, have a field day doubling as the hellish demon chefs desperate to mete out some dreadful punishment upon the poor woman even before she reaches the Bridge of Unhappiness or the Pavilion of Last Goodbyes.

Don’t be alarmed when I say much of it is presented in Chinese. Clever crafting of the script, with a Chinese question being answered in English, and a handy translation of the arias, mean you always know what’s going on.

And staging the show in a Chinese restaurant - in keeping with Peking Opera’s roots - gives a distinctive ambiance, with tea and a small basket of dim sum thrown in.

Joanna Qiu and Joe Townsend provide the authentic music, which helps ensure that this show will refresh you like a blast of cool mountain air.