Chun Yi: The Legend Of Kung Fu

It is not every day that a small boy sits cross legged in the foyer of the London Coliseum, dressed in orange robes and intermittently knocking on a Muyu.

But then Chun Yi is not the type of show you normally see at the London Coliseum. The grand auditorium has lent its stage to Beijing’s China Heaven Creation, which presents for the first time in London its international touring production Chun Yi, which weaves the story of a young Kung Fu trainee in and around a display of agility, strength and muscle-defying feats.

The term Kung Fu, as the programme notes explain, has been morphed by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films into meaning the kind of Chinese fighting style that they demonstrate so well; in fact, the phrase actually refers to expertise in any skill, which is precisely what is on display in Chun Yi. The exponents of their art – which includes five boys under 14 – are highly skilled indeed, giving a performance that includes acrobatics, meditation, sword-fighting, rope work and eye-popping feats of strength involving sharp objects and impossibly taut muscles.

The Muyu – a wooden instrument used for meditation – is much in evidence during the performance. This Buddhist tool and musical instrument helps the monks to rebalance their energy; its power must be great indeed if it helps them to summon the ability to break wooden sticks on their heads and lie on a bed of machetes.

The various scenes are tied together with a whimsical story which centres on a young trainee called Chun Yi, who must learn to avoid life’s temptations before he can find enlightenment. Though it adds a spiritual element to the show, the story is rather superfluous to the gasp-inducing action that the audience came to see. It must, however, allow the performers a welcome breather as the narrator, an old Master, tells the story to another young would-be monk.

Han Lixun’s simple yet effective set design, coupled with striking costumes and colourful lighting, add to the dramatic happenings on stage.

CB