Born into the entertainment industry, Kerry Jewel was christened at the London Palladium with Laurel & Hardy present to wet his head.
Kerry jewel has spent over 50 years in the entertainment industry; the last 35 of which have been as a leading Australian theatre producer. Producing some of Australia’s major productions including Peter Pan and the Tattoo Military Spectacular.
The latest and most ambitious project is to be a $60 million production of the classic Chinese fable Monkey King. Adapted for the stage by Kerry Jewel and his wife Elyse it is a spectacular and inspiring family entertainment to rival Cirque Du Soleil and The Lion King for the Number One global entertainment spot.
Journey to the West
is one of the great classical novels of Chinese
literature. Written in the 16th century, the tale is also
known simply as Monkey or Monkey King. If you think
Superman and Spiderman have been around a long time, think about Monkey King.
He has been China’s favourite super hero for at least five centuries. MonkeyKing stars in this Kerry Jewel created spectacle which has never before
been adapted to a major commercial, live theatre entertainment.
There are many reasons why the time is right to create a stage production of Monkey King, says Kerry Jewel;not least because it has never before been done in live theatre on an epic scale. It will have all the excitement, mystery, awesome creatures and magic of a HarryPotter or Lord of the Rings movie touched with the black side of The Dark Knight – but Monkey King will happen live on stage for the immersed audiences’ wonderment. Like Potter and The Rings it is a story for all ages and has no language barriers.
Kerry Jewel says the production will be presented in a completely unique way. In its own purpose designed and built travelling theatre; The Emperor’s Pavilion. This transportable theatre gives Jewel the unique position of being able to perform wherever and whenever he wants. Jewel will build two Pavilions so that he can piggyback between cities and not have downtime.
The production will set new benchmarks in live entertainment with a fusion of ancient Chinese culture, 21st century technology, theatricality, martial arts and fantasy spectacular. Kerry Jewel has adapted the bookinto a production of two and half hours, capturing the most exciting and remarkable episodes in the pilgrims’ journey.
The Production’s is simple in theory but complex in execution. The entertainment dwells in 2 realms; the earthly and the heavenly. When we are on the earth all things are normal, people speak in a language we understand, they are unable to do things out of the ordinary in the physical sense and generally we see them acting and reacting emotionally in normal human (and Simian) ways.
At one point Monkey King flies over the audience. Kerry Jewel says the walls of the auditorium will become the sides of the valley flashing by; so not only does Monkey King fly but the illusion makes the audience believe they do too!
Computers have brought a new dimension to the theatre world. What was once only the realm of films is now available to live theatre. Our stage sets will be a combination of traditional stage scenery and computer generated images, giving realism to the beauty of the Chinese countryside, rivers and mountains that has never before been possible. With their aid we can have encounters with real dolphins! Or were the aquatic mammals just an illusion?
But great theatre is about the communication of emotion by actors to the audience, so it will be in Monkey King. The text of the script will be paramount but we will “glitz” the traditional with the modern and be limited only by imagination. No matter how amazing the modern technology, there is nothing that can replace live performance by actors. With a cast of over 40, this is performance theatre on a grand scale and only employing the best actors and performers from around the world.
There are several mythical creatures that our travellers encounter on their journey. Kerry Jewel has asked Michael Curry, the creator of the animals in Lion King to devise these dragons and monsters. He will also create the most realistic and loveable giant pandas ever seen outside of the Chinese bamboo forests. On arrival in India our travellers will be greeted by elephants.
Kerry Jewel is thrilled to have the music composed by one of the world’s most eminent composers: 3 times Oscar winner Howard Shore. Howard will be reunited with his collaborators on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the London Philharmonic Orchestra who will be pre-recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios. The massive orchestral sound will highlight the drama and emotions that the actors are portraying on stage. Whilst the production is not a musical, it will have a musical underscoring which will give the whole production a filmic quality.
