2011-01-20 Yellow Earth Theatre: Why the Lion Danced?

Yellow Earth, London-based UK leading East Asian touring theatre company, will be presenting its Chinese New Year Tour ‘Why The Lion Danced?‘, from January - February 2011. In particular, this production will be staged at six venues in London, including Greenwich Theatre, Artsdepot in Finchley, Lyric Hammersmith, The Broadway in Barking, Watermans in Brentford, and New Diorama Theatre in Camden.

Why The Lion Danced?‘ is about Chinese New Year - every thirteenth moon the Nian visits a village and the people find their New Year celebrations disrupted by the terrible monster. The only creature that scares away the Nian is the Lion but the next year when the Nian revisits the village the Lion is busy guarding the Emperor’s palace and cannot help the villagers. So they create a lion costume, perform a Lion Dance and scare away the evil one. A Lion Dance is still performed in China and is said to bring good luck and happiness.

The production features four performers and a spectacularly decorated lion costume and mask. It includes shadow play, original live music and songs and has been created for children aged five and over. After the show the audience will be invited to join the performers in celebrating Chinese New Year. This performance is suitable for children aged 5 and above.

The creative team:

Writer: Carey English (Co-artistic Director, Quicksilver Theatre Company)
Director: Kumiko Mendl (Creative Producer, Yellow Earth)
Designer: Jean Chan (Winner of the 2010 Linbury Prize for Stage Design)
Lighting: Douglas Kuhrt (recent work includes The Pitman Painters)

Why the Lion Danced? Chinese New Year tour 2011

Mercury Theatre Colchester
Tue 11 Jan 6pm
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
01206 573948

Watford Palace Theatre
Fri 14 Jan 11am
www.watfordtheatre.co.uk
01923 225671

Greenwich Theatre
Sat 15 Jan 11am
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
020 8858 7755

artsdepot, London
Sun 16 Jan 12pm & 3pm
www.artsdepot.co.uk
020 8369 5454

Lyric Hammersmith, London
Fri 21 & Sat 22 Jan 11am & 1pm
Sun 23 Jan 12pm & 2pm
www.lyric.co.uk
0871 22 117 29

Darlington Arts Centre
Wed 26 Jan 1.30pm & 6pm
Thu 27 Jan 10am & 1.30pm
www.darlingtonarts.co.uk
01325 486555

Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
Sat 29 Jan 11am & 2pm
www.thelbt.org
01484 430528

Hazlitt Arts Centre, Maidstone
Wed 2 Feb 1.30pm
www.hazlittartscentre.co.uk
01622 758611

Birmingham Repertory Theatre
(at Birmingham Library Theatre)
Sat 5 Feb 11.30am & 2pm
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk
0121 236 4455

The Broadway, Barking
Thu 10 Feb 10.30pm
www.thebroadwaybarking.com
020 8507 5607

Watermans, Brentford
Sun 13 Feb 3pm
www.watermans.org.uk
020 8232 1010

Redditch Palace Theatre
Tue 15 Feb 1pm
www.redditchpalacetheatre.co.uk
01527 65203

Theatre Royal Bury
St Edmunds Half Term Tour
22-26 February
www.theatreroyal.org
01284 769505

New Diorama Theatre London
Sun 27 Feb, 3pm
www.newdiorama.com
0844 2090 344