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Whether or not you are a martial arts fan, this is a breathtaking show that will leave you with a feeling of awe and a new found respect for martial arts and dance. Summary
Rating
Excellent
Wing Chun is a dance drama that intertwines martial arts with contemporary dance, simultaneously weaving together a dual narrative that itself employs two timelines. One follows Master Yip Man’s journey to Hong Kong and his dedication towards promoting the martial art of Wing Chun. In parallel with this is the story of a young lighting technician, Da Chun, who joins the Shenzhen Film Studios that is making a film called Wing Chun. While filming, Da Chun practices round the clock to master Wing Chun and invariably follows in the footsteps of the grandmaster Yip Man himself. Da Chun, played by Feng Haoran, is a charming character who we immediately empathise with after watching him trying to emulate the moves of the stars he idolises when they have left the set.
The overall narrative of the show is a little confusing. If you buy the programme and diligently read the synopsis you will be fine, but those who are unfamiliar with the story could be forgiven for thinking that Da Chung is in fact meant to be a young Bruce Lee. That being said, the marketing of the show is very clear in stating that this is a story about the grandmaster Yip Man, and although he was Lee’s teacher, here his tale focusses primarily on the art of Wing Chun.
The transitions between the two timelines are seamlessly implied through very clever lighting effects by Zhang Wenjie. Right before one timeline cuts into another, a projection of a vintage film rolls along, with the characters of the cinematic timeline moving in slow motion. The lights gradually fade on them while your eyes are led to the next illuminated timeline.
There is a small screen to the left hand side of the stage displaying prompts about each scene in English and Chinese. It took me half an hour to notice this screen from the first circle, and I was then left quite conflicted over whether to read or to watch the show. I soon got used to it and found that the short titles did in fact act as a guide for what to expect from each scene.
The contemporary dance choreography has nuances of classical Chinese dance and contemporary ballet. In particular the solo by Zhang Yashu, who plays the Director and Head of Baguazhang Academy, mirrors subtle movements of what appeared to be from Flowing Water and Peach Blossom (a repertoire of traditional Chinese dance). Additionally, Xu Tianhui as Wing Sing and Chang Hongji as Yip Man have a duet that left me in tears.
There is a good balance of performances from a host of both male and female dancers/martial artists, and the set designs by Hu Yanjun are simple yet majestic. From L-shape cityscapes, on a revolving three hundred and sixty degree stage, to the enormous paper fan dance, the entire set works in harmony to enhance the grandeur of performance. Wing Chun is a long performance running at two hours with a fifteen minute interval, but it is utterly captivating from start to finish.
Choreography and Direction by : Han Zhen and Zhou Liya
Produced By: Zhang Ling and Zhang Hua
Wing Chun runs at Sadlers Wells until 7th September. Further information and booking are available here.
