The Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh is hosting Book of Mountains and Seas, a production that combines puppetry, percussion, and choral music to retell ancient Chinese creation myths. The work, composed by Huang Ruo and directed by Basil Twist, runs for 75 minutes and features six puppeteers, two percussionists, and the Ars Nova Copenhagen choir.
The production draws on four myths transcribed in the fourth century BC, including the story of Pan Gu whose death created the world, a drowned princess reborn as a bird, ten suns reduced to one, and the giant Kua Fu's failed attempt to capture the sun. The narratives are presented using lanterns, silk, and fragmented props, with lighting by Ayumu "Poe" Saegusa.
Musically, Huang Ruo blends Eastern and Western elements, using instruments such as gongs, finger cymbals, marimba, and Tibetan singing bowls. The choir sings in Mandarin and an invented language, with surtitles provided for the Mandarin sections. The monks-robed singers perform intricate lines with precision.
The visual storytelling is varied: the early tales are relatively simple, while the fourth tale, featuring the sun-hunting giant, is visually striking. The third tale, involving the procession of ten lanterns, is highlighted as particularly memorable for its graceful movement and music.
