THE BALLOON MAN

Mulan Chinese State Circus: The Anvil

Friday 11th, March 2011
From: dailyecho.co.uk
FROM the land of legends and Shaolin Warriors comes the incredible new Chinese State Circus production, the live action spectacular Mulan.
Mulan – based on the legend of one of China’s greatest heroines – tells the story of a strong-minded country girl who joined the Emperor’s all-male army in place of her father who was too old to fight.
Four spectacular performances will take place this weekend at The Anvil in Basingstoke.
The title role of Mulan is performed by martial arts expert Cao Jing, making her first appearance in the UK.
Her 15 years of Kung Fu training is showcased in a dramatic fight sequence in which she encounters a giant warrior. Cao Jing started learning martial arts when she was only six years old and has won three championship titles.
Witness a breathtaking fusion of precision acrobatics, Shaolin martial arts, dazzling circus skills, colourful characters from Peking Opera, physical theatre and drama choreographed to an original music score.
From gravity-defying gymnastics to the seemingly impossible body manipulations of the hand-balancer; from the leaping, rolling, somersaulting repertoire of the hoops divers to the lavish tradition of the Lion Dance, the undisputed masters of physical theatre will have the audience on the edge of their seats.
This is entertainment for all the family from the world’s leading Chinese acrobats.
Mulan will be performed tomorrow at 4pm and 8pm, and on Sunday at 2pm and 6pm. For more information, call the box office on 01256 844244 or visit anvilarts.org.uk.