Theatre

It starts with hands: his father’s hands, his brothers’, his countrymen’s and above all his own. Set against the vast changes that swept through China during the 20th century, this poignant story of a boy’s journey to freedom in the West is both a thrilling spectacle and the personal history of Yeung Fai, youngest in a line of five generations of puppeteers. Hand Stories is a magical hour-long show that brilliantly interweaves modern multimedia effects with traditional Chinese glove puppetry. Manipulating a dazzling panoply of classic Beijing Opera figures with extraordinary virtuosity, Yeung Fai and French puppeteer Yoann Pencolé reveal secrets of an age-old art form enhanced by Taiwanese visual artist Yilan Yeh’s stunning images and Australian composer Colin Offord’s original score. The cast of characters in this fantastical performance include tigers, dragons, elegant concubines, clashing warriors and a special guardian angel in the form of a die-hard rock music fan.