Sound of the Ocean

Taiwan’s U Theatre is an exhilarating mix of martial arts, awe-inspiring feats of athleticism, drumming, ritual percussion, live music and even tai-chi, all wrapped in a philosophy of Zen Bhuddism. Their international masterpiece Sound of the Ocean, making its New Zealand debut in the Festival, is one of the most spectacular shows of 2011.

High above the city of Taipei on Laochuan Mountain, members of U Theatre spend their days practicing tai-chi, meditating and drumming up a storm. Their rigorous martial arts training, ritual percussion, and devotion to meditation, produce astounding performances that fuse drama, dance and music.

Sound of the Ocean, a monumental, far reaching work that pays tribute to the marvels of water, has inspired awe and wonder in audiences around the globe. Water’s cyclical journey from a tiny drop to the crashing waves of the mighty sea is spectacularly rendered using an amazing assortment of temple bells, drums, gongs and cymbals played with acrobatic agility by U Theatre’s highly disciplined musicians and dancers.

“There is a great and complex beauty to the drumming, sounds … silence … simple beats and intricate meshes of precisely articulated rhythms.”
- New York Times (USA)

Founded by Artistic Director Liu Ruo-Yu in 1988, U Theatre combines contemporary Western theatrical techniques with Zen Buddhist philosophy, U Theatre’s work is rooted in an ongoing exploration of indigenous Taiwanese and Chinese performance history and practice, as well as in a deep respect for the natural environment.

A wondrous, meditative and enlivening experience - don't miss the chance to be amazed.

Photograph: Lee-Ming Hsun