September 12, 2008

By By Jen Wilson, London

Acclaimed stage show, "Monkey: Journey to the West" is moving to a purpose-built theatre at the Meridian Gardens, next to London's O2 Arena, for an extended run.

The 2,500-capacity venue will host the Asian-themed opera, the brainchild of Gorillaz team Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, from Nov. 8-Dec. 5.

"Monkey is a unique show which transports the audience into Monkey's World and celebrates all aspects of Chinese culture, and so it made sense to create a unique environment for the performance," said president of international for AEG Live, Rob Hallett, in a statement. "This will be the first time in London that an opera has inspired the design of its own theatre."

Over 100,000 people in the United States, France and England have already witnessed "Monkey", most recently during a sold-out run at London's Royal Opera House.

Monkey's album, "Journey to the West" (XL) debuted at No. 5 on the U.K. album charts in August.

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