THE launch event of the Festival, and the event generating the most publicity, is a circus opera for the 21st century, based on an ancient Chinese legend and reworked as a dazzling spectacle involving more than 40 Chinese circus acrobats, vocalists and performing martial artists.

Monkey: Journey to the West has been adapted and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng, whose credits range from Chinese opera and theatre to the Hollywood movie Dark Matter', starring Meryl Streep. The music has been composed by Damon Albarn and the design and animation is by Jamie Hewlett, the artists behind award-winning virtual band Gorillaz.

Hewlett said: "China is amazing, but not for the fainthearted. Putting this together has been like - oh my God, we're doing an Opera - where do we start? We really don't want to make a pastiche of Chinese music."

And Damon Albarn added: "It's a proper opera and it's been really hard work but it's not meant to be some highbrow thing - it's a story that anyone of our generation knows from the TV series, so it's fun. It has been a spiritual journey for everyone involved. And if it works, it could be absolutely extraordinary."

Monkey: Journey To The West, is at the Palace theatre, Manchester, from Thursday June 28 to Saturday July 7. Tickets cost £10.