Characters – Puppets needed:

1. Monkey
2. Subodhi (Monk)
3. Queen Mother of Heaven
4. Fairies
5. Buddha
6. Guan Yin (can be same puppet as 2)
7. Tripitaka
8. Pigsy
9. Sandy
10. Princess Iron Fan

Props: Large stone egg (paper?), Volcano, high table, backdrop, lighting

Synopsis – very condensed from the long story!!

 Scene 1: Birth of Monkey and His Quest for Immortality

Monkey hatches from a stone egg and makes his home in the forest. He finds Subodhi in the
Mountain of Heart and Mind, who gives him the name Sun Wu Kong — the Monkey with the
Realisation of Emptiness.

 Scene 2: Crystal Palace of the Eastern Sea and the Iron Rod
He is given a magical iron rod, and the Old Dragon King is also cowed into giving him his helmet,
armour and shoes.

 Scene 3: Heavenly Peach Banquet

Monkey travels to heaven to demand recognition of his newfound power. There he finds seven
fairies preparing a banquet for the birthday of the Queen Mother of Heaven. Incensed that he has
not been invited, he begins to eat the Queen Mother's magical heavenly peaches, and fights off
each of her divine guests who try to prevent this. The Queen Mother then calls upon Buddha to deal
with Monkey.

 Scene 4: Buddha's Great Palm

Buddha presents Monkey with the challenge of escaping his palm. Monkey is unable to do so, and so
he is imprisoned by Buddha.

 Scene 5: The Pilgrims

later, Guan Yin chooses Tripitaka to go on a mission to bring back the Holy Scriptures from India.
Pigsy, Sandy, and Monkey (released by Tripitaka from his prison) are chosen to accompany him.
 Scene 8: Volcano City
The group travels to a volcano. The only way to pass is to extinguish the volcano using a magic fan
belonging to Princess Iron Fan. She refuses to give the fan, and at first Monkey is unable to defeat
her. With help from Guan Yin, he transforms himself into a bee, which the Princess swallows, and
Monkey is able to defeat her from inside. He claims the fan, and the group continues on its journey.

 Scene 9: Paradise
The group arrives in paradise, and is given the scriptures by Buddha. Tripitaka is created Buddha of
the Purest Merit. Pigsy is made Janitor of the Altars. Sandy becomes a Golden-bodied Arhat. The
white horse becomes the Dragon prince once more. Monkey is made Buddha Victorious in Strife.

SCENES of Puppet performance:

1. Birth of monkey from the stone egg.

2. Subodhi names him Sun Wu Kong.
3. Monkey is given rod from Dragon King
4. Heaven: eats Queen’s peaches – punished by Buddha with imprisonment
5. Guan Yin calls for the holy scriptures; Tripitaka frees monkey to join him on
a Journey to the West with Pigsy and Sandy
6. Reach the volcano – cannot extinguish – need the fan from Princess.
7. Monkey fights Princess – cannot win
8. Turns into a bee – swallowed by Princess – wins.
9. Volcano extinguished with magic fan. Ascend to paradise.
10. Buddha gives the scriptures to monkey.
11. Buddha names them all special titles.
12. They return to China – give scrolls to Guan Yin.

Questions still to answer:

a) When to be completed/students perform?

b) Est: 10 minutes? 15 minutes?
c) 1 Narrator tells story or characters voiced by puppeteers?
d) What else do we need to consider?