An acrobatic and dramatic fairy tale called Friendlies will be staged in the Beijing Poly Theater on August 5, Xinhua reported on July 11. The set of five mascots for the 2008 Olympic Games who are known collectively as the Friendlies (Fu Wa in Chinese) are taking center stage for the production.

 

The show is being produced and performed by Beijing Children's Art Theater Ltd.

 

Dance Director Ding Wei and Drama Director Shao Zehui are the shows' chief director and director of the drama respectively. The Acrobatic Troupe of Zunyi in Guizhou Province and the youth dance group of the Beijing Dance Academy will both perform in the show.

 

Friendlies tells the story of an historical period when all sorts of creatures fought each other, making the world full of wars and sorrows. Five monsters occupied the forests, prairies, seas and skies. Five friends, the Fish named Beibei, the Panda Jingjing, the Flame Huanhuan, the Tibetan Antelope Yingying and the Swallow Nini, fight back against the monsters using their own abilities in an effort to achieve world peace. After their victory, the Flame becomes Saint Flame and all five become ambassadors for friendship and peace.

 

According to Director Shao Zehui, the drama requires few spoken lines and focus has been placed on acrobatics and music which are designed for the enjoyment of youngsters. Traditional Chinese children's songs will be staged by way of musical drama. And during intervals actors and actresses will teach children acrobatic skills.

 

The five mascots of the 2008 Olympic Games were unveiled in Beijing on November 11, 2005, exactly 1,000 days before the event's opening ceremony.

 

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, the Friendlies carry a message of friendship, peace and blessings from China to children all over the world.

 

Designed to express the playful qualities of five kids, who form a close circle of friends, the Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals – the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow – and the Olympic Flame itself.

 

The drama will also be staged in London, Sydney and America's Atlanta.

 

(China.org.cn by Zhou Jing, July 14, 2006)