Kung Fu Action Theatre, 1 May 2010
Set in early 17th century China, The Adventures of Little Gou is
a series of short stories focusing around a martial artist Little Gou (Robyn Paterson). Living in a small village, White
Fox Town, he embarks with his sidekick Sister Cat (Fiona Thraille) on a series of adventures in the hazardous Martial Arts
World. In this tale, both Little Gou and Sister Cat were forced into service,
when a bride's father was kidnapped by her ex-lover, the night before a crucial marriage meeting.
Although ostensibly set in a remote world, the show thrives on familiarity: the hero
and the sidekick has long been a staple element of film and radio drama as well as literary texts such as Don Quixote.
The two actors, Paterson and Thraille, obviously work well together, exchanging the kind of banter which makes listeners understand
that everything will turn out fine in the end, despite the numerous hazards they encounter.
As director and producer, Paterson understands the value of music as a means to
create the mood of the piece, as well as forming a background to the action. In this episode, the piece "Stories
of the Silk Road" not only reminded us of the play's oriental setting, but suggested transience: Sister Cat was
a homeless nun searching for some kind of stability, both literally and emotionally.
An entertaining piece, of interest not just to Kung Fu fans, but to anyone interested
in a good story well told.
