Review: Mountains and Seas – Song of Today 山海 · 今日之歌 – Omnibus Theatre

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Mountains and Seas – Song of Today 山海 · 今日之歌 is a genre-defying blend of poetry, visual art, dance and music. An interdisciplinary performance exploring activism, it draws its inspiration from the classical Chinese text Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), a mytho-geographical account of ancient creatures and landscapes.

Before words or music are even spoken, the piece invites curiosity, so writes Charlotte D’Angelo for the QR.co.uk…

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The visually stunning and immersive lighting is sure to create a lasting impression on audiences. A haze of clouds mixes with room-spanning lasers, tickling the tops of the actors’ heads and floating through fabrics hanging from the ceiling. Danni Zheng and Ao Lei’s lighting design shines as eclectically modern, creating a fragmented counterpoint to the more traditional and detailed costumes.

Yiran Duan (Yi Craft Studio) has created magical costume and jewellery designs, ranging from elaborate headpieces and painted clothing items to performer He Song Yuan’s disco-ball-esque attire. It offers a wonderful parallel between modern and traditional visual components, reflecting the script’s contemporary interpretation of a BCE text.

He Song Yuan brings a flawless Chinese operatic performance to the mix. Indeed, the soundscape is a masterful blend; created by Beibei Wang’s composition and supported by sound engineer Camilo Tirado and Chinese flute expert Chen Yu Xiao, it is audibly striking. When set against Daniel York Loh’s harmonica and electric guitar playing, it makes for an original and arresting musical combination.

Superior dance, faltering narration

Dancers Tash Tung and Fan Jiayi are amazing professionals. From duo sequences to individual moments, they blend fantastically together, performing with strength, technical skill and emotion. However, narrator Jennifer Lim struggles to provide the same level of amazement. Although her grasp of the text is immaculate, her acting does not always achieve the same level of refined performance. At times faltering and grasping for the audience’s attention, engagement is occasionally lost; as the central speaking figure, a more courageous stage presence is needed to command the room.

This struggle to retain the audience’s attention is unaided by the long and repetitive nature of most scenes. Some work nevetheless, such as an entertaining segment where ‘self-care for activists’ is distributed, slowly shifting into ‘palliative care for language’—a progression that is both funny and heartbreaking. But in other moments, such as Daniel York Loh’s spoken word songs, the scene drags, muddling words into one and losing its intended gripping tone.

Interesting philosophy, inconsistent delivery

These long songs and speeches might be elusive allusions to repetitive world struggles, but the performance isn’t always sufficiently captivating. Because attention wavers throughout the process, during seemingly emotional climaxes—such as Xie Rong’s re-entrance and destruction—I found myself unable to emotionally engage as I think we should.

The use of AI-generated projected videos also threatens to undermine the climate-preservative and political themes of the play. Indeed, the projections, although impressive, sometimes serve as a distraction.

In moments where talented dancers Tung and Jiayi take centre stage, the breadth of the traverse stage makes it confusing where to look: the dancers, the projection, the dialogue, or the musicians lit at either end? For a piece so visually arresting, it is a shame that it doesn’t always work harmoniously.

Ultimately, refinement is needed for the piece to truly stir and strike. A clearer bonding between each department is required to allow each to truly shine. Hopefully, through working in front of an audience, the production can grow to its full potential. Its artistry and efforts are obvious—a beautiful addition to activism and criticism through art—but it needs more concrete storytelling elements to rally and inspire its spectators into a truly compelling immersive experience.

Featured Image: Mountains and Seas – Song of Today, photo Jamie Baker

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Mountains and Seas – Song of Today 山海 · 今日之歌 runs at the Omnibus Theatre, Clapham until 6 December 2025. For tickets or more information, click here.

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