The Perth International Arts Festival is back, and ready to be a magical spectacle with unique music, theatre and other performance arts
Be prepared for stunning spectacles in a magical landscape as more than 1,000 of the world’s most exciting contemporary artists will flock to Perth for the 2014 Perth International Arts Festival.
Here are some highlights.
A Magical Voyage Around the world
The Festival explodes to life with Veles e Vents. For three nights, the Spanish masters take to the seas and the sky, recreating a ship’s grand and perilous voyage in a sublime visual display of fireworks and light.
The Festival’s free programme takes art to the people as the streets of Perth are playfully transformed and life re-imagined.
Sam Routledge and Martyn Coutts’ “I Think I Can” brings avatars to life in an enchanted model town. Jeremy Deller’s “Sacrilege”, invites Festival goers to literally leap into ancient history, re-creating Stonehenge as a full-scale bouncy castle.
From Israel comes “Not by Bread Alone” – 11 deaf-blind actors take audiences on a profoundly moving journey through their inner world, as bread is kneaded, formed and baked on stage.
Raw and explosive, South Africa’s Yael Farber adapts Strindberg’s classic “Miss Julie” to post-apartheid South Africa in “Mies Julie”. Theatre genius Robert Wilson returns to Perth with Samuel Beckett’s blackly comic masterpiece, “Krapp’s Last Tape”.
The UK’s NoFit State Circus brings circus as you’ve never seen it with “Bianco”, a graceful, aerial adventure of drama and breath-taking ability.
Cross-Cultural Storytelling
Malthouse Theatre’s “The Shadow King” is an explosive interpretation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, melding contemporary Aboriginal storytelling in a blood-soaked interrogation of kinship, land and belonging.
One of the most exciting theatre collectives in the world, Germany’s Rimini Protokoll presents “Situation Rooms”. In this multi-dimensional, interactive documentary theatre experience, audiences explore a maze of stories from people whose lives have been touched by the weapons industry.
Experiences for the Young
“The House Where Winter Lives” is a whimsical, interactive theatre experience for children, from UK theatre-makers Punchdrunk. As a discovered scrapbook comes alive, Shona Reppe’s “The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean” is a wild, detective hunt of sensory delight.
Australia’s Barking Gecko Theatre Company presents “ONEFIVEZEROSEVEN”, a highly-physical and moving step into the inner sanctum of teenagers.
Dance Selection
The 2014 dance programme is equal parts celebratory, political and sensual. Honouring 50 years of Israel’s visionary and internationally-acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company, the Festival presents two captivating productions.
From the world-class maverick of flamenco, Israel Galvan’s “La Curva” presents a seductive re-interpretation of the flamenco tradition.
The West Australian Ballet presents “Radio and Juliet”, the bold revision of Romeo and Juliet with the music of indie darlings Radiohead.
Classical Choices
Verdi’s final opera, “Otello”, is performed by the West Australian Opera with guests from the Cape Town Opera Chorus. The breath-taking Cape Town Opera’s Voice of the Nation Ensemble, winners of the 2013 International Opera Awards Chorus of the Year, showcases a repertoire from the great romantic operas and spiritual songs from Africa and America.
The famous Academy of St Martin in the Fields orchestra is joined by exhilarating, young violinist Michael Barenboim.
Electronica to Public Enemy
Over 24 nights, Perth will rock to an eclectic selection of sounds tracing soul to hip-hop, and indie rock to electronica.
Hip-hop royalty Public Enemy, ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 50 greatest artists of all time, will remind people what rap is all about.
American songstress Madeleine Peyroux’s impeccable smoke-and-whisky vocals will captivate audiences.
Writers Festival & Close
Also, join a stellar line-up of authors in the Perth Writers Festival from Feb 20-23. It begins with an opening address by best-selling novelist Lionel Shriver and ends with a closing address from one of Australia’s great novelists, Richard Flanagan.
In a fitting finale, the Festival presents “Between the Desert and the Deep Blue Sea, A Symphony for Perth”. In the months leading up to the Festival, the people of Perth are invited to record and send in their personal sounds of Perth.
The work will be played live by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in an interactive musical feast on the last night.
Visit perthfestival.com.au for bookings and more information.
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