The Perth International Arts Festival has released their program for 2014 and it’s filled with interesting theatrical and artistic experiences.
The three week festival will kick off with Xarxa Theatre’s ‘Veles e Vents’ a spectacular fireworks based show that will play for three nights in early February.
One of the most fun events is artist Jeremy Deller’s ‘Sacrilege’ – it’s a life size Stonehenge bouncy castle. Need we say more?
From life size – to miniature, ‘I Think I Can’ will see artists Sam Routledge and Martyn Coutts create a massive model railway town where you nominate a character to represent you and the character goes on a fictional journey.
For dance lovers there is the Batsheva Dance Company making their first trip to Western Australia. The company was formed by dance legend Martha Graham and is currently lead by Isreali choreographer Ohad Naharin. One of our favourites is the Beijing Dance Theatre (pictured) who will perform ‘Haze’ a work staged on a soft foamy styled floor – which remarkably changes the way dancers can move.
In the theatre realm, The Chekov International Theatre Festival and Dmitry Krymov Laboratory will be bringing their show ‘A MIdsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It) – a reimagining of Shakespeare’s play told with five metre tall puppets. The South African show ‘Mies Julie’ is a retake on the August Strindberg play ‘Miss Julie’ – it’s been acclaimed in London, Edinburgh and New York. While one of the world’s most revered Directors, Robert Wilson, will be making a rare appearance as an actor in his one man show ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’. A special experimental take on Samuel Beckett’s play.
One of the most interesting shows is ‘Not By Bread Alone’ from the Nalaga’at Deaf Blind Theatre which sees the actors bake bread during the show, share stories and then eat the bread they’ve just baked with the audience.
Tickets are bound to quickly sell out for ‘You Once Said Yes’ – a theatrical production that cast you as the protagonist, and is performed around the streets of Northbridge. With only one audience member able to take part at a time – tickets will run out quickly.
The music part of the festival is rich with choices too, The West Australian Opera is teaming up with the Cape Town Opera Chorus to present Verdi’s ‘Otello’. Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi will showcase works from his new album ‘In a Time Lapse’ and the acclaimed Kelemen Quartet will perform works by Haydn, Bartok and Beethoven.
The Chevon Festival Gardens will be filled with the best contemporary music including Booker T Jones, Public Enemy, Okkervil River, soul singer Charles Bradley, punk pioneers Wire, and psychedelic rockers Pond.
The Literature Festival’s full program will be released in January but it includes English writer Martin Amis, American novelist Lionel Shriver and Australia’s own Richard Flanagan.
For all the details visit their website.
