Running alongside the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) in 2016, the World Theatre Festival (WTF) is a celebration of contemporary performance.
Featuring international works designed to challenge the traditional definitions of theatre, WTF includes stories that cover everything from the political to the personal. Since its inception in 2010 many artists from around the globe have performed at the festival in works produced by Belarus Free Theatre (Belarus), Pan Pan Theatre (Ireland), Instant Café Theatre (Malaysia), Aurorua Nova (Iran), Rotozaza (UK), Gob Squad (UK/Germany), HotForTheatre (Ireland), Reckless Sleepers (Belgium/UK), PIPA (New Zealand), MKA (Australia), Team Mess (Australia), Il Pixel Rosso (UK), Motus (Italy), The Rude Mechs (USA), Abhinaya Theatre Company (India) and so many more.
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In 2016, WTF will feature 11 works from Australia, Indonesian, Cambodia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Belgium, USA, UK and Korea:
A poetic work intwining dance, science and mechanical engineering, 'Huang Yi & Kuka' sees the line between humanity and robotics blurred. Even as a child, award-winning dancer, choreographer and inventor, Huang Yi has longed for a robot companion. This performance sees Hunag's human qualities transferred into Kuka, a robot. For every minute of Kuka's movement, Huang spend ten hours programming it.
Shimchong심청 ‹Shimchong› (Daughter Overboard!)'s world premiere is a dark, political and hilarious retelling of a classic Korean story. Shimchong's mother died in childbirth, her father is blind, and she scarifices herself to the Dragon King – the god under the sea – in order to restore her father’s sight. But what if Shimchong was reborn in Australia, as a young woman burning with revolutionary desire? What would drive her to jump into the sea a second time?
Penny ArcadeWhat lies at the heart of conviction? Is it fact or a burning belief that isn’t explainable? 'Confirmation' is a fiercely intelligent experience. This one-man show explores the phenomenon of confirmation bias — our choice to look beyond the facts and see only the evidence that proves we’re right. The Australian premiere uses real-life dialogues and imagined struggles to shine a light on both political extremism and social liberalism.
Known as a teenage Andy Warhol Factory Superstar, Penny Arcade featured in Warhol and Paul Morrisey's film 'Women In Revolt' and was an original member in John Vaccaro's 'The Playhouse Of The Ridiculous'. Inspired by four decades of pop culture, 'Longing Lasts Longer' is Penny's razor-sharp satire – equal parts memoir and manifesto.
Syn-InfectionThrough ingenious video projection, Valentijin Dhaenens evokes multiple characters, drawing heavily from letters and memoirs of those who served in wars across the centuries. 'Smallwar' transports audiences to a 1914 field hospital and explore the reverse side of the glory of war in this intimate performance.
SmallwarOther performances at the festival include: 'Piece For Person & Ghetto Blaster', a one-woman show about a man, a woman and a duck and asks if people are willing to take part in conflict in order to change the future for the better. Capturing the moments that spurred the masses to war, Belgium's 'Bigmouth' (the second show from Valentijin's series) traverses declarations of war, eulogies, victory speeches and final arguments; revealing that the tricks of rhetoric have hardly changed. Drawing strength from traditional Maori mythology, 'Mana Wahine' celebrates powerful women by combining dance theatre and film.
Hanuman SpacemanWTF will also feature a Club series featuring experimental musicians including: Yao Chung-Han and Yeh Ting-Hao's 'Syn-Infection', exploring the reins between rationality and recklessness. Grid your loins with 'The Lepidopters', a space opera which sees Alien moths invad the Indonesian archipelago and plan to colonise Earth through inter-species reproduction. And, finally, 'Hanuman Spaceman', a triply, tropical rock opera mashing traditional Khmer rock and soul, while tropical visuals tell stories of adventure and big dreams.
World Theatre Festival runs at the Brisbane Powerhouse, 18-27 February.
