For two weeks each year in September, the streets of Adelaide are transformed with the advent of the OzAsia Festival, a celebration of cutting-edge performance art from all parts of Asia.
Each year focuses specifically on a region or country within the continent, and this year it is Indonesia's turn, with Festival Director Joseph Mitchell showcasing the most forefront of creative minds from Jakarta and beyond, as well as performers from Japan, India, China, Taiwan and Korea.
Joseph Mitchell © Randy LarcombeThe aim of the festival is to celebrate and present the freshest creative production coming out of Asia at this moment, and covers the mediums of theatre, dance, music, visual arts and film over the course of the two weeks. With 42 events and and more than 250 artists arriving for the festival, Adelaide will experience an influx of creative energy that culminates with the Moon Lantern Festival on 27 September – Australia's largest lantern parade. But before the sparkling finale, there is plenty to entertain, no matter what your individual creative appetite may be. Here are just a few programme highlights worth checking out.
Moon Lantern FestivalIn keeping with the Indonesian focus of this year's festival, there will be 20 events over the first 3 days featuring Indonesian artists, including Yudi Ahmad Tadjudin's production 'The Streets', a critical enquiry into Indonesia's contemporary suburban life. Melati Suryodarmo will present a live durational performance art piece across two days to kick off the beginning of the festival, while Eko Supriyanto's 'Cry Jailolo' dance piece will bring to life Indonesia's Jailolo Bay in the Dunstan Playhouse.
Cry JailoloJumping across the seas to Japan, two seriously cool acts will be making their appearance – electronic composer Ryoji Ikeda and the absolutely insane Miss Revolutionary Idol Beserker. Expect nothing less crazy than the name with Idol Beserker, this show will be a high-voltage performance and pop concert that seems set to veer dangerously out of control but never quite does, as it looks at the best and worst of consumer culture. Ikeda will be debuting his new show 'Superposition', and produces his own brand of audio visual experience, fully inundating the audience from the get-go with contemporary electronic composition and intense visual accompaniment. This a piece that is absolutely not to be missed, unless strobe lighting and high-frequency music isn't your thing.
SuperpositionIf they aren't your thing, head on over to Her Majesty's Theatre, where, among others, China's leading (and most bad ass) theatre Director Meng Jinghui will be showcasing his latest work 'Amber', a work of commentary on post-modern China. Jinghui was last in Australia to Direct Malthouse Theatre's production of 'The Good Person Of Szechaun' in 2014, and his return heralds a strengthening relationship between Chinese and Australian theatre practice.
AmberCome October, Taiwan’s M.O.V.E Theatre will present a piece inspired by the music compositions of John Cage – 'Dear John'. An immersive sound and performance work weaving original music, installation and physical theatre into an intimate theatrical event.
Dear John Delighting dance lovers, the Australian premiere of 'Play' is the result of legendary choreographer Pina Bausch championing the work of award-winning choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and dancer Shantala Shivalingappa (who is renowned for her complexity and grace on stage). Pina invited these two leading artists to collaborate and the result is breathtaking. Merging the traditional form of Indian Kuchipudi with modern dance, 'Play' intertwines two cultural forms into an astonishingly beautiful aesthetic over 2 & 3 October.
Shedding LightBlending contemporary dance, Japanese butoh, live music and digital artwork, the world premiere 'Spectra' brings together a team of visionary artists from Australia and Japan to create a stunning new production. Co-commissioned by Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival, 'Spectra' is produced and performed by Dancenorth and Twine Projects in the Space Theatre, 29 September – 1 October. Featuring choreography by rising star of Australia’s contemporary dance scene Kyle Page and featuring leading contemporary dancers from Australia alongside performers from butoh collective Batik in Tokyo, 'Spectra' also features stage design by internationally renowned digital artist Tatsuo Miyajima and live music score by Jiro Matsumoto.
Spectra If any of these don't tickle your fancy, there's another Festival first that everyone will enjoy. For 11 glorious nights of OzAsia Festival, Adelaide’s Riverbank precinct will be transformed into an Asian hawker-style market, complete with food stalls, trinket stores, lanterns and nightly entertainment to delight market-goers. The Adelaide Night Noodle Markets is the landmark OzAsia Festival event for audiences to experience Asian cuisine like no other. Markets will be held nightly 24 September – 4 October on the Riverbank Precinct and in the Dunstan Playhouse Foyer.
Night Noodle Markets The OzAsia Festival will takes place at the Adelaide Festival Centre and surrounds from 24 September – 4 October.
