The pulse of Perth is beating fast at the moment with Fringe World shows taking over the city, and it won’t slow down with the 68th edition of the Perth Festival following soon after. With over 950 shows and events on offer until March, you are probably feeling a bit lost and frustrated…and that’s okay! Festivals always start like this.
To help you make your choice during these frenzied festival times, here is our selection of shows we’ve already booked our tickets for the Perth Festival.
Anthem by Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkas & Irine Vela
Anthem
12-16 February | Heath Ledger Theatre
Produced by our Melbourne office in association with Arts Centre Melbourne, Anthem has been THE performance we’ve been most excited to see this season. The show just finished at Sydney Festival with rave reviews.
This daring work sees the writers behind Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? (Patricia Cornelius, Andrew Bovell, Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkas & Irine Vela) come together again to explore the faultlines that divide Australian society. The play is a funny and ferocious portrait of a country unable to reconcile its past, uncertain of its future and political vision. More info>
BONUS WORKSHOP – The Making of Anthem with Susie Dee (FREE)
Join Susie Dee, Director of Anthem, to hear how to make a festival work of scale. Open to theatre directors with a minimum of 2years directing experience, learn about the history of the work including Who’s Afraid of the Working Class?, and the Melbourne Workers Theatre, as well as the process of making Anthem. From development through to rehearsal, production and remount, this is a chance to get first hand insight into how Anthem was made and develop your own directorial practice along the way. EOIs close Mon 3 February. More info>
Mám
26-29 February | Heath Ledger Theatre
After the triumph of Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, a heart-stopping work that was a festival highlight for many last year, Michael Keegan-Dolan and Teaċ Daṁsa return to Perth with MÁM. Part myth, part magic, this is international dance-theatre at its finest. More info>
Mám by Teaċ Daṁsa
Black Ties by John Harvey & Tainui Tukiwaho
Black Ties
13-16 February | Studio Underground
We would go and see anything Rachael Maza directs, in a heart-beat! Add into the mix a reimagined wedding rom-com, stellar Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori artists and a live score of black anthem and wedding classics – this one is a no-brainer. Prepare to go in for the laughs and come out with your heart warmed. More info>
BONUS WORKSHOP – Directing with Rachael Maza (FREE)
In this workshop you will have the opportunity to work with one of Australia’s most successful directors to learn about how to navigate cultural protocols when working with community across each stage of directing theatre. With a focus on directing First Nations work, there will also be discussion around story ownership, and who can tell what story. EOIs close Mon 3 February. More info>
Bungul
7-9 February | Perth Concert Hall
In his opening address at the festival launch, Iain Grandage promised us moments of reflection and celebration throughout this year’s festival. Bungul is just that. A majestic union of two disparate worlds, we are offered an immersive and unique experience into the extraordinary power, understanding and beauty of Yolnu culture. More info>
Tao of Glass by Philip Glass & Phelim McDermott
Tao of Glass
19-23 February | Heath Ledger Theatre
A story has the ability to transcend time, space and hearts if it lands in the hands of a master storyteller. Tao of Glass is eternal and poignant; conceived and performed by theatrical alchemist Phelim McDermott and Composer Philip Glass, this is their most personal collaboration yet. A highly-personal monologue about the nature of creativity, memory and personal identity, the result is a warm, fun and utterly compelling fusion of music, theatre and puppetry. More info>
Leviathan
26 Feb – 1 March | Heath Ledger Theatre
National meets local in this collaboration between CO3 Australia, Circus Maxima, CircusWA and national legends, CIRCA. An exhilarating experience that is sure to stun with CIRCA’s trademark acrobatics, this high energy show with 36 performers hanging from a grid, promises to be an epic night of dramatic power and extreme skills. More info>>
Leviathan by CIRCA in collaboration with CO:3 Australia, Circus Maxima and CircusWA
