Three shows that will be presented exclusively at the 2016 Adelaide Festival of Arts have driven early box office success.
Pina Bausch’s legendary Nelken has become the fastest selling dance show in the 55-year history of the festival, reaching 74% of box office in just eight weeks. Theatre sales are also strong with Scottish theatrical blockbuster, The James Plays well over halfway to its target.
After selling in excess of 18,000 tickets since launch, a further 2,000 tickets have been added to the surface of Adelaide Oval for Groupe F’s explosive audio-visual spectacular, A Fleur de Peau.
“Bringing the highest quality and large-scale international works to South Australia is a cornerstone of Adelaide Festival,” says Adelaide Festival of Arts Chief Executive Karen Bryant. “These exclusive Australian debuts play a significant role in maintaining the festival’s reputation as one of the country’s major destination events and driving the state’s tourism industry.”
“These shows have helped to tip box office sales past the $1million point this month, well ahead of previous years, and we’re thrilled that they have resonated so strongly with audiences.”
After debuting at the festival in 1982 in their first ever Australian performance, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch returns to Adelaide in 2016. The influential dance-theatre piece, described by The Guardian UK as “one of the most breathtaking designs in dance history,” is a surreal and striking spectacle from one of the most significant choreographers of our time.
Proving an equally unstoppable force, the 11-hour epic trilogy, The James Plays has been described by The Telegraph as “an astonishing dramatic achievement” and “the finest history plays ever penned”. Audiences have jumped at the chance to see the kind of historic theatre experience synonymous with the festival, following in the giant footsteps of Roman Tragedies and The Mahabharata. The James Plays promises to be an equally momentous theatrical event.
Earlier this year French maestros of light and fire Groupe F’s stadium spectacular became the fastest selling festival show ever after selling upwards of 10,000 tickets in only three days. Eight weeks on there are just 4,000 tickets left for this dazzling one-night-only event, which will mark the opening weekend of Adelaide Festival 2016.
The 2016 Adelaide Festival of Arts runs 26 February – 14 March. For more information, visit: www.adelaidefestival.com.au for details.
Image: Nelken, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch – photo by Oliver Look