Artists from Australia, Ireland, Korea, England, Scotland, Indonesia and the USA will assemble to bring Brisbane the best of international independent performance at the World Theatre Festival (WTF) from 13 to 23 February 2014.
WTF14 is a festival of contemporary performance and will run alongside the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) for the first time in 2014 and features works that challenge the traditional definitions of theatre.
According to Brisbane Powerhouse Artistic Director Kris Stewart WTF 2014 is a home for international contemporary performance that crosses boundaries.
“This year for WTF we’ve got independent theatre flavoured with circus, dance, opera, soul music and video games, as well as collaborations between artists from opposite sides of the globe,” says Stewart.
“If you’ve ever wondered what partying in a South Korean speak-easy, twirling like an acrobat or absorbing Beckett from a rocking chair would be like you should check out this year’s line-up – it’s a smorgasbord of contemporary performance.”
The UK’s Il Pixel Rosso present The Great Spavaldos, an immersive video-goggle romp through the world of circus and Ireland’s Pan Pan Theatre bring Samuel Beckett’s radio play All That Fall to life with dozens of rocking chairs, hundreds of lights and a sound recording.
Music lovers are invited to A Boy and His Soul, Broadway star Colman Domingo’s show about soul music, growing up and coming out. There’s also Opera Queensland and Dance North’s Abandon which sees Handel’s works interpreted by a team of fashion designers, contemporary dancers, musicians and opera singers.
Those looking to party should check out Underground, set in a South-Korean speak-easy and Mario Queen of the Circus presents: His Crown Jewels, as both shows combine elements of pop culture, installation art, circus, dance, song and theatre and promise a raucous night out.
Collaborations for WTF2014 include Indigenous performer Dalisa Pigram and Belgian choreographer Koen Augustijnen for dance theatre piece Gudirr Gudirr and playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer and circus performer Chelsea McGuffin will hold the world premiere of She Would Walk The Sky – commissioned by Brisbane Powerhouse.
Families are invited to Wedhus Gembel, a show by Australian and Indonesian artists which combines Indonesian mythology, live music and giant puppets to create an exploration of monsters and nature. Winner of awards at both Auckland and Melbourne Fringe festivals is Black Faggot – a two-hander comedy and exploration into homophobia in New Zealand communities.
The World Theatre Festival runs from 13 to 23 February 2014 at the Brisbane Powerhouse. For more information, visit: www.brisbanepowerhouse.org for details.
Image: All That Fall – image by Ros Kavanagh