Nine Must-See World Premieres at Sydney Festival 2017
From nude dance performances to installations involving your nose.
Nine Must-See World Premieres at Sydney Festival 2017
in partnership with
From nude dance performances to installations involving your nose.
Each January, as the temperature rises and languid afternoons stretch into sparkling nights, the city comes alive with the three-week carnival that is the Sydney Festival. Now in its 41st year, Australia's biggest annual arts fest transforms our city into a creative playground, filling our summer with a generous helping of culture. With hundreds of performances ranging from thought-provoking theatre to innovative dance and awe-inspiring circus, the Festival's program is always packed with choices for a night out — and 2017 is no exception.
To help you make the most of next year's panoply of offerings, we've highlighted eight stand-out shows. All world premiere performances that can be seen for the first time in Sydney, these performances and installations — including dance, opera, and visual arts — promise to be a feast for the senses. Sydney Festival is iconic for bringing together somewhat unusual collaborations, such as the Sydney Dance Company and the AGNSW for Nude:Live.
All up there are 16 world premieres at Sydney Festival 2017. We've picked out our favourites. If you can only fit in a few shows this summer, make sure at least one of these is on your list.
Top Image: Nude Live.
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We’re nearing the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum — a crucial milestone in the ongoing struggle for the rights of Indigenous people in Australia. 1967: Music in the Key of Yes at Sydney Festival 2017 is a celebration of this iconic civil rights victory.
If you need more context, in May 1967, as civil rights movements worldwide were at their peak, the referendum to remove passages in the Australian constitution which discriminated against Aboriginal people passed with a ‘Yes’ vote of over 90 percent.
During this dramatic show at the Sydney Opera House, some of the greatest songs from the civil rights movement will be performed reinterpeted by Aboriginal musicians Dan Sultan, Thelma Plum, Radical Son and Ursula Yovich. There’s only one performance — and it’s sure to sell out quickly. -
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This deeply moving exhibition presents the portraits painted by Myuran Sukumaran — the Australian executed in Indonesia in 2015—during his incarceration in Bali’s Kerobokan jail. The powerful paintings, exhibited for the first time since Sukumaran’s death, explore themes of compassion, forgiveness, and freedom. Curated by Sukumaran’s friend and mentor Ben Quilty, and Michael Dagostino, the exhibit also features works on the death penalty and human rights by leading local artists.
You can see it at Campbelltown Arts Centre from January 13 to 26. Entry is free.
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This stirring piece by famed Indonesian choreographer Eko Supriyanto explores the diverse roles women play in the country’s society. With choreography inspired by traditional Indonesian martial arts, and performed by five young female dancers from the remote coastal town of Jailolo, Balabala will pull at your heartstrings and challenge your perceptions.
Balabala will be performed at Carriageworks from January 7-10.
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Sixteenth-century polymath Geromalo Cardano was a man of many talents. The inventor of algebra (can you imagine having that on your resume?) was also a renowned philosopher, doctor, astrologer, and gambler. Biographica, a stunning contemporary opera by composer Mary Finsterer and librettist Tom Wright, brings Cardano’s (played by Mitchell Butel) fascinating life soaring vividly into the twenty-first-century.
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Visit any museum and it is immediately clear what a central role the human body, especially in nude form, plays in both historical and modern art. Nude Live, a collaboration between the Sydney Dance Company and the Art Gallery of NSW, features dancers responding to the imagery of works from London’s Tate collection. They will be dancing, and they will be naked. Choreographed by the infinitely creative SDC’s Artistic Director, Rafael Bonachela, this intimate journey will leave you feeling inspired by the miracle of the human form.
Nude Live will be on at the Art Gallery of NSW on January 7–10, 15–17, 22 & 23. Performances start at 6pm and 7.30pm. Tickets are standing only, and you have to be at least 16-years-old to get inside (there’s nudity).
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From the perfume that reminds you of a particular person to the scent of freshly-baked cookies that brings you back to your childhood kitchen, our noses play a key role in our most treasured (and not so treasured) recollections. In her innovative installation Scent of Sydney, Cat Jones encourages us to use our olfactory system to gain a new understanding of our city. Exploring themes like democracy and resistance, this immersive piece will give you a fresh perspective on the metropolis we call home.
You can see the installation from January 7 to 29, but it’s closed on Mondays. Talks by Cat Jones are on January 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, and 25. It’s all free to attend.
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This beautiful piece by Aboriginal playwright Nathan Maynard — his first full-length play— will move you to both tears and laughter. Performed by an all-Indigenous cast, the play takes us into the lives of the Duncan family on Dog Island in the Bass Strait.
Set during the six-week muttonbird harvest season, the play deftly explores the enduring themes of family and belonging. The Season will be performed seven times at the Sydney Opera House, taking place from January 10 to 15.
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To understand why Brisbane-based, extreme acrobatics circus troupe Circa has gained such a dedicated global following, look no further than their new show Humans. In this world premiere, Circa’s award-winning director Yaron Lifschitz fuses jaw-dropping acrobatics with contemporary dance and theatre in a joyous celebration of what it means to be human. See amazing poses like the one above, as performers explore the physical limits of their bodies and push themselves to the extreme, as they question how much we can take as humans.
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Champions, the latest work by critically-acclaimed choreographer Martin del Amo, merges contemporary dance and—get ready for this—soccer. The show features a stellar cast of eleven female contemporary dancers playing out a choreographed soccer match, from warm-up drills to celebratory dances.
Developed in collaboration with the Western Sydney Wanderers Women’s League and featuring fun commentary by Channel Seven sports presenter Mel McLaughlin, this unique show is an exuberant display of athletic prowess and creativity.
