The Five Best Things to See at WTF 2016
Cambodian rock, robot choreography and Maori myths lead one eclectic World Theatre Festival lineup.
The Five Best Things to See at WTF 2016
Cambodian rock, robot choreography and Maori myths lead one eclectic World Theatre Festival lineup.
Calling an event WTF isn’t something anyone should take lightly. In the case of Brisbane Powerhouse’s biannual contemporary performance showcase, the acronym fits in two ways; however the World Theatre Festival is doing everything it can to live up to the other meaning of its moniker.
That means a lineup bustling with the kinds of shows you’re unlikely to see elsewhere. Maybe they’re simply that new. Perhaps they haven’t previously graced Australian stages. Sometimes, they’re just so intent on challenging traditional definitions of theatre that there’s really nothing else like them.
Across a twelve-event program spanning February 18 to 27, that’s what you’ll find at WTF 2016. An attempt to be a better person, Cambodian rock and Maori myths feature among the schedule — and if you need help picking the best things to head along to, we’ve put together our list of the five we think are absolute must-sees.
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Back at WTF 2014, audiences were buzzing about one thing. In fact, they couldn’t get enough of Underground, with the late-night hangout — think part performance, part speakeasy — the sell-out hit of the festival.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Motherboard Productions is returning to Brisbane for WTF 2016, and that they’re bringing their blend of drinking, singing and physical theatre with them. This time, they’re tackling the tale of Shimchong, transporting the traditional Korean story to modern Australia, throwing in some revolutionary desire and getting political — all with a contemporary pop music soundtrack, of course.
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Sure, you’ve dreamed of flying like a bird — but have you ever wanted to flock like one? You might not be able to take to the skies, but you can use sound, movement and mass choreography to mimic the natural behaviour of our feathered friends while running around New Farm Park.
That’s the experiment that is Aeon, aka WTF‘s interactive, inexpensive, outdoor component. It’s also a chance for Performing Lines to premiere their latest effort in a work-in-progress performance. Here, you won’t just experience an immersive production. After the show is over, you’ll also be asked to take part in a feedback session.
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What inspires someone to go to war? We’re not talking about events and ideals — we’re wondering about the exact words used to rally the masses in support of combat.
Writer and performer Valentijn Dhaenens clearly pondered the same topic, resulting in his latest show. In BigMoutH, he stands in front of five microphones, cycles through declarations of battle, farewells, final arguments, victory speeches and eulogies, and pays tribute to 2500 years of oration. Everyone from Socrates to Mohammed Ali to Osama Bin Laden gets a mention, in a performance that both depends upon and dissects the age-old art of rhetoric.
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If movies have taught us anything, it’s that robots are going to play a big part in the future of humanity. For Taiwanese choreographer and inventor Huang Yi, that future is now. Just ask his robot companion, Kuka.
Kuka is the friend Huang Yi longed for as a child — and the feat of technology he has dedicated much of his time to as an adult. Together, they take to the stage in a display of dance and mechanical engineering. Blurring the lines between man and machine isn’t their only aspect of their WTF 2016 performance that will take your breath away; knowing that Huang Yi spent ten hours programming for every minute of Kuka’s movement is also certain to astonish.
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It’s not every day that a veteran of Andy Warhol’s Factory comes to Brisbane. Or a contemporary of Patti Smith and Debbie Harry. Or New York’s queen of the underground. Penny Arcade earns all those titles, and she’s here to tell us about it.
Actually, her latest stand-up show touches upon the stupidity of the modern age, as intertwined with pop culture soundscapes. However, with a performer this passionate and satire this sharp, you won’t get her exuberant insights without a peek at her dynamic and diverse past.
