The Ten Best Things to See at the Melbourne Festival 2014

It's that time of year again. The sprawling Fringe program is winding up and the stages are getting a little bigger. The 2014 Melbourne Festival kicks off on Friday, October 10, and our local favourites are teaming up with big name international acts. Over the next month you can ride a golden carrousel inside the NGV, be serenaded by a choir of 40 young European girls, and hear The Avalanche's 'Frontier Psychiatrist' like never before. Seamlessly blending the worlds of 'high' and 'low' culture, this year's program is jam-packed with circus, dance, and giant fighting manga people. Get ahead of the hype and book your tickets now.

MPavilion

While not technically an event at Melbourne Festival, this is definitely a thing to see. Inspired by the pop up spaces at London's Serpentine Gallery, arts patron and philanthropist Naomi Pilgrim has commissioned something amazing to pop up on St Kilda Road. Designed by Australian architect Sean Godsell, MPavilion will be an innovative pavilion space in the Queen Victoria Gardens that will play host to 118 free events. The structure, open to the public from October 7 until February 2015, will also host a large component of events from the Melbourne Festival. Though we're yet to see the space, we imagine it'll be the perfect place to kick back and relax between shows; a flowery refuge from the buzz of the city.

October 7 - February 2015, Queen Victoria Gardens (opposite NGV International), Free.

Golden Mirror Carrousel

Recreating the amusement and festivities of the fairground with an important touch of luxe, Belgian artist Carsten Höller is bringing his golden mirror carrousel down under to the NGV. Höller has been exhibiting fully-functional carrousels in galleries in the US and Europe for some time now, but his attractions always have a crucial difference from what you might find at the Royal Melbourne Show. In the past, he has altered the speed or rotation of the carousel to slightly disorient or confuse visitors, but recently he's been focussed on surface material. A plain mirror carrousel was exhibited in New York a few years ago, now we get the upgraded version. I It's sure to bring a few smiles and selfies along the way, but don't expect any showbags or dagwood dogs after the ride.

October 10 - March 2015, National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International), Free.

Complexity of Belonging

Enjoying its world premiere at this year's Melbourne Festival, there are quite a few reasons why Complexity of Belonging is piquing our interest. First, it kills two birds with one stone. Both theatre and dance are looking like strong elements of the program this year and with this outstanding new work you'll get a taste of both. And, the same could be said of its creators — in a festival packed full of exciting Asian and European works, Complexity of Belonging is one of the few international co-productions with Australia. Our beloved MTC and Chunky Move have joined forces with German playwright and director Falk Richter. Exploring the age of social media with the help of five dancers and four actors, the show is shaping up to be an unique and dynamic experience on stage.

October 6 - 25, Southbank Theatre, The Sumner, $40-79.

When the Mountain Changed its Clothing

The Melbourne Festival is certainly living up to its big reputation with this one. Flying in 40 young singers from the Vocal Theatre Carmina Slovenica, When the Mountain Changed its Clothing is an epic international show which defies categorisation. Under the direction of legendary director and composer Heiner Goebbels, the show combines storytelling, dance, and song as it examines the transition from childhood to adulthood. Utilising texts from intellectual greats like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Gertrude Stein and Marina Abramovic, the work is incredibly far from conventional theatre. With just four performances scheduled in this first Australian run, we suggest you jump on tickets now. This is a curious piece people will be keen to figure out.

October 23 - 26, Arts Centre, State Theatre, $49-129.

Opus

If you like your circus bright, gawdy and replete with peanuts and fairy floss, this is not the show for you. Off the back of five-star reviews in the UK, Opus comes to us from the local legends at Circa as they team up with France's Debussy Quartet. Combining world-class classical music and spellbinding acts of grace and endurance, the show presents a fusion of styles that hasn't really been seen on Australian stages. Intensifying this dynamic, the musicians will in fact be seated on stage while playing the work of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. High energy and high concept, it might be best to leave the kids at home.

October 17 - 19, Arts Centre, State Theatre, $25-79.

Pop Crimes

Rowland S. Howard never quite got the notoriety he deserved. Known for his work in The Birthday Party and his iconic song 'Shivers' that was later famously covered by Nick Cave, Howard was an incredibly influential and inventive musician for well over three decades but his sound was always on the fringes. Now, five years after his death, his seminal 2009 album Pop Crimes is being treated to some serious fanfare on the big stage. These two shows at the Festival Hub will see Howard's old bandmates and key collaborators pay tribute to the fallen great. This will include old faithful like Mick Harvey and Harry Howard as well as newbies like Adalita among others. Get ready for some shivers.

October 23-24, Foxtel Festival Hub, $45.

Since I Suppose

Arguably the most innovative show of the festival, Since I Suppose takes you on a journey through the city with an interactive and intimate show that teeters on the edge of theatre and live art. Experienced by just two people at a time, the work reinterprets Shakespeare's Measure for Measure through filmed action on a handheld device. Site-specific moments will blur the distinctions between film and reality, and audio elements will create a wholly unique experience. Co-created by Richard Jordan Productions and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the show's US run was sold-out before the season even opened. It finished sporting 5-star reviews. As each experience is so unique, there's not much more we can tell you. But watch this space: we'll definitely be trying it out for ourselves.

October 15-26, CBD to North Melbourne, $45-65.

Since I Left You

'You're a nut! You're crazy in the coconut!' Throw your head back to 2000, you're going to need all the lyrics to 'Frontier Psychiatrist' for this one. In tribute to The Avalanches' legendary album Since I Left You, Sydney's Astral People and Jonti are performing the entire thing live on stage. That might not sound like the most amazing of accomplishments, but it really needs to be put in perspective. This genius patchwork of an album was made from more than 3,500 samples. It's game-changing electronic music that was never meant to be performed live. But that won't stop these guys. Astral People and Jonti will be joined by a 17-piece orchestra. We've never been so pumped to hear some violins.

October 10-11, Foxtel Festival Hub, $45.

Marzo

With costumes like these, this dance work from Dewey Dell is sure to be anything but dull. Well known for their bizarre antics on stage, this Italian company has teamed up with Japanese artists Kuro Tanino and Yuichi Yukoyama to utilise a manga aesthetic. In neon power suits and Daft Punk helmets these dancers are going to war, exploring love and hate in a surreal futuristic plane of existence. This is the closest thing you're ever going to see to Yoshimi battling the pink robots in real life. Do not pass it up.

Art as a Verb

The days of art being pristine and untouched are long gone. Art these days wants to get all up in your face. It's cheeky and inappropriate. Sometimes it involves dancing naked in a gallery. Taking these ideas to the extreme, MUMA is presenting Art as a Verb: a group retrospective of interactive, performance based works. Exhibiting pieces from Marina Abramovic, Vito Acconci, Francis Alyss, Mike Parr, Yoko Ono and many more, this show asks you to get your hands dirty. With people masturbating under floorboards and sewing their lips shut, it's pretty clear — art is no longer just about pretty oil paintings.

October 3-16, Monash University Museum of Art, Free.

To see the full program, head over to the Melbourne Festival website.