Ten Things You Absolutely Have to See at Melbourne Festival 2017

With all these ‘Rocket Man’ and wild weather events going on, the apocalypse sometimes feels like it’s just around the corner. In this witty and deeply sardonic two-day event at Arts House, a series of Australian artists come together to present the ultimate survival guide to helping their fellow creatives outlast the rest of society when the world finally meets its demise. Hosted by some artists who’ve just about seen it all – including Lois Weaver, Lawrence Leung, Alice Pung and Sarah Jane Pell – audiences will receive a DIY guide to surviving off weeds, living on the moon and disappearing off the grid once and for all.

American musician, playwright and drag performer Taylor Mac headlines this year’s Melbourne Festival with centrepiece event A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, an epic performance covering 240 years of American pop culture across 24 hours of on-stage spectacle. The Inauguration is Taylor’s compressed version, a 90-minute performance that hits the major musical milestones. Accompanied by his five-piece band, Taylor takes the audience on a journey through the chaotic and contested history of the United States. While not quite as epic as the full version, The Inauguration still promises to be a fascinating encounter with one of the world’s most acclaimed stage acts.

Singaporean artist Sam Lo has been causing a bit of a stir for years now, offering up urban works that provide sharp social commentary and reimagine current political issues. Formally known as Sticker Lady due to her constant sticker pasting runs and graffiti works (which landed her in trouble with the Singaporean authorities), Lo’s interactive work Progress: A Game of Leaders invites the audience to take on roles in the building of a hypothetical nation. Asking participants to consider how the newly founded country’s funds should be spent and what should be prioritised, players fight to become the nation’s leader – often leading to catastrophic outcomes.

English indietronica band Hot Chip has been helping crowds break into uncontrollable dance for the better part of two decades with numerous world tours and several critically acclaimed albums under its belt. For Melbourne Festival, Hot Chip frontman Alexis Taylor leaves the band at home to perform his third solo record – Listen With(out) Piano – a deeply personal project exploring the breakup of his parents, the first time he cried listening to music and the death of his friend, Vince Sipprell. This intimate performance will feature Taylor’s iconic voice in full-flight as he performs cuts from his new album, alongside Hot Chip favourites updated for the piano.

Those familiar with Terrence Malik’s films will be all too aware of his fondness for exploring the human condition through esoteric and cryptic imagery. Acclaimed for pictures such as Badlands, The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life, Voyage of Time sees Malik delve into his most ambitious subject yet, producing a “scientific chronology of Earth” and documenting the history of the universe. Narrated by Aussie actress Cate Blanchett – and presented alongside the 100-member-strong Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus – Voyage of Time explores both the macro and micro aspects of the universe, and tests Malik’s filmic imagination to the fullest.

Described as a cinema without the film, French artists Romain Bermond and Jean-Baptiste Maillet’s Dark Circus sees the duo project striking silhouettes onto the big screen. Dark Circus tells the story of an “unhappy circus” – one where the human cannonball meets his demise and the lion tamer has the tables turned on him. Bermond and Maillet expertly interweave light, shadow and negative space – along with a light-hearted funk and soul soundtrack – to create a deeply tongue-in-cheek performance that seemingly brings a story to life out of nothing.

Leading a super-group of Australian musical acts, dreamy Melbourne-based pop artist Ella Thompson has joined forces with Clio Renner, Sui Zhen, Prue Stent and Honey Long to present Thompson’s latest release: Like Running Water. Thompson has become one of Melbourne’s most lauded musicians over the past few years, described as a chameleon of the scene with a series of eclectic releases alongside the likes of The Bamboos, Dorsal Fins, GL and through her own self-titled projects. For Like Running Water, the group unite their individual prowess, combining pop vocals, string and wood quartets, and thumping electronic compositions, while continuing their thematic exploration of water and its physical and figurative energy.

Poet Robert Frost once said “if we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane”. This idea is explored through the latest exhibition at MUMA, which features newly-commissioned and recent works by a selection of six leading local and international artists. Presented in association with Melbourne Festival 2017, The humours offers a range of works that use comedy and absurdity to explore deeper issues around race, work, gender and politics. More than just an exhibition of funny art, The humours is interested in the underlying strategies of comedy – how stand-up comedians and late-night TV hosts deal with serious issues using physical movement, dialogue, exaggerations of scale and absurdity.

When last year’s Dark MOFO program dropped, House of Mirrors immediately rocketed to the top of everyone’s must-do list. Created by Australian installation artists Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney, it’s exactly what it sounds like: a walkthrough space filled with reflective surfaces that will not only strands you in a maze of your own image, but turns your likeness into a kaleidoscope. From October 5–22, the mirror maze will take over the Arts Centre Melbourne for 18 days of reflective roaming, with the modern, minimalist twist on the fairground classic featuring 40 tonnes of steel and 15 tonnes of mirrors. We suggest going at sunset so you can see it while the sun’s still up and when it’s lit up after-dark.

For what is bound to be an audio and visual feast, Tree of Codes sees three contemporary creative legends come together for a performance that’s wowed audiences around the world.

Celebrated choreographer Wayne McGregor leads the Paris Opera Ballet, alongside his own renowned dance organisation, Company Wayne McGregor, for this performance that combines classic and contemporary ballet with the trademark designs of admired Danish-Icelandic installation artist Olafur Elliason, who throughout his career has pushed the boundaries of light, colour and perspective. Last but not least, Jamie xx — who is best known for his work as producer for much-loved UK band The xx — provides the soundscape for Tree of Codes, which provides the perfect backdrop to a performance that’s been described as an “artistic triumph”.