MEDIA KIT 2015 - Brisbane Festival · 456 shows, seven world and 13 Australian premieres, four new commissions and a new Festival Village at South Bank named ‘Arcadia’ that will

PRIZE FIGHTER

MEDIA KIT 2015

Brisbane Festival overview 1

TheatrePrize Fighter 4Macbeth 6The Importance of Being Earnest 8Beautiful One Day 10

DanceFlexn 12Le Cargo 14RAPcity 16Desirelines 17

MusicCoup Fatal 20A State of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley 22Rise for the Oceans 24Cabinet of Curiosities 26Black Angels 28Thum Prints 30Symphony for me 32QSO & Simone Young 33Paul Lewis 34Renée Fleming 35Front Yard Music – Extended Play 37Made in France 38

CabaretVelvet 39Lady Rizo 41Hot Brown Honey 43

CircusIl Ritorno 45Fear & Delight 47FLOWN 48

The SpiegeltentThe Spiegeltent overview 50Club Swizzle 52Megan Washington 54Conrad Sewell 56Charlie Lim 58Halfway 60We Two Thieves 62Los Coronas 64Bahamas 65Fox Capture Plan 67

FamilyFamily events overview 68

Theatre RepublicTheatre Republic overview 70Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It 72Best Of 74Dead Royal 76Richard II 78The Voice in the Walls 80

Visual ArtsTreasury Lights 83goa Project 84Art From the Margins 86Perception 88William Jolly Bridge Art Projections 89Experimenta Recharge 90

FilmFilm events overview 91

BRISBANE FESTIVAL MEDIA KIT 2015

CONTENTS

Thursday 25 June 2015

Brisbane Festival 2015 - 456 ways to indulge in September

Brisbane Festival today revealed Artistic Director David Berthold’s first program - an unprecedented line-up boasting 456 shows, seven world and 13 Australian premieres, four new commissions and a new Festival Village at South Bank named ‘Arcadia’ that will occupy a site five times the size of previous years.

Stars including Bernard Fanning, Megan Washington, Tim Winton, Martha Wainwright, Tom Thum, Lady Rizo, Marcia Hines, Paul Lewis and Renee Fleming will join exciting emerging talents in Brisbane from 5 to 26 September.

A stunning mix of the meaty and merry, embracing dance, theatre, circus, cabaret, opera, hip hop, film, visual arts and more, will see Brisbane Festival circumnavigate the globe, bringing some of the most provocative and innovative performances ever to grace Australian stages from 11 countries and five continents.

Premier and Minister for the Arts, Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government supported Brisbane Festival with an annual investment of $5.14 million through Arts Queensland.

“Brisbane Festival is a major cultural and tourism drawcard, bringing together international and local productions, and providing a showcase for Queensland companies and talent,” the Premier said.

From the USA, Flexn is a new, politically charged work from street dance pioneer Regg Roc and Peter Sellars, arguably America’s greatest living theatre and opera director, created in an era of unrest following the rulings on Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York.

Exclusive to Brisbane Festival, Flexn is accompanied by Beautiful One Day, which tells the very Australian story of the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee in police custody on Palm Island and the subsequent uprisings.

To complement Flexn’s Brooklyn roots is a collection of Australian street-inspired shows: Hot Brown Honey’s all-female feats of hip hop passion and politics; beatboxing virtuoso Tom Thum’s collaboration with Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) Thum Prints; and RAW Dance Company’s free opening day dance-off RAPCity.

Four outstanding productions from or inspired by Democratic Republic of Congo will shine a light on the war-ravaged yet vivacious nation. All premieres, exclusive to Brisbane Festival, they include:

The staggeringly good Coup Fatal by dance theatre living legend Alain Platel, countertenor Serge Kakudji and 13 musicians from Kinshasa; Macbeth recast with Congolese warlords by provocative South African director Brett Bailey; Le Cargo by dancer/choreographer Faustin Linyekula; and Prize Fighter, a world-premiere Congo-to-Brisbane story by one of Australia’s most exciting young playwrights.

To mark its 50th anniversary of independence, Singapore is also under the spotlight with five exclusive shows: The Importance of Being Earnest by Singapore’s “sexiest theatre company” W!LD RICE; a compelling one woman show, Best Of; and music courtesy of T’ang Quartet, Margaret Leng Tan and Charlie Lim.

(CONTINUED OVERLEAF)

BRISBANE FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

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The Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Councillor Graham Quirk said there would be an incredible 164 free events in September.

“From a free QSO concert Symphony for Me to the Clem Jones City Hall Concerts to the incredible Sunsuper Riverfire, everyone will have the opportunity to be a part of the celebrations,” Cr Quirk said.

Managing Director at Treasury Casino & Hotel, the Principal Partner of Brisbane Festival, Geoff Hogg said he was thrilled to announce a new free event – Treasury Lights.

“Following the tremendous success of the Colour Me Brisbane lightshow on Treasury’s façade during last year’s G20 cultural celebrations, we are delighted to ignite our beautiful buildings yet again with a light and sound spectacular for all of Brisbane to enjoy,” Mr Hogg said.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said that some big subjects would be explored, including colonial legacies, environmental issues and the relationship between race and authority, but among the serious conversations there would be some serious fun.

“A festival should offer a myriad of pathways. People can see single shows that catch the eye, but part of the exhilaration is to see shows that connect and cumulate,” Mr Berthold said.

“We are creating fabulous festival hubs where everyone can gather, eat, drink and converse. Do not miss out on three weeks of new worlds and magical memories that will lift your spirits beyond the drum and dust of daily life.”

The new Brisbane Festival Village – Arcadia – will have two big performance tents, fabulous food and four bars, games, 3D chalk installations, sensational shows, mind-blowing music and much more. Club Swizzle and Fear & Delight, presented by Audi – the newest, delicious, decadent shows from the makers of La Soirée and LIMBO – play nightly in the two tents.

Cabaret and circus lovers can also indulge in the boogie wonderland of Velvet with Marcia Hines, the award-winning family show FLOWN from the UK’s Pirates of the Carabina at The Courier-Mail Piazza and Il Ritorno, a world premiere work from Brisbane’s incredible, internationally celebrated company Circa.

Music lovers can revel in nightly shows in The Spiegeltent including Megan Washington and 4ZZZ is Forty - a star-studded celebration of the last four decades - and opera experiences from the baroque to romantic eras and beyond.

A State of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley will feature Martha Wainwright, Casper Clausen, Willy Mason, Camille O’Sullivan, Steve Kilbey and Cold Specks, led by Gary Lucas with his band Gods and Monsters.

Tim Winton, Bernard Fanning, Katie Noonan, Jessica Watson, Professor Iain McCalman and Ignatius Jones will join forces for the world premiere of Rise for the Oceans, a multimedia tribute to Australia’s marine ecosystem.


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Theatre Republic at QUT’s Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove, will once again be a pulsing festival hub -bringing an insurgence of thought-provoking and politically charged works with headline acts including Adrienne Truscott. Audiences are invited to linger in the Theatre Republic garden bar with a nightly program of free music and artist chats, and tempting artisan tastes.

“There is so much more in the 2015 program - backyard film screenings, artist talks, the National Indigenous Theatre Forum, art and photography exhibitions and countless free performances, with Sunsuper Riverfire capping it all spectacularly,” David Berthold said.

“The best way to discover something for you is to hit the Brisbane Festival website or come down to Arcadia at South Bank and immerse yourself in its wonders.”

Brisbane Festival is proudly supported by its Principal Partner, Treasury Casino and Hotel.

Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council and runs from 5 to 26 September 2015. For more information visit brisbanefestival.com.au.

ENDS

For all media enquiries, contact Agency NorthDawn Hewitt | 0434 883 880 | [email protected] Jaishri Johnstone | 0404 188 615 | [email protected]

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Prize Fighter

World premiere play puts realities of the Congo in the boxing ringEmotive theatre work Prize Fighter will make its world premiere at Brisbane Festival from Saturday 5 to Saturday 26September 2015, bringing the voice of the Congo to La Boite Theatre Company inspired by up and coming playwright Future D. Fidel’s own story of fleeing the war torn country.

A co-production between Brisbane Festival and La Boite, Prize Fighter will transform the Roundhouse Theatre, Australia's only purpose-built theatre-in-the-round, into a spectacular boxing arena showcasing the story of Isa, a talented young Congolese boxer.

Played by Pacharo Mzembe, one of Queensland’s most talented young actors, Isa’s powerful left hook offers a new life in Australia, but as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career he is faced with his greatest opponent – his past.

After being orphaned by war and forced to become a child soldier by the very people who killed his family, Isa struggles to confront his past as the production transcends in time and space between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Australia.

Prize Fighter is the debut play of Future D. Fidel, a Playwright-in-Residence at La Boite, who was forced to flee from the DRC as a child following the civil war in 1996. After eight years in a Tanzanian refugee camp, Fidel and his siblings were granted refugee status in Australia and travelled to Brisbane.

Pacharo Mzembe performs alongside his brother, Gideon Mzembe, and Sophia Emberson-Bain, forming an all-Brisbane cast in lead roles. At a young age, the two Mzembe brothers came to Australia from Malawi with their parents, their casting celebrating the local African Australian community.

This year Brisbane Festival has programed the Congo Connection series, which brings five works focusing on the Congo to Festival audiences, including Macbeth, Prize Fighter, Coup Fatal, and Le Cargo.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said despite his challenging start in life, Future was an incredible success story, having been awarded the Young African Australian Star Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2014.

“Prize Fighter is a confronting story that will touch local audiences by revealing the unspoken realities of the Congo, and the adversities faced by those living there,” Mr Berthold said.

“Written with incredible authenticity, this work will be undeniably emotive for audiences, through the strong connection between the protagonist’s life and that of Future himself.

“Premiering on the opening night of Brisbane Festival, we expect Prize Fighter to be a highlight of the 2015 program that will set the tone for the rest of the Congo Connections series.”

Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council and runs from 5 to 26September 2015. For more information visit brisbanefestival.com.au.

Prize Fighter is presented by Brisbane Festival and La Boite Theatre Company.


PRIZE FIGHTER

THEATRE

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ENDS

For all media enquiries, contact Agency NorthMichaela Tam | 0431 868 382 | [email protected] Hewitt | 0434 883 880 | [email protected]

WHEN: Sat 5 to Sat 26 Sept 2015WHERE: Roundhouse Theatre, La BoiteDURATION: 90 minutes TICKETS: Adults from $44, Concession from $30, Student from $25, Youth (30 & under) from $30 (not available on Preview performances), VIP Package from $53 (including ticket, program & drink) ($3.20 fee applies per transaction)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or La Boite on 07 3007 8600 MORE INFORMATION: This production contains haze effects, violence, sexual references and adult themes. Meet the Artists forum following the Wed 16 Sept performance. The Sat 19 Sept 2pm Matinee performance will be AUSLAN interpreted.

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Macbeth

Macbeth becomes Congolese warlord in Australian premiere at Brisbane FestivalA radical retelling of Macbeth, the classic tale of ambition and tyranny by provocative South African theatre-maker Brett Bailey will appear exclusively at QPAC’s Playhouse from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 September for Brisbane Festival 2015.

Set in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the appropriation of Verdi’s opera Macbeth -turning it into a thrilling 80-minute ride - unashamedly shines a light on the under-reported mineral resources war raging in the country that has killed millions in the past 20 years.

The plot sees a group of Congolese refugees stumble upon a trunk filled with sheet music, costumes and gramophone recordings of Macbeth.

The theatrical paraphernalia is the catalyst for a dramatic retelling with the Macbeths as warlords and the three witches as double-crossing businessmen, while Dunsinane is transported to the Great Lakes region of Central Africa.

Macbeth has been adapted from Verdi’s original score by Belgian composer Fabrizio Cassol, who also collaborated on Congolese baroque music theatre work Coup Fatal - another Australian premiere exclusive to Brisbane at this year’s Festival.

Ten rich-voiced South African singers and a 12-piece on-stage chamber orchestra, the spirited trans-Balkan No Borders Orchestra, will perform under the baton of Serbian conductor Premil Petrovic.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Brett Bailey’s radical reworking of Macbeth was a theatrical triumph.

“I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen Macbeth. But when I saw Brett’s version, I saw the story afresh and knew it had to be seen in Brisbane. Its theatrical mastery, musical energy and striking wit are all at the service of shedding direct light onto issues that are often too complex for the media,” Mr Berthold said.

“This is indisputably a great night at the theatre, with almost 30 brilliant artists on stage, and I’m so happy we were able to secure it exclusively for Brisbane Festival.”

Macbeth premiered in Cape Town in 2014 at Artscape and has toured across the globe, earning five star reviews.

Brett Bailey is the Artistic Director of Third World Bunfight whose controversial art installation Exhibit B sparked protests across Europe with performances cancelled at London’s Barbican last year.

This year Brisbane Festival has programed a series of productions focused on the Congo including Macbeth, Prize Fighter, Coup Fatal, and Le Cargo.



MACBETH

THEATRE

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Macbeth is presented by Brisbane Festival and Opera Queensland in association with Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

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WHEN: Tue 15 to Sat 19 Sept 2015WHERE: Playhouse, QPACDURATION: 100 minutesTICKETS: Adults from $55, Concession from $50, Groups $55 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46MORE INFORMATION: This production contains adult themes, coarse language, violence, strobe and sound pressure effects. Sung in Italian with English projected surtitles.

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The Importance of Being Earnest

Singapore’s leading director stages Wilde’s comic masterpiece with all-male cast at Brisbane FestivalSingapore’s “sexiest theatre company” W!LD RICE will bring the Australian premiere of its provocative adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest to Brisbane Festival in an exclusive season from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September 2015 at QPAC’s Playhouse.

Offering a twist on one of Europe’s literary classics, Singapore’s leading theatre and film director, Glen Goei, casts an all-male ensemble, telling the story of two wealthy single men who lead double lives to escape from the tiresome conventions of society and pursue their potential love interests.

The play follows the men as their deceptions begin to unravel around them and they face the impending consequences, offering a fresh perspective on the themes of identity, marriage and the satire of society.

The production will feature sets inspired by 19th century English illustrator Aubrey Beardsley, a sensational international cast dressed by fashion doyen Frederick Lee and a live string quartet from Queensland Conservatorium.

W!LD RICE, named Singapore’s “sexiest theatre company” by Lonely Planet, is renowned for interpreting classic works of Western artistic expression with a distinctive local flavour.

The Importance of Being Earnest is the headline show of a series of works from Singapore, which new Artistic Director David Berthold has programed for his first Brisbane Festival to mark the 50th anniversary of Singapore becoming independent from Malaysia.

Other works include a compelling one woman show, Best Of, the world’s best toy pianist Margaret Leng Tan in Cabinet of Curiosities, Singapore’s premier string quartet T’ang Quartet in Black Angels, and Charlie Lim - the pride of Singapore’s music scene.

David Berthold said 2015 was a timely year to reflect and celebrate the art and culture of the nation, which like Australia lives in a postcolonial world.

“Glen Goei is hugely influential within the Singapore arts scene and it will be an honour for Brisbane Festival to host one of his most internationally lauded works to date, celebrating the incredible theatrical talent of one of Australia’s closest neighbours,” Mr Berthold said.

“His skillful interpretation challenges literary conventions, while continuing to capture the fun, humour and wit of Wilde’s comic masterpiece, enabling audiences to see this timeless classic in a completely new way.”

The production premiered in Singapore in 2009 and won three awards at the 2010 Life! Theatre Awards, including Best Production. It was restaged in 2013 to critical acclaim and has also enjoyed success outside of Singapore, having played to full houses at the Macao Arts Festival in 2014.



THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

THEATRE

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The Importance of Being Earnest is presented by Brisbane Festival, Griffith University and Urbis.

ENDS


WHEN: Fri 11 to Sun 13 Sept 2015WHERE: Playhouse, QPACDURATION: 155 minutes TICKETS: Adults from $40, Concession from $35, Groups $40 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction) BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46MORE INFORMATION: The Sat 12 Sept 2pm performance will be AUSLAN interpreted.

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Beautiful One Day

Confronting theatre work gives voice to local Indigenous communityThe 2004 death of Mulrunji Doomadgee while in police custody will be explored during Brisbane Festival with performances of Beautiful One Day at QPAC from Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

The theatrical documentary, based on the circumstances of the death and consequent social uprising, the torching of the local police station and the declaration of a State of Emergency, asks important questions about the relationship between race and authority.

Beautiful One Day will show alongside Flexn, a politically charged work created by Peter Sellars and Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray in an era of large-scale unrest following the rulings on Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York.

United by a shared outrage, Sydney’s Belvoir and Ilbijerri - Australia’s longest running Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander theatre company - came together with the common goal of transforming the community’s anger into a gateway of understanding and new possibilities.

The production beautifully interweaves personal stories of the performers with court transcripts, interviews with Palm Island locals and moving re-enactments.

Starring in the production’s cast are three residents of Palm Island, including Doomadgee’s niece, in their first stage appearances. In performances that resonate with authenticity, the production captures the remarkable humanity, wisdom and strength of a community.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said as the people of Palm Island continued to demand justice for Doomadgee, Beautiful One Day would provide a vital platform to continue the debates that remain unresolved 25years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

“Indigenous incarceration rates are off the charts and this production speaks very directly to some of the forces that inform the problem. It is fulsome in its expression,” Mr Berthold said.

“This powerful work will give audiences an insight into the resilient nature of Palm Islanders and evoke important questions on the future of this community and others like it.”

Beautiful One Day played at London's Southbank Centre as part of the Origins Festival of First Nations and will have its first performances on Palm Island immediately before Brisbane Festival.


Beautiful One Day is presented by Brisbane Festival in association with Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

ENDS


BEAUTIFUL ONE DAY

THEATRE

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WHEN: Wed 23 to Sat 26 Sept 2015WHERE: Cremorne Theatre, QPACDURATION: 80 minutesTICKETS: Adults $38, Concession $35, Groups $35 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46MORE INFORMATION: This production is 15+ and contains coarse language.

This production has been supported by the Balnaves Foundation, the Besen Family Foundation and the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts and the Indigenous Cultural Support Fund.

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Flexn

Brisbane Festival secures Australian premiere of Peter Sellars’ compellingnew dance workIn an Australian premiere exclusive to Brisbane Festival, QPAC will host the hypnotic dance work Flexn, a collaboration between famed director Peter Sellars, dance pioneer Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray and 15 astounding dancers from Brooklyn, from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

Created in an era of unrest following the rulings on Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York, Flexn is a jaw-dropping collaboration, deeply imbued with the shape of race relations in contemporary America.

Reggie Gray is a pioneer of one of the world’s newest dance forms ‘flex’. After gaining popularity on the American dance show Flex N Brooklyn, Gray and his team HyperActive became known as innovators in the global dance scene, with Gray himself developing the popular style of ‘pausing’ featured in Flexn.

The innovative and sometimes controversial Peter Sellars, renowned for his unique staging of classical and contemporary theatre works and operas, joined Gray to assemble a crew of 15 dancers within the ‘flex’ community from the very neighbourhoods where the flex movement emerged.

Characterised by pausing, snapping, gliding, bone breaking, hat tricks, animation and contortion, sometimes poetic, sometimes aggressive, flex evolved from the Jamaican bruk-up style found in Brooklyn dance halls and reggae clubs over the last 10 years.

The dancers in Flexn have created their own choreography, performing as individuals and groups to tell heart-wrenching stories through breathtakingly beautiful movement. Part protest, part dance party, part collective autobiography, Flexn rails against social injustice, from police brutality to the failure of the prison system in America.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Flexn was a profoundly compelling piece of dance that spoke to the African American experience, but could also resonate with audiences worldwide.

“I saw Flexn in New York earlier this year and immediately began talks with Peter Sellars and Regg Roc. Here was a work that was an explosive and deeply expressive new dance form responding to an American story that will not go away,” Mr Berthold said.

“This is artistic expression right at the pivot point of social change, and what a coup to get it to Brisbane so soon.

“The performance will captivate and move audiences as the dancers create stirring narratives with their bodies and bring the stage to life in the final weekend of the Festival.”


Flexn is presented by Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre.


FLEXN

DANCE

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ENDS


WHEN: Wed 23 to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: Playhouse, QPACDURATION: 90 minutesTICKETS: Adults $55, Concession $50, Groups $50 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Le Cargo

Powerful African dance transports audiences to Congo in national premiereLe Cargo, a masterful blend of dance, song, music and storytelling by internationally renowned Congolese dancer and choreographer, Faustin Linyekula, will make its Australian premiere at Brisbane Festival in an exclusive season at QPAC from Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 September 2015.

Marking the first and only solo performance of Linyekula’s career, Le Cargo takes audiences on a stunning visual and auditory journey, inspired by his story of returning home to the Congo after spending many years of dancing and choreographing in Europe.

Together with Kenyan Opiyo Okach, Linyekula co-founded Gàara, the first contemporary dance company in Kenya in 1997. After building his career between Africa and Europe, he returned to the Congo in 2001 to establish the multidisciplinary Studios Kabako in Kinshasa, which later moved to his home city, Kisangani.

During the performance, Linyekula constructs an honest and revealing dialogue with himself, expressing doubts over whether his contemporary blend of words and movement qualifies as dance in the eyes of his ancestors. He voices concerns that his approach may be too political or verbose in comparison with the more traditional forms recognised by them.

Le Cargo is a mesmerising marriage of body and spirit and will captivate audiences, while highlighting the important role of art in cultural expression and the discovery, or rediscovery, of identity.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Linyekula was an incredible storyteller and would move audiences with his intimate portrayal of the Congo.

“Through his artwork, Faustin challenges audiences’ perceptions of Africa and reclaims the power to construct his own identity and that of his nation,” Mr Berthold said.

“It is a profoundly thought-provoking work that investigates the history of the Congo in a way that written material cannot, using the body as a way to tell an enriching story of heritage and culture.

“Le Cargo is a serious dance work in which Faustin delivers a stirring performance to the beat of African drums – his personal story and unique delivery of it will tug at the heartstrings.”

The work, which was first created in 2011 and has been touring across Europe, Africa and North America, will form part of the Festival’s Congo Connections series.



Le Cargo is presented by Brisbane Festival.

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LE CARGO

DANCE

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WHEN: Wed 16 to Sat 19 Sept 2015WHERE: Cremorne Theatre, QPACDURATION: 55 minutes TICKETS: Adults $39, Concession $35, Groups $35 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction) BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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RAPcity

RAPcity hip hop showdown returns to Brisbane Festival

Brisbane's RAW Dance will bring RAPcity to the heart of Brisbane Festival at South Bank Cultural Forecourt, for a free street culture explosion showcasing Queensland’s most talented hip hop and break dancers on Saturday 5 September 2015.

The event will see crews of all ages and abilities battle it out for a total prize pool of $5,000.

RAW Dance brought RAPcity to Brisbane Festival in 2014, attracting thousands of festival-goers to the high-energy battle ground.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said the Festival was thrilled to have RAPcity return in 2015.

“This year RAPcity will be part of our opening night celebrations, and will once again allow Festival crowds to experience a different art form within the Brisbane cultural scene,” Mr Berthold said.

RAW Dance has been a successful contributor to Brisbane Festival for many years, bringing the world premiere of Electronique in 2008, Beautiful Noise in 2011, and the hugely popular Untapped in 2013.

The Brisbane-based dance company was formed in 1998 by Andrew Fee at only 18 years of age. The company has since expanded to employ 50 people across Australia, touring live performances locally and internationally, and delivering dance education programs to hundreds of thousands of people across the globe each year. In 2011, the company performed a sell-out Off-Broadway season of Untapped in New York City, and will head back over in February 2016.


RAPcity is presented by Brisbane Festival.

ENDS


WHEN: Sat 5 Sept 2015WHERE: Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 180 minutesTICKETS: FREE

RAPCITY

DANCE

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DESIRELINES

DANCE

For further information, images and interview opportunities, please contact Amanda Lawson, Marketing Manager I Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts

07 3872 9005 I [email protected]

MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday 9 June, 2015

MUSIC YOU CAN SEE, DANCE YOU CAN FEELCOLLUSION PREMIERES DESIRELINES FOR BRISBANE FESTIVAL

Image: FenLan Photography

Dance, music and animation collide in Desirelines, the electric new chamber ballet by Collusion set topremiere at the Judith Wright Centre during Brisbane Festival this September.

A desireline is the dirt track across the land; it is the path that people find, but only when they want to. Do you follow the group, or follow your heart? Walk the established path, or forge a new one?

Striking a new balance between live music and dance, Desirelines places three musicians and four dancers at the intersection between choice and obligation, bound by a gleaming stainless steel set that inscribes the music across the stage.

Musicians are too often hidden behind their music stands, but Collusion director Benjamin Greaves wanted to integrate the musicians physically into the performance. His concept also sees the musical scores projected directly onto the set, creating a visual landscape for Desirelines that enables the musicians to interact freely in the space as they perform a virtuosic new score composed by Susan Hawkins.

“Projecting Susanʼs score across the stage gives us a pathway to follow musically, while allowing us the freedom to find our own desirelines between the notes”, Greaves said.

Individual desires emerge as Collusion physically cut across the space and the soaring music, which also features masterworks by Sculthorpe and Ibert.

A team of incredible artists will bring Desirelines to the Judith Wright Centre stage in September, including Gareth Belling (Choreography), Susan Hawkins (Composition), Pete Foley (Animation), Leigh Buchanan (Costume Design), and Ben Hughes and Cameron Goerg (Lighting Design). They will be joined by Collusion musicians Benjamin Greaves (Violin), Diana Tolmie (Clarinet), Danielle Bentley (Cello) and four dancers; Nathan Scicluna, Melissa Tattam, Mariana Paraizo and Michael Smith.

“We started work on this more than a year ago, but ideas about desire and choice have been with me a long time, since reading Peter and Richard Wherrettʼs memoir Desirelines many years ago”, choreographer Gareth Belling said.

“While not based on the book, our production is focused on the way your heart can lead you in directions you never expected, yet end up exactly where you need to be”.

“The choreography uses balletʼs structure, or form as a starting point to explore the individual performersʼ movement desirelines. It is muscular and musical, emotional and engaging: it beats with the blood of real human desires” says Belling.

continues…

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PRODUCTION OVERVIEW Dance, music and animation collide in an electric new chamber ballet.

Desirelines are the improvised tracks created by people who defy the ways designed for them by others. Three musicians and four dancers use gleaming stainless steel tracks to navigate a digitally animated landscape in this powerful melding of contemporary ballet and new chamber music.

In this original concept by Benjamin Greaves, Gareth Bellingʼs choreography is etched onto the performers by Susan Hawkinsʼ soaring original compositions, while Pete Foleyʼs animation maps a concrete visual landscape that floats with Leigh Buchananʼs whimsical costumes.

Collusion Music is Queenslandʼs own original fine art music and dance ensemble. Together for 13 years, this group of award-winning chamber musicians, in collaboration with composers, a choreographer and dancers, creates evocative performances underpinned by heart, beauty and warmth.

Presented by Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane Festival and Collusion Music

This project has been supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

DESIRELINES I COLLUSION MUSICDates Wed 2 to Sat 5 September Time 7:30pm Duration 55 mins, no interval Tickets $36 - $29 Venue Performance Space, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts 420 Brunswick St (Cnr Berwick St), Fortitude Valley Bookings www.judithwrightcentre.com or 07 3872 9000

CREATIVE TEAM Concept Design: Benjamin Greaves Choreography: Gareth Belling Composition: Susan Hawkins Animation/Projection Design: Pete Foley Costume Design: Leigh Buchanan Lighting Design: Ben Hughes and Cameron Goerg Production Manager: Carly OʼNeil Choreographic Associate: Amy Hollingsworth Musicians: Benjamin Greaves (Violin), Danielle Bentley (Cello) and Diana Tolmie (Clarinet) Dancers: Melissa Tattam, Michael Smith, Nathan Scicluna and Mariana Paraizo

BIOGRAPHIES About Collusion Collusion is Queenslandʼs own original fine art music and dance ensemble. Together for 13 years, this group of award-winning chamber music musicians, in collaboration with composers and a choreographer and dancers, bring together exceptionally strong performances.

Collusion is continually developing new repertoire of very high quality while underpinning its programming with heart, beauty and warmth. Flexible in size and content, collaborating to make large shows, and bespoke intimate experiences as well, Collusion fits its performances to suit its audiences. Collusion enjoys sharing its concerts and performances with audiences of all ages and cultural persuasions. From the smart end of town, with Queensland Ballet, at the Australasian Clarinet and Saxophone Convention, Crossbows Festival and World Forum on Music, to the magical world of imagination and joy at centres for people with disabilities and other community settings and schools.

Benjamin Greaves - Concept Design and violinist

An Australian National Academy Music Scholar and Westpac Scholarship holder at Queensland Conservatorium, Ben studied with the renowned Carmel Kaine. He enjoys a successful career, having performed with Qld Symphony, Camerata of St Johnʼs as principal 2nd violin, guest leader and soloist, SXS Bangalow Festival, Queensland Ballet, Circa, Katie Noonan, Elixir, Adelaide Cabaret, Brisbane and Queensland Music Festivals, Crossbows, Restrung and for Susan Hawkinsʼ EP. International studies were taken in the Czech Republic and Belgium. He has toured extensively throughout Australia with Collusion and the Köln Chamber Orchestra. He was a violinist for the QPAC South Pacific Season and other QPAC seasons.

Director/Manager of the ensemble, Ben has been a member of Collusion since its foundation in 2002.

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BIOGRAPHIES cont

Gareth Belling - Choreographer

Australian choreographer Gareth Belling danced with Queensland Ballet from 2002 to 2012, and since 2005 has created works for Queensland Ballet, Collusion, Expressions Dance Company, Queensland University of Technology and independently. He graduated with a Master of Fine Arts (Dance) from Queensland University of Technology in 2015.

In 2011 Gareth was selected for a JUMP Mentorship with Nils Christe, the Swiss International Coaching Project for Choreographers, an Impulstanz Research Project and received an Arts Queensland Career Development Grant. He created bittersweet for Queensland Ballet, Scorched Earth for Brisbane Festival and his first full-length work, Transient Beauty with Collusion Music in 2012.

Now an active independent dance maker, he created for Queensland Balletʼs 2013 Elegance season and travelled to China and Hong Kong on an Australia China Council research scholarship. In September 2015 he will premiere his new chamber ballet Desirelines with Collusion at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts.

Susan Hawkins - Composer

Susan Hawkins has international experience as a composer collaborating in contemporary dance, animation, theatre, and sculptural sound installation – with highlights including performances at Tate Britain (UK) and the San Francisco International Arts Festival (USA). She has been artist in residence with CESTA (for the 11th Arts Festival of International, Interdisciplinary Collaborations, Czech Republic) and the Bundanon Trust (Australia), has participated in the International Course for Professional Composers and Choreographers (UK). She's also dabbled in radio, having created a feature documentary for Encounter for ABC Radio National (Australia).

In 2011 Susan released her second EP, LIGHT FROM BELOW, receiving extensive radio play across the ABC network (Radio National, Triple J and Classic FM), and community radio through the AIRIT program. In 2012 Susan collaborated with Gareth Belling and Collusion on a number of cross-disciplinary projects, and produced several videos for her sound work.

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Coup Fatal

‘Joyous madness’ of Coup Fatal to open Brisbane Festival 2015Internationally acclaimed Congolese music theatre work Coup Fatal will make its Australian premiere on the opening night of Brisbane Festival, Saturday 5 September 2015, at QPAC’s Playhouse.

Like nothing ever seen on Australian stages, Coup Fatal was created by trailblazing dance theatre maker Alain Platel,Congolese countertenor Serge Kakudji, conductor and guitarist Rodriguez Vangama, composer Fabrizio Cassol, and 12 incredible musicians from Kinshasa.

This exuberant mix of baroque arias and Congolese pop, rock and jazz made its world premiere at Wiener Festwochen in Austria last year, followed by performances at Holland Festival in the Netherlands and Avignon Festival in France. French newspaper Le Figaro described the performance as ‘A joyous and uplifting madness’.

Coup Fatal will head to Australia in September to appear exclusively at Brisbane Festival.

Inspired by the flamboyant ‘sapeurs’, the Congolese dandies who blank out the horrors of war and violence with a penchant for lavish designer clothes and extravagant behaviour, Coup Fatal is quintessential baroque: an emphasis on cocky elegance as a way to challenge fate.

Since WWII, almost six million people have died as a result of wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo, half of them under five years old.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said the 2015 program focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo and would give audiences an insight into the troubled nation’s vibrant culture.

“Coup Fatal speaks to the experience of a nation right in the heart of Africa and the site of some of the greatest atrocities since WWII. The grace and charm and musical joy of this show is just breathtaking - a unique experience from a nation with an astonishing history,” Mr Berthold said.

“The soaring vocals of Serge Kakudji combine with some infectious music on African instruments, great costumes and spirited dance to put a spotlight on the effervescent resilience of the Congolese people.”

Kakudji, who devised the idea of Coup Fatal with Paul Kerstens from Brussels’ KVS theatre, works internationally but has returned home to collaborate on the project with 12 consummate (and cheeky) musicians from Kinshasa.

One of the world’s greatest dance theatre makers Alain Platel (whose work Out of Context - for Pina sold out at Brisbane Festival 2011) teamed up with dancer Romain Guion to create the theatrical form, with musical direction by Brussels composer and guitarist Rodriguez Vangama and high-voltage ‘cross-overist’ Fabrizio Cassol.

The set is designed by Freddy Tsimba, who creates huge sculptures of cartridge cases he collects in Congolese war zones.

Coup Fatal, a production by KVS and les ballets C de la B, will run for a very short season from 5 to 8 September 2015.


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Coup Fatal is presented by Brisbane Festival and Philip Bacon Galleries.

ENDS


WHEN: Sat 5 to Tue 8 Sept 2015 WHERE: Playhouse, QPAC DURATION: 100 minutes TICKETS: Adults from $55, Concession from $50, Groups $55 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction) BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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A State of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley

Brisbane Festival hosts Buckley tribute featuring Martha WainwrightA State of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley, featuring Canadian singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright, will head to Brisbane as part of its world premiere tour for two performances at QPAC’s Concert Hall on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September 2015.

The stunning narrative concert is one of the major closing performances of this year’s Festival, celebrating the brilliant yet complicated lives of rock legends Tim and Jeff Buckley.

It will bring together images and stories with six stellar singers and musicians with close connections to Tim and Jeff –Martha Wainwright, Casper Clausen (of Efterklang), Willy Mason, Camille O’Sullivan, Steve Kilbey and Cold Specks,led by guitarist/producer Gary Lucas with his band Gods and Monsters – to recapture the magic of their songs.

This is a moving, definitive portrait of two of the most beloved voices in rock, overseen by Gary Lucas, the legendary New York guitarist/composer who worked closely with Jeff, co-writing the immortal songs Grace and Mojo Pin.

Before folk-rock icon Tim Buckley died in 1975 aged 28, his son Jeff had met him only a handful of times. Leaving behind a timeless and eclectic collection of eight studio albums, Tim’s legacy quickly served as a musical touchstone for his son, influencing Jeff’s own artistic expression and musical endeavours.

Tim also influenced his contemporaries Van Morrison, James Taylor and Leonard Cohen, and 21st century acts such as Fleet Foxes and Beth Orton.

Jeff Buckley completed just one studio album before tragically drowning at 30, but Grace, released in 1994, made himone of the most influential musicians of his time. Earning him fans including Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Chris Cornell and Thom Yorke, his album touched millions and is today regarded as a classic.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said the concert was sure to appeal to a very wide range of music lovers.

“The opportunity to experience the matchless music of Tim and Jeff Buckley, through the remarkable gifts of the artists we have gathered, is one many people will be thrilled by. It will be a profoundly poignant show,” Mr Berthold said.

“The artists we have assembled are legends in their own rights. Martha Wainwright is a glorious singer with her own complex family heritage, and Irish-French chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan and Australian rock legend Steve Kilbey are unrivalled in their fields. It is not hard to see why this show is set to create a stir.

“My guess is that A State of Grace will be incredibly popular, so I encourage people to get in quick and book tickets so they do not miss out.”


A State of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley is presented by Brisbane Festival.

ENDS


A STATE OF GRACE: THE MUSIC OF TIM AND JEFF BUCKLEY

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WHEN: Fri 25 and Sat 26 SeptWHERE: Concert Hall, QPACDURATION: 160 minutes (interval)TICKETS: Adults from $70BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Rise for the Oceans - A celebration of the sea Tim Winton and Bernard Fanning join forces to celebrate the world’s oceans In an extraordinary union of Australian icons, Tim Winton, Bernard Fanning, Katie Noonan, Jessica Watson and Professor Iain McCalman will take to the stage at QPAC’s Concert Hall for the world premiere of Rise for the Oceans - A celebration of the sea on Saturday 5 September 2015. This creative multi-media celebration of our incredible oceans is an initiative of the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) and partnership with Brisbane Festival. Directed by Vivid Sydney Creative Director, actor, journalist and shock rock musician Ignatius Jones, these five acclaimed and much-loved personalities will join other special guests to tell their stories of the sea in this bold event, a highlight of the Festival’s opening night celebrations. From four-time Miles Franklin Award-winner and Patron of the AMCS Tim Winton reading selected passages from his novels, to Australia’s beloved musical son Bernard Fanning performing a series of sea-themed songs, Rise for the Oceans - A celebration of the sea will also feature projections, illuminated sculptures, stunning light and animated art. Brisbane-born singer-songwriter Katie Noonan, around-the-world-solo sailor Jessica Watson and natural historian Iain McCalman, will also take centre stage to share their homage to Australia’s oceans and reefs and the extraordinary creatures that inhabit them, in their own unique performances. On the 50th anniversary of AMCS, this multi-media homage explores every aspect of the marine realm, from the tiniest planktonic shrimp to the largest wonder of the natural world, the Great Barrier Reef. Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Rise for the Oceans - A celebration of the sea would be a rare opportunity to be in the presence of these extraordinary Australians. “Audiences will see these luminaries in a completely different way – it will be a raw, honest and profound event,” Mr Berthold said. “Brisbane Festival is a perfect platform for exploring public issues in an entertaining and creative way, and we hope this event will get people thinking about the fragility and importance of our oceans and reefs.” AMCS is the voice for Australia's ocean wildlife. It is an independent charity, staffed by a committed group of professional and passionate scientists, educators and advocates. For 50 years it has changed the face of marine protection in Australia, including stopping oil and coal mining on the Great Barrier Reef and securing it as a World Heritage marine park. Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council and runs from 5 to 26 September 2015. For more information visit brisbanefestival.com.au. Rise for the Oceans - A celebration of the sea is presented by Brisbane Festival and Australian Marine Conservation Society in association with Queensland Performing Arts Centre. (CONTINUED OVERLEAF)

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ENDS For all media enquiries, contact Agency North Michaela Tam | 0431 868 382 | [email protected] Dawn Hewitt | 0434 883 880 | [email protected] WHEN: Sat 5 Sept WHERE: Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre DURATION: 90 minutes TICKETS: Premium $80, Adults $50-$70, Groups $60-$70 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction) BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Cabinet of Curiosities

Famed avant-garde artist brings cabinet of curiosities to Brisbane FestivalMargaret Leng Tan will bring the Australian premiere of her mesmerising one-woman show, Cabinet of Curiosities, to Brisbane Festival for an exclusive one-off performance on Wednesday 9 September 2015 at QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre.

Hailed as the “queen of the toy piano” by The New York Times, Tan has established herself as a major force in the American avant-garde and is also recognised as a classical performer who uses unconventional instruments including toy drums, soy sauce dishes and cat food cans.

She has appeared on American public television, at the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and venues across the world with her beguiling musical offerings and was the first woman to earn a Doctorate in Musical Arts at The Juilliard School. In her 70th birthday year, Tan will wow Festival audiences with a rare combination of music, theatre and choreography.

Cabinet of Curiosities will highlight Tan’s creativity and brilliance as she performs arrangements by renowned innovative composers David M. Gordon, Alvin Lucier, James Joslin, Ge Gan-ru and Phyllis Chen.

Her performance of David M. Gordon’s Diclavis Enorma will engage keyboards, microtonal call bells and tape playback, while her delivery of electro-acoustic pioneer Alvin Lucier’s Nothing is Real will see The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever waft from a teapot.

Taking on the Alice in Wonderland-inspired Hatta by young English composer James Joslin, inspired by Alice’s 150th birthday, audiences will be invited down the rabbit hole as Joslin’s miniature music drama unfolds on toy pianos, an amplified chess and tea set, electric kettle and alarm clock, all presided over by the Cheshire Cat.

Tan’s rendition of Shanghainese composer Ge Gan-ru’s Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!, a Peking-opera-inspired melodrama for voice self-accompanied by a 16-piece toy orchestra which she will also perform, was described by The New York Times as “a powerfully moving experience”.

The centrepiece of the show will see Tan use toy pianos, toy instruments and other oddities to deliver Curios by Chinese-American composer Phyllis Chen, commissioned for the 2015 Singapore International Arts Festival, which revolves around the bizarre, enchanting world of the carnival.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Margaret Leng Tan was an example of what made Brisbane Festival so diverse.

“Margaret’s work bypasses perceived boundaries of the ‘usual’ concert experience and creates a new level of connection with audiences. It is wonderful to welcome such a pioneering and influential artist to Brisbane,” Mr Berthold said.

Cabinet of Curiosities is part of Brisbane Festival’s Singapore series, which will also feature powerful performances including The Importance of Being Earnest, Charlie Lim, Black Angels and Best Of.


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Singapore Series is presented by Brisbane Festival and Singapore Airlines.

ENDS


WHEN: Wed 9 SeptWHERE: Cremorne Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts CentreDURATION: 100 minutes (interval)TICKETS: Adults $30, Concession $25, Groups $25 (a $6.95 fee applies per transaction)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Black Angels Singapore’s leading string quartet strikes a chord at Brisbane Festival Singapore’s renowned T’ang Quartet will make its Australian premiere in a special one-off performance of its Black Angels concert at Queensland Conservatorium on Wednesday 23 September 2015, as part of Brisbane Festival’s celebratory series marking the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.

The T’ang Quartet is renowned for pushing artistic boundaries, seamlessly reinterpreting classical work for contemporary fans while still appealing to traditional audiences. The talented ensemble is made up of Ng Yu-Ying (1st violin), Ang Chek Meng (2nd violin), Leslie Tan (cello) and Lionel Tan (viola) and was formed in 1992 when the members performed in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. As well as being a playful reference to the names of the group members, T’ang is a nod to their Asian heritage, symbolising the golden age of cultural expression in the Tang Dynasty. The performance will explore the musical visions of darkness and light in three exquisite pieces. The central piece will cast a dark shadow on the stage through American composer George Crumb’s 1970 composition Black Angels – a maniacal alchemy of electric string instruments, glass rods, crystal glasses and tam-tam gongs that resurrects uneasy memories of the Vietnam War. It is framed by the hope, light and healing of the 12th century prayer 3 antiphons composed by Hildegard von Bingen, a German writer and philosopher and John Tavener’s mystical The Hidden Treasure from 1989. Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said the T’ang Quartet was one of Singapore’s greatest musical exports and would give the audience a taste of the country’s exciting arts and culture scene.

“As well as being talented musicians individually, the powerful connection and unity between the group adds another dimension to their stunning performance,” Mr Berthold said. “The T’ang Quartet has unmistakable charisma and energy, while being technically impeccable and wonderfully innovative. This special performance is sure to captivate audiences and add an exciting new edge to classical music.” The critically acclaimed group has toured worldwide and has also collaborated and performed with many contemporaries from around the world, including Malaysian-born New Zealand concert pianist John Chen, Irish pianist Fingin Collins, American pianist Marian Hahn, German-born Australian classical guitarist Karin Schaupp, and American cellist Carter Enyeart. Black Angels will form part of the Festival’s Singapore series, alongside The Importance of Being Earnest, Best Of, Cabinet of Curiosities and Charlie Lim.


Black Angels is presented by Brisbane Festival and Griffith University. Singapore Series is presented by Brisbane Festival and Singapore Airlines. (CONTINUED OVERLEAF)

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ENDS

For all media enquiries, contact Agency North Michaela Tam | 0431 868 382 | [email protected] Dawn Hewitt | 0434 883 880 | [email protected] WHEN: Wed 23 Sept WHERE: Conservatorium Theatre, Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University DURATION: 60 minutes TICKETS: Adults $35, Concession $30, Groups $30 (a booking fee applies) BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Thum Prints

World’s best beatboxer battles it out with Queensland Symphony Orchestra at Brisbane FestivalIn an unconventional Brisbane collaboration, global beatboxing sensation Tom Thum will team up with the full forces of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) for the world premiere of Thum Prints at Brisbane Festival on Friday 18 September 2015.

To be performed at QPAC’s Concert Hall, groundbreaking composer Gordon Hamilton has weaved his musical magic to create an exhilarating composition that fuses beatboxing and classical music, pushing sonic boundaries in a way that has never been done before.

Expect a musical watershed that hovers somewhere between jazz, hip hop and an off-the-wall Rite of Spring. Tangles of symphonic colour mix with electrifying grooves, and fleeting strands of Faure, Pharoahe Monch and vintage hip hop morph in risky rhythmic tension.

The concert will also include a performance of Philip Glass’s Symphony No.4 Heroes, based on the seminal David Bowie/Brian Eno album. It will be conducted by Jessica Cottis, hailed in the UK music press as “the one to watch” and fast gaining an international reputation as one of the most exciting conductors of the younger generation.

Beatboxing virtuoso Tom Thum has performed at festivals across the globe, including Brisbane Festival in 2012, selling out shows from Berlin to New York. His 2013 TEDx video, The orchestra in my mouth, is the world’s most watched TEDx video with almost 40 million views on YouTube.

Usually performing solo, Thum Prints is a career defining performance for the young vocal percussionist and follows a scaled-back season of the show which sold out at Brisbane Powerhouse in May.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Thum Prints would appeal to a vast audience.

“Combining the virtuosic abilities of Tom Thum, sheer brilliance of Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Gordon Hamilton’s cutting-edge concerto, this event will appeal to musically-minded types as well as those after a great night of entertainment,” Mr Berthold said.

“Flawlessly combining elements of classical and contemporary music, this trio of home-grown talent perfectly embodies the rich and innovative cultural scene in Brisbane.”


Thum Prints is presented by Brisbane Festival, Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Datacom and is proudly supported by RACQ and Black Bird Bar & Grill.

ENDS


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WHEN: Fri 18 SeptWHERE: Concert Hall, QPACDURATION: 120 minutesTICKETS: Premium $60, Adults $40 - $50, Concession $35, Groups $40 - $55 (a $6.95 transaction fee applies per transaction)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

31

Symphony for Me

QSO puts locals in the spotlight in Symphony for MeQueensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) will offer members of the community a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take to QPAC’s Concert Hall stage as a special guest in Symphony for Me, a free, family-friendly concert on Saturday 19 September 2015 as part of Brisbane Festival.

Prior to the concert, Brisbane Festival and QSO will call out to locals to share their favourite piece of classical music and the story behind why the composition is so significant to them.

A number of entries will be selected, then on the night participants will be invited on stage to tell audiences the storybehind their chosen piece, with Andrew Lofthouse directing the conversation.

Following this, participants will take a front-row seat on the conductor’s podium to watch the full-forces of the QSO perform their selected number, under the baton of Australian-British conductor Jessica Cottis.

Applicants don’t have to be classical music devotees to enter – it can be a tune heard as a child, in a movie, or linked to a significant life event, but one that is close to their heart.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Symphony for Me was a rare opportunity for the public to take part in a grand orchestral production and for the community to connect with fellow residents.

“This is a wonderful chance to experience the magic of the Concert Hall from a performer’s perspective and get up-close-and-personal with the renowned QSO,” Mr Berthold said.

“To be on the stage where some of the world’s greatest artists have performed will be a thrilling experience and I guarantee participants will never forget the moment.

“Audiences will be moved not only by beautiful music, but by locals’ cherished personal stories.”

To take part in Symphony for Me visit brisbanefestival.com.au and register for this one-of-a-kind opportunity.


Symphony for Me is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by Channel Nine and Black Bird Bar & Grill.

ENDS


WHEN: Sat 19 SeptWHERE: Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts CentreDURATION: 140 minutes (interval)TICKETS: FreeBOOKINGS: Reserve your free tickets at brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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MEDIA RELEASE 25 June 2015

Two Australian powerhouses join QSO for a profound Mahler program

Following a sell-out performance in 2014, esteemed Australian conductor Simon Young returns to Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) continuing her Mahler odyssey in Brisbane on Saturday 12 September in the QPAC Concert Hall. “I think it’s going to be a pretty hot night,” Young describes the program featuring Mahler’s epic Sixth Symphony, a monumental work with the force of over 100 orchestral musicians and the famous hammer blow of fate. “When that hammer comes smashing down for those three hammer blows you can physically feel the tension and engagement of everyone involved,” Young said. This program also showcases acclaimed Australian soprano Lisa Gasteen performing the beautiful texts in Mahler’s Rückert Lieder song cycle. “Lisa Gasteen is absolutely perfect for them,” Young said. Simone Young is internationally recognised as one of the leading conductors of her generation. She was most recently General Manager and Music Director of the Hamburgische Staatsoper and Music Director of the Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg. Lisa Gasteen is greatly admired in the industry not only for her poignant voice and exemplary diction but also for her integrity as an artist and colleague, and the emotion she imbues in the characters she portrays. Be sure to witness this Brisbane Festival highlight as two international stars perform with Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Tickets available at qso.com.au Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Brisbane Festival present QSO & SIMONE YOUNG Saturday 12 September at 7.30pm, QPAC Concert Hall Featuring: Conductor Simone Young, Soprano Lisa Gasteen Program: Mahler Rückert Lieder, Mahler Symphony No.6 Pre-concert talk at 6.30pm BOOKINGS qso.com.au Kath Rose - Queensland Symphony Orchestra T: (07) 3357 9054 M: 0416 291 493 E: [email protected]

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TOURING 27 AUGUST – 12 SEPTEMBER musicaviva.com.au/Lewis

A great piano recital is chamber music in its purest form, intimate but universal. In the hands of a master such as Paul Lewis, it can be a transcendent experience and a personal sharing of ideas and emotions.

Music by Brahms lies at the centre of this program. His Ballades op 10 were written when he was a very young man, and their easy melodiousness is tempered by melancholy. The Intermezzi op 117 came at the other end of his life, when his vows of retiring were often stalled by the creation of new pieces of innovative beauty.

Brahms always struggled with ‘the heavy tread’ of Beethoven, the great master whose works, he felt, were so good as to make life almost impossible for the composers who came after him. Paul Lewis will bookend this program with two of Beethoven’s last works for piano, highlighting the musical relationships between the composers.

The word ‘monumental’ is sometimes applied too lightly, but here it’s completely apt. With these late sonatas Beethoven did what he had previously done to the concerto and the symphony – turned them from showpieces or mere entertainment, into art.

PROGRAM

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata no 30 in E major, op 109BRAHMS Four Ballades, op 10 Three Intermezzi, op 117BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata no 32 in C minor, op 111

PAUL LEWIS PIANO

BRISBANE PERFORMANCE | WEDNESDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 7PM

QPAC Concert Hall, Cnr Grey and Melbourne Sts, South Bank Brisbane concert presented in association with Brisbane Festival.

Media Enquiries: Cassie Etwell, Media & Communications Manager, Musica Viva T 02 8394 6658 E [email protected]

Media Release PAUL LEWIS

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4 May 2015

AMERICAN SUPERSTAR SOPRANO RENÉE FLEMING NOW COMING TO QUEENSLAND

ONE NIGHT ONLY AT QPAC – 7 SEPTEMBER 2015

"A superstar by any measure"

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in collaboration with the Brisbane Festival has attracted one of the world’s most sought after opera singers, Renée Fleming, to perform her first Queensland performance in over a decade on QPAC’s Concert Hall stage this September.

Fleming is a multi Grammy award winning star with a sparkling career that spans three decades and has seen her grace the world’s greatest opera stages and concert halls from The Metropolitan Opera New York to La Scala Milan, and the Winter Palace in St Petersburg.

Fleming will enchant audiences in this rare Australian appearance performing several of her signature works including Ravel’s Shéhérazade and selections from Canteloube’s Songs of the Auvergne, accompanied by pianist Richard Bado.

Known as the ‘People’s Diva’, in 2014 Fleming was the first opera singer to perform the Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl, and was selected to perform on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Queensland Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012. Fleming also performed at the inauguration of Barack Obama in the Lincoln Centre Memorial and National Mall in Washington DC in January 2009.

QPAC Chief Executive John Kotzas said bringing an artist of this magnitude provides a great opportunity for Queensland audiences to witness one of the world’s finest sopranos right on their doorstep.

“Over 30 years we have fostered relationships with artists and companies both across Australia and internationally to attract some of the world’s best live performance experiences.

“Working with one of Australia’s finest theatre directors, David Berthold to bring Fleming during his inaugural year as Artistic Director of the iconic Brisbane Festival is a great achievement. Such collaborations are key to our ability to attract such significant artists to our state.

cont...

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...2

“This concert is only her second ever performance at QPAC and is not to be missed,” said Mr Kotzas.

David Berthold said this performance by Renée Fleming will be a standout event during this year’s Brisbane Festival.

“I’m a massive admirer of Ms Fleming. Her luxurious lyric soprano voice and warm, charismatic stage presence combine to make her one of the most engaging singers in the world. I am sure Queensland audiences will relish this rare opportunity to experience her singing live at QPAC,” said Mr Berthold.

In addition to being a four-time Grammy Award winner and receiving 14 nominations, Renée Fleming also has three honorary doctorates and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2013, America’s highest honour for an individual artist, presented by President Barack Obama.

Don’t miss Renée Fleming in one concert only on Monday 7 September 2015.

Tickets go on sale on Monday 18 May from 9.00am. To join a waitlist please go to qpac.com.au. For bookings visit qpac.com.au or phone 136 246.

-ENDS-

QPAC AND BRISBANE FESTIVAL PRESENT:

Renée Fleming

In Recital for One Night Only

WHEN: Monday 7 September 7.30pm WHERE: Concert Hall, QPAC, Cultural Precinct,

South Bank, Brisbane TICKETS*: Refer to qpac.com.au for current pricing BOOKINGS: qpac.com.au or 136 246

For further information, images or interviews please contact: Cindy Ullrich Publicity Manager QPAC ph (07) 3840 7589 or mobile 0434 366 038 or [email protected]

For a high resolution Renée Fleming image please click here

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June 2015

QPAC’S FRONT YARD MUSIC EXTENDS PLAY FOR BRISBANE FESTIVAL

When Brisbane Festival fever hits the city this September you can be sure the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) will play host to the fun FREE entertainment you have come to know and love.

Front Yard Music Extended Play will run nightly throughout the festival (excluding Sundays) on QPAC’s Melbourne Street Green from 5pm to 8pm, 5 to 26 September 2015.

Enjoy generous helpings of iconic genres including Latin, jazz, rock, folk, soul amongst the setting of QPAC’s luscious front yard. Extend your QPAC experience with the outdoor program of FREE live music perfectly complementing the shows that are taking place inside QPAC’s theatres each night. Front Yard Music Extended Play allows you to kick back and discover your new favourite music act, dance your heart out or just enjoy the evening soaking up the festival flavour. It is one of the many new initiatives taking place throughout QPAC’s 30th anniversary year that invites you to come, participate, relax and make QPAC your place throughout Brisbane Festival. Join us on QPAC’s Melbourne Street Green, home to FREE live music during Brisbane Festival. The full program* is available at qpac.com.au or call 07 3840 7444 for more information.

-ENDS-

WHEN: Nightly (excluding Sundays) 5 to 26 September 2015

TIME: 5pm to 8pm WHERE: Melbourne Street Green, QPAC,

Cultural Centre, South Bank, Brisbane TICKETS*: Refer to qpac.com.au for current

pricing BOOKINGS: qpac.com.au or 136 246 *Front Yard Music Extended Play program is correct at time of issue. Changes can be made without notice please check qpac.com.au for the most up to date program.

To download a high resolution image – click here

For further information, images or interviews please contact: Inga Tracey, Publicity Manager QPAC ph (07) 3840 7984, mobile 0478 406 459 or [email protected]

FRONT YARD MUSIC – EXTENDED PLAY

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Made in France

Pioneering Parisian ensemble brings sounds of France to Brisbane Festival Made in France invites Brisbane Festival crowds to experience some of the most striking and powerful music from France written in the past 15 years, in a one-off concert on Tuesday 8 September 2015 at Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. As part of its 2015 Australasian tour, Parisian ensemble soundinitiative will perform works by Gérard Grisey, father of French spectralism, and Raphaël Cendo the French situationist, as well as a selection of inspiring pieces by Leroux, Bertrand, Iannotta and Passion.

Soundinitiative is a collection of 12 talented musicians from across the globe, including Australia, known throughout Europe for pushing boundaries with work, which incorporates installations, video art, spatialised sound and performers, and choreography.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Made in France would take the audience on an engaging journey through France’s recent musical history. “soundinitiative is well known for its deep musical insight. The ensemble includes musicians from Australia, Belgium, China, France, England, Italy, Poland and the United States, and this means that it can draw on a rich mix of cultures and musical languages to make something that is genuinely unique. This group makes beautifully fresh sounds,” Mr Berthold said. Made in France is supported by the Institute Français and the SPEDIDAM. Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council and runs from 5 to 26 September 2015. For more information visit brisbanefestival.com.au.

ENDS For all media enquiries, contact Agency North Michaela Tam | 0431 868 382 | [email protected] Dawn Hewitt | 0434 883 880 | [email protected] WHEN: Tue 8 Sept, 7:30pm WHERE: Cremorne Theatre, QPAC DURATION: 60 minutes TICKETS: Adult $60, Concession $25 and Groups $25 BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or Qtix 136 246

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Velvet

Hedonistic party starring Marcia Hines the hottest ticket in townIconic disco diva and ARIA Hall of Famer Marcia Hines will join an international cast of cabaret and musical talent to bring Velvet, one of the most anticipated new shows on the global festival circuit, to Brisbane Festival from Wednesday 16 to Saturday 26 September 2015 at Brisbane Powerhouse.

On the back of a sold-out season at Adelaide Fringe earlier this year, award-winning Smoke & Mirrors director Craig Ilott takes audiences on an electrifying trip to ‘70s disco glamour and abandon.

Marcia Hines will perform alongside hugely popular singer-songwriter Brendan Maclean who featured in The Great Gatsby, hoola-boy extraordinaire Craig Reid, New Orleans Burlesque Queen Perle Noire, dreamy muscle-man and La Soirée headliner Stephen Williams, and Smoke & Mirrors alumnus Mix-Master Joe Accaria.

Velvet is a dizzying trip through dangerous acts of abandon, dance and live vocals, set in a glamorous nightclub complete with a pulsating discotheque soundtrack. The show weaves a subtle narrative around reimagined classic hits, lacing the night with nods to the excess of the 1970s.

Fuelled by funky beats, skilled performers present a dazzling show of combustible energy and create a disco inferno. For anyone who loves Coming Out and Le Freak, this glitter-ball world will be the hottest ticket in town.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Velvet would take audiences straight to the disco era in a fun, sexy and highly entertaining performance.

“Velvet was the hit of Adelaide Fringe Festival and I expect Brisbane audiences will embrace it,” Mr Berthold said.

“It will turn Brisbane Powerhouse into a nightclub of flashy lights, disco balls, sequined costumes, astounding vocals and acrobatics, and a soundtrack you cannot help but dance to.”

Velvet will perform a season at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August before heading to Brisbane Festival.


Velvet is presented by Brisbane Festival and Organised Pandemonium.

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VELVET

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WHEN: Wed 16 to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane PowerhouseDURATION: 80 minutesTICKETS: Adults $58, Concession $55, $Groups $55 (a transaction fee applies - $3 single ticket & $6 multiple tickets)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Lady Rizo: Unescorted

New York Cabaret superstar Lady Rizo spices up The SpiegeltentGlobal cabaret icon Lady Rizo will head to Brisbane to perform her fiercely entertaining show Lady Rizo: Unescortedfor the first time at Brisbane Festival’s Spiegeltent on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2015 after sell-out seasons in Edinburgh, London and her hometown New York.

Rizo is a world-renowned composer, comedienne and performance artist, who first exploded onto the New York stage in 2004 with her signature mix of elegance, glamour and wit.

Her incredible career includes a Grammy win in 2010 for her collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma on the album Songs of Joy and Peace, recording with dance music legend Moby on his ninth studio album, and the 2012 Time Out and Soho Theatre Edinburgh Cabaret Award, the Fringe’s first ever prize created to recognise cabaret work.

In 2005, she co-created the cult ‘caburlesque’ show Lady Rizo and the Assettes, an exciting blend of theatre, burlesque, cabaret and performance art. She continues to perform with the Assettes today, as well as having a solo residency at Joe’s Pub, a popular New York haunt, which hosts Lady Rizo: Unescorted.

With a voice described as a mix between Peggy Lee, Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse, Rizo revitalizes the art of cabaret with youthful exuberance and contemporary flair.

Her performance seamlessly brings together vintage arrangements with pop songs from every decade, with a songbook spanning Judy Garland to the Pixies.

In the critically acclaimed Lady Rizo: Unescorted, the vibrant chanteuse is backed by an exciting group of musicians led by world-renowned guitarist and cellist Yair Evnine.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Lady Rizo was an incredible performer with an alluring stage presence that would leave audiences mesmerised.

“Her sensational vocals beautifully recapture the magic of vintage compositions, while stamping a soulful and contemporary edge on every performance,” Mr Berthold said.

“Transporting audiences on a journey through the decades, the stage will be brought to life in a fun-fuelled night of song and comedy, making it a cabaret show like no other and one not to be missed at this year’s Festival.”


Lady Rizo: Unescorted is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation, Brisbane Marketing and The Music.

ENDSFor all media enquiries, contact Agency NorthMichaela Tam | 0431 868 382 | [email protected] Hewitt | 0434 883 880 | [email protected]


LADY RIZO

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WHEN: Sat 12 and Sun 13 SeptWHERE: The Speigeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $45, Concession $42, Groups $42BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Hot Brown Honey

Feisty burlesque brings colour, culture and controversy to Brisbane Festival Provocative burlesque show Hot Brown Honey will make its highly anticipated return for Brisbane Festival at the Judith Wright Centre for Contemporary Arts from Wednesday 16 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

Hot Brown Honey brings together an exciting mix of dance, poetry, comedy, circus, striptease and song, taking audiences on a journey from the simmering shores of Polynesia to the bogan streets of Australia, from Africa and Asia to the life of a single mother and DJ, undressing difficult topics with humour and wit.

The show is directed by Lisa Fa’alafi, co-director of Polytoxic, a Brisbane-based dance and theatre company inspired by the traditions of the Pacific.

Fa’alafi created Hot Brown Honey alongside her co-star and musical director Busty Beatz, an award-winning composer and hip-hop theatre pioneer, and talented Circus Oz performer Candy Bowers.

Alongside Fa’alafi and Beatz, Australian singer songwriter Ofa Fotu, Brisbane-based beatboxer Hope Haami, circusaerialist Crystal Stacey and Indigenous contemporary dancer Juanita Duncan make up the cast.

The sassy ensemble pushes the boundaries of traditional burlesque, revitalising the genre to explore and challengeracial, cultural and gender stereotypes.

In an explosion of colour, culture and controversy, the group stamp their signature style on the performance, bringing a contemporary, satirical and political edge to the stage.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Hot Brown Honey was a vibrant and spirited show that would turn audience expectations of burlesque on their head.

“The talented cast are incredible singers, dancers, performance artists and storytellers, who will bring their own brand of fierce wit and charisma to the Festival,” Mr Berthold said.

“This is a defiant production. It interrogates stereotypes and attitudes in a way that will challenge, entertain and empower audiences.”


Hot Brown Honey is presented by Brisbane Festival and Briefs Factory in association with Judith Wright Centre.

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HOT BROWN HONEY

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PRIZE FIGHTER

WHEN: Wed 16 to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: Performance Space, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary ArtsDURATION: 95 minutesTICKETS: Adults $38, Concession $35, Groups $35BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Il Ritorno

Brisbane Festival commissions world premiere fusion of circus and baroque operaCommissioned by Brisbane Festival, award-winning Brisbane circus company Circa will perform the world premiere of its groundbreaking new fusion of circus and baroque opera, Il Ritorno, at Brisbane Powerhouse from Tuesday 8 to Saturday 12 September 2015.

Created by circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz in collaboration with Adelaide-based composer Quincy Grant, the production will retell Claudio Monteverdi’s 17th century Il Ritorno D’Ulisse in Patria, one of the first modern operas.

An outstanding cast of singers and accompanists will join the famed members of Brisbane’s own Circa ensemble to chart the epic journey of Greek hero Ulysses as he travels home after 20 years of war and wandering the globe.

The story unravels as his faithful wife Penelope is forced to choose one of the many suitors she had previously resisted, unaware Ulysses is soon to return.

Fusing Circa’s world-renowned stripped-back acrobatics with baroque opera, the production puts a unique twist on Monteverdi’s classic work, combining it with folk songs and new compositions, as well as percolating it through the lens of Primo Levi’s accounts of post WWII European displacement.

At the heart of Il Ritorno is the longing to return home – saturated with loss and war, this production is deeply moving, utterly human and a profound hymn of togetherness.

Circa is renowned for pushing artistic boundaries and creating powerful works of circus art that challenge and captivate. Under the direction of Lifschitz, Circa’s award-winning work has been seen in 32 countries across six continents.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Yaron Lifschitz was an incredible innovator, skilfully combining circus and opera without compromising their individual qualities.

“It’s a great thrill to lead the commissioning of this work from one of the world’s great performance companies, which happens to call Brisbane home. We’re joined by London’s Barbican and festivals in Germany and France, which suggests to me that this theatre event will go on to have a long international life, just as several Circa shows have already enjoyed,” Mr Berthold said.

“Yaron is a master of redefining circus as an art form that blows away all expectations. I think Il Ritorno will be one of the great highlights of the Festival.”

Following Il Ritorno’s premiere at Brisbane Festival, the production will embark on a highly anticipated world tour.


Il Ritorno is presented by Brisbane Festival and Aurecon.


IL RITORNO

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ENDS


WHEN: Wed 9 to 12 SeptemberWHERE: Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane PowerhouseDURATION: 80 minutesTICKETS: Adults $45, Concession $40, Groups $40 (Transaction fee applies: $3 single ticket/$6 multiple tickets)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Fear & Delight

Brisbane Festival puts Fear & Delight into a brand new tent at South BankBrisbane Festival’s gastronomically adventurous event, Fear & Delight, will take up residence at South Bank from Saturday 5 to Friday 25 September, luring audiences with a once-in-a-lifetime decadent culinary and theatrical escapade.

To cater for it, Brisbane Festival will add a second tent to the South Bank Festival hub, which will be five times bigger than in previous years.

Created by Strut & Fret, the award-winning makers of Festival hits LIMBO and Cantina, Fear & Delight is a monumental event revealing a new world of visual and edible wonderment, all in a special tent by the River.

In phase one, the Fear & Delight arena opens early to a select few for an extravagant feast complete with artisan wines and unexpected experiences. THE DEVIL’S BANQUET begins with a secret induction into the narrative of the night ahead with a magic pill and unnerving canapés.

Phase two sees more people join the diners for a wickedly captivating show. The story unfolds with cult UK DJs, The Correspondents, melding their adrenalin-inducing, jazz-infused electro with an elite international cast performing incredible physical feats, creating a heart-racing spectacle.

The party continues as people hit the dance floor and sample blood shots at THE AFTER PARTY in phase three.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said audiences would be treated to an intriguing twist on the usual ‘dinner and a show’, combining an otherworldly food experience, breathtaking performances and the party of a lifetime.

“Fear & Delight is a colossal show and we are putting a second performance tent down on the River right through the Festival. We have reworked the show since its creation in Adelaide and this distilled version is an even more potent extravaganza that will leave you salivating,” Mr Berthold said.


Fear & Delight is presented by Brisbane Festival and Audi.

ENDS


WHEN: Fri 4 (preview) to Fri 25 Sept 2015WHERE: Fear and Delight Tent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 90mins (The Show), 180 mins (The Devil’s Banquet)TICKETS: Adults from $50 (The Show)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

FEAR & DELIGHT

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FLOWN

Australian premiere circus spectacular flies into BrisbaneAn award-winning show that changed the way the UK’s biggest arts festival Glastonbury commissioned new circus is coming to Brisbane Festival for its Australian premiere and exclusive season from Friday 11 to Friday 25 September 2015.

Acclaimed circus company Pirates of the Carabina (POC) was formed in 2011 to create a new show - FLOWN - for Glastonbury Festival. Its massive popularity resulted in the establishment of the Glastonbury Arts Commission award as a platform for new circus companies.

Since then, with the support of producing company Crying Out Loud, FLOWN has toured across the UK, France and Sweden and won a Total Theatre Award for Physical/Visual Theatre at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The comically chaotic circus performance will land at The Courier-Mail Piazza for two weeks in September, bringing family-friendly, high-energy antics that invite festival-goers to come inside, look behind the scenes and delight in the absurdity of contemporary circus life.

Bursting with live music, aerial, acrobatics and stunts, FLOWN will take audience expectations of a circus and turn them on their head.

Accompanied by a roaring live soundtrack, a motley crew of incredible artists will occasionally pause from spinning on a wheel or dangling from a rope to tell a joke or reveal their innermost secrets, confessing the truth of a life spent treading the boards and swinging from rafters.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said the Australian premiere of FLOWN would be a jaw-dropping performance.

“FLOWN will be a captivating night at the circus, jam-packed with thrills, surprising feats and plenty of laughter, the perfect event for the whole family,” Mr Berthold said.

“From a flying aerialist ironing her dress, an unsuspecting acrobat getting tangled in the rigging and stuntmen dangling from the lighting bar - never has so much going wrong seemed so right!”


FLOWN is presented by Brisbane Festival and The Courier-Mail.

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FLOWN

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WHEN: Fri 11 to Fri 25 Sept 2015WHERE: The Courier-Mail PiazzaDURATION: 85 minutesTICKETS: Adults $45, Child $35, Concession $40, Groups $40, Family $125BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46MORE INFORMATION: This production contains haze.

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The Spiegeltent Overview

The Spiegeltent returns with fun for all agesThe Spiegeltent will be the beacon of Brisbane Festival’s new hub ‘Arcadia’, indulging merrymakers in a wondrous world of music and cabaret, alongside oodles of family fun during weekends and school holidays.

The riotous Club Swizzle will commandeer the ornate travelling parlour for the ever-popular 9pm cabaret show, rolling into town with a cavalcade of gravity-defying acrobatics, infectious live music and hilarious antics, all set on a bar.Reigning over the chaos is New York nightlife icon, comedian and “the hardest working middle-aged man in show business”, Murray Hill.

Cabaret fanatics best mark the second weekend of the Festival in their diaries, as Grammy Award-winning New York superstar Lady Rizo seduces crowds with a songbook stretching from Judy Garland to the Pixies, peppered with her own rousing anthems and shameless flirting in two special shows.

This year’s music program is plucked and primed from around the world. To kick it off, ARIA Award-winning, multi platinum indie queen Megan Washington will return home with her crushing vocals, off the back of her new album There There.

Get a dose of the east with the impossible-to-describe, Fox Capture Plan, who hover above Japanese atypical jazz, and Singaporean multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, who will melt hearts with his old-soul croon.

Spain’s best surf rock band, Los Coronas, will get hips shaking with their high octane live show, while Afie Jurvanen,aka Bahamas, will mull sunsets and making out with crooked smiles, with a little bit of the Caribbean direct fromCanada.

Following a sold-out show at Brisbane Festival in 2013, Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds is back for round two, this time joining forces with Janus Rasmussen of Bloodgroup in side project Kiasmos, to warp minds with spine-tingling electro.

There is no shortage of home-grown talent, with an exclusive concert from one of Australia’s best rock bands, Halfway, who will be joined by Kamilaroi Elder Bob Weatherall; the delicate, Americana folk gospel and soul of We Two Thieves; and a solo show from Conrad Sewell, who is riding high from a performance at Coachella and special guest spot on Ed Sheeran’s recent sold-out Australian tour.

Local institution 4ZZZ will throw its 40th birthday in The Spiegeltent with a showcase of seminal acts integral to Brisbane’s music scene over the last four decades, including Jeremy Neale, Screamfeeder, Ups & Downs and Ed Kuepper.

With plenty of stuff to keep adults up late, the little ones will get their fair share of the fun with a chock-full family program, jump started by The Listies Make You LOL!, a manic adventure with alien attacks, toilet paper cannons and the rudest word in the world.

The Mudcakes will sing about the delicious ups and downs of family life in their funtastic kindie rock show Music for Little Monkeys and David Collins, one half of the Umbilical Brothers, will present The Luck Child, a story about the luckiest boy in the world, an evil king and a three-headed hound from hell.


THE SPIEGELTENT OVERVIEW

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Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said The Spiegeltent was a playground for the young and young at heart.

“The magic of The Spiegeltent is in the eye of the beholder. Adults can be shocked and dazzled by cabaret or bask inworld-class music at night, and during the day, kids can laugh until they cry with our adventure-fuelled family program,” Mr Berthold said.

“The space will open until late, so come down, simply soak up the atmosphere and discover why The Spiegeltent isthe place to be seen every September.”


The Spiegeltent is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation and Brisbane Marketing.

The Spiegeltent Music Program is proudly supported by The Music.

ENDS


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Club Swizzle

Sassy new Spiegeltent show set to sizzle at Brisbane FestivalThe creators of Olivier Award-winning La Soirée, which previously sold-out two seasons at Brisbane Festival, will bring their brand new show Club Swizzle to the Festival’s iconic Spiegeltent for a sassy night of entertainment from Saturday 5 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

In the glamorous Spiegeltent, in the heart of the ‘Arcadia’ festival hub at South Bank, the Club Swizzle bar will come alive. A devilish and downright cheeky evening of outrageous cabaret, air-defying acrobatics and infectious musical revelry will transpire, courtesy of the most debaucherous souls in show business.

Reigning over the chaos is New York nightlife icon, comedian and “the hardest working middle-aged man in show business”, Murray Hill. Named as one of the Top 100 most influential performers in OUT Magazine and one of the top 12 gender-bending performers in New York City by Time Out, Hill is also the premier and exclusive host for international burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese.

Club Swizzle’s soundtrack comes courtesy of its house band, Mikey and the Nightcaps, a band with a repertoire as big as its bar tab, and cabaret chanteuse, the inimitable Christa Hughes, will also grace the stage.

The boisterous Swizzle Boys - Daniel Catlow, Joren Dawson, DJ Garner and Ben Lewis - will shake things up behind (and on top of) a bar while showing off their testosterone-fuelled acrobatic skills. Flipping, tumbling and flirting their way through the show, these charismatic boys will pour your drinks and steal your hearts.

Rounding out the cast is an eclectic mix of sexy sirens, fierce divas and incredible entertainers with an irresistible sense of good old-fashioned showmanship.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said there is a huge appetite for this calibre of cabaret.

“Club Swizzle is an outrageous and fun-fuelled show with the crème de la crème of saucy acts. It will provide great nightly entertainment in the Spiegeltent,” Mr Berthold said.

Club Swizzle made its world premiere at Sydney Opera House earlier this year and due to popular demand extended its season by a month.


Club Swizzle is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by Executive Channel, Hit105 and Oaks Hotels & Resorts.

Parental guidance advised for this event (some bad language).

ENDS



CLUB SWIZZLE

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WHEN: Thu 3 and Fri 4 (preview) to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 120 minutes (interval)TICKETS: All tickets $70BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Megan Washington Iconic Australian chanteuse opens Spiegeltent music program Headlining The Spiegeltent, two-time ARIA Award-winner and multi-platinum selling artist Megan Washington – one of Brisbane’s greatest musical exports – is one of the mind-blowing performers opening this year’s Brisbane Festival on Saturday 5 September. Washington will kick-off The Spiegeltent music program on opening night, following a completely sold-out national album tour in February for her sophomore record There There. Co-written with Sam Dixon, an Australian writer and record producer who has worked with vocal powerhouses such as Sia, Adele and Christina Aguilera, Washington’s incredible album was met with rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Punctuated by Washington’s trademark lyrical hooks and lush, new-romantic pop references, the album mines new depths in a chronicle of a woman discovering the moral complexities of love, with each song telling the story of people in her life. Following her acclaimed anthem-filled debut album I Believe You Liar (2010), and the majestic mini-album Insomnia (2011), Washington appeared as a mentor on The Voice Australia and inspired the world with her revealing personal story via a TEDx Talk on ABC’s Australian Story. Her appearance at Brisbane Festival will coincide with the Tangents Tour – Washington’s first ever run of stripped back, intimate appearances throughout every Australian state and territory. Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Megan Washington was an exciting raw talent in the music scene, who would open Brisbane Festival in style. “Megan is a QUT and Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University graduate whose rare vocals have seen her forge an incredibly successful career,” Mr Berthold said. “Her hypnotic stage presence, powerful vocals and poetically candid lyrics will bring The Spiegeltent to life and give audiences a musical experience they will not forget.” Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council and runs from 5 to 26 September 2015. For more information visit brisbanefestival.com.au. Megan Washington is presented Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation, Brisbane Marketing and The Music.

ENDS For all media enquiries, contact Agency North Michaela Tam | 0431 868 382 | [email protected] Dawn Hewitt | 0434 883 880 | [email protected] (CONTINUED OVERLEAF)

MEGAN WASHINGTON

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WHEN: Sat 5 Sept WHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South Bank DURATION: 60 mins TICKETS: Adults $39, Concession $36, Groups $34 BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix 13 62 46

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Conrad Sewell

Major new Australian talent returns home for Brisbane FestivalHailed as “pop’s rock-loving rising star” by Rolling Stone, Brisbane-born singer and songwriter Conrad Sewell will head to Brisbane Festival on Thursday 17 September 2015 for a special one-off performance at The Spiegeltent, marking his first ever headline gig.

Riding on a high after performing at Coachella 2015, securing a prestigious special guest appearance on Ed Sheeran’s sold out 13-date Australian tour and being announced as the support for Maroon 5’s national tour, the 25-year-old newcomer is making waves in the national and international music scene.

He has generated serious buzz with his single Start Again, and last year he showcased his phenomenal vocals and songwriting skills when he penned and performed on Kygo’s smash hit Firestone. With over 200 million streams on Spotify globally, the track propelled Sewell into the spotlight, peaking at #1 on iTunes in 10 countries.

To pursue his music career, the Brisbane local moved to LA and was signed to independent label 300 Entertainment by industry icon Lyor Cohen, who has helped build the careers of multi-platinum selling artists such as Jay-Z and Kanye West.

His debut single Hold Me Up was co-written and produced with Brian Lee – who has worked with internationally famed artists such as Lady Gaga and Icona Pop – and LA-based producer Louis Bell.

After showcasing his incredible vocal range and fresh song lyrics, his second single Start Again also created a buzz, going gold and reaching #1 on the ARIA charts. The hit track was co-written with Jamie Hartman, who has worked with power vocals including Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone.

Sewell is one to watch as he continues to put his soulful stamp on the music industry and build his network of dedicated fans around the world.

He will perform at Brisbane Festival before taking on crowds in Sydney Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth where extra show dates have been added to meet demand.


Conrad Sewell is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly presented by South Bank Corporation, Brisbane Marketing and The Music.

ENDS



CONRAD SEWELL

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WHEN: Thu 17 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $25, Concession $20, Groups $20BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Charlie Lim

Singapore’s rising star to perform at The Spiegeltent for Brisbane FestivalSingapore’s hottest musical export, young independent singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, will bring sounds stretching from acoustic melancholia to electronic-pop to Brisbane Festival’s Spiegeltent on Tuesday 8 September 2015.

The 27-year-old first made waves across the Asia-Pacific music scene in 2011 with his self-titled debut EP, whichreceived critical acclaim and led to a seven-city tour.

He has performed alongside the likes of Kimbra, Sigur Rós and Lucy Rose, and graced stages at The Gathering, Clockenflap and Jarasum International Jazz Festival. In 2014, Lim sold-out two shows at The Esplanade’s Mosaic Music Festival – a first for a Singaporean artist.

Lim is also well known in the Melbourne music scene, having spent a few years in the city while studying a Bachelor of Music.

His latest record, TIME/SPACE, which was released in June and went straight to the top of the iTunes Singaporecharts, is a meticulous representation of his inimitable artistic brooding and insatiable demand to push the boundaries of pop music.

The quintessential Charlie Lim experience ultimately lies in the live show. Whether as a solo act, or with his super-band The Mothership, Charlie meticulously sculpts a musical narrative so mesmerising that audiences often findthemselves rudely jolted back into reality upon its conclusion.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Charlie Lim was already a superstar in Singapore and his beguiling vocals were quickly catching attention across the world.

“Brisbane Festival is only the second Australian festival to showcase Charlie Lim, and what better stage of his careerto do that than now as he fast tracks his way to international prominence,” Mr Berthold said.

Lim’s performance is part of Brisbane Festival’s Singapore Series, which marks the 50th anniversary of the nation’s independence, and also includes The Importance of Being Earnest, Cabinet of Curiosities, Best Of and Black Angels.


Charlie Lim is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation and Brisbane Marketing.

Singapore Series is presented by Singapore Airlines.

The Spiegeltent Music Program is proudly supported by The Music.

ENDS



CHARLIE LIM

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WHEN: Tue 8 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minsTICKETS: Adults $30, Concession $28, Groups $26BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Halfway

Australian rock band shakes up The Spiegeltent with Indigenous collaborationOne of Australia’s best rock bands, Halfway, will head to The Spiegeltent on Wednesday 9 September 2015 for a very special concert, performing songs from their award-winning album Any Old Love, as well as excerpts from A Restless Dream, their remarkable new collaboration with Bob Weatherall, a Kamilaroi Elder and social activist.

The talented eight-piece band will celebrate a successful 15 years together back in Brisbane, where they first formed in 2000.

The group’s three original members – John Busby, Elwin Hawtin and Chris Dale – originate from Rockhampton, later moving to Brisbane where they recruited Ben Johnson (bass), Dublin-born brothers Noel Fitzpatrick (pedal steel) and Liam Fitzpatrick (banjo/mandolin), John Willsteed (guitar) and Luke Peacock (keys/guitar).

Halfway shot to success in 2004 with their debut album Farewell to the Fainthearted, produced by iconic Australian producer Wayne Connolly who has worked with acclaimed artists such as The Vines and Josh Pyke.

In 2006, Halfway released their second album Remember the River, produced by Wayne Connolly and renowned Australian musician Rob Younger of punk-rock band Radio Birdman. The album generated rave reviews and was included in The Courier-Mail’s Top 10 albums of 2006.

John Busby and Chris Dale were awarded with Queensland’s most prestigious songwriting award in 2008, The Grant McLennan Fellowship, with the panel including members of the infamous indie rock band The Go-Betweens. This award sparked a partnership with Robert Forster of The Go-Betweens, who helped to produce Halfway’s third album An Outpost of Promise.

Forster also helped produce Halfway’s sensational fourth album Any Old Love, which was released in 2014 to critical acclaim, winning the AIR Carlton Dry Independent Music Award for Best Country Album. Halfway also won Song of The Year and Best Roots song for Dulcify at the 2015 Queensland Music Awards.

Brisbane Festival’s concert will see the talented band collaborate with Weatherall, Chairman of the Centre for Indigenous Cultural Policy in Brisbane, who has been working for many years on the repatriation of Aboriginal remains. His incredible stories are at the heart of this powerful work-in-progress, with full performances being planned for 2016 and 2017.

Halfway and Weatherall will also be joined by special guests on the night. In the past, Halfway has performed with international and national acts such as The Black Keys, Gomez, You Am I, Josh Pyke, Band of Horses and Gary Louris.


Halfway is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation, Brisbane Marketing and The Music.

ENDS(CONTINUED OVERLEAF)

HALFWAY

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WHEN: Wed 9 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $25, Concession $20, Groups $20BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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We Two Thieves

Award-winning songstress and indie-folk frontwoman join forces in The SpiegeltentWe Two Thieves, the powerful union of two unique singer-songwriters – Emily Lubitz of Australian indie-folk band Tinpan Orange and ARIA-nominee Mama Kin – will perform at Brisbane Festival in The Spiegeltent on Thursday 10September 2015 to showcase their enchanting debut album At Midnight We Ride.

As the sensational lead vocalist of critically acclaimed Tinpan Orange, Emily Lubitz has enjoyed the success of four albums since 2004 – Aroona Palace, Death, Love & Buildings, The Bottom of the Lake, and Over the Sun – building her a dedicated fan base. She also sang the vocals for Dumb Ways to Die, a public service campaign created by Metro Trains Melbourne in 2012, which became an internet sensation around the world.

Mama Kin has released two successful albums, Beat and Holler and The Magician’s Daughter. The latter was nominated for ARIA and AIR awards for Best Blues and Roots Album. The talented songstress was also awarded a WAM Award for Folk Act of the Year 2013 and was named Port Fairy Folk Festival Artist of the Year this March.

The pair is joined by skillful instrumentalist and harmony singer, Dave Mann of the Dave Mann Collective, completingthe ensemble of folk-soul warmth.

Together, We Two Thieves bring to the stage a beautiful combination of Americana, folk, gospel and soul, alongside transcendent vocal harmonies.

Their stunning debut album At Midnight We Ride presents a heartfelt musical journey peppered with tales of mischievous lovers, broken hearts, tender rebels and an undaunted celebration of the treasures of life.

With a mesmerising catalogue of songs, the group’s debut album offers an artful blend of power and delicacy with ajoyful and playful edge that is apparent in their charismatic performances on stage that are as much about the songs as the stories that unfurled them.

We Two Thieves head to Brisbane Festival after enjoying a sold-out national tour, including performances at Port Fairy Folk Festival, Blue Mountains Music Festival, Darwin Festival and support performances with The Waifs and John Butler Trio.


We Two Thieves is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation, Brisbane Marketing and The Music.

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WHEN: Thu 10 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $25, Concession $20, Groups $20BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Los Coronas

Spanish rock-n-rollers bring the surf to Brisbane FestivalLos Coronas, Spain’s greatest surf rock band, will serve up a high-energy fiesta at The Spiegeltent on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 September 2015.

Founded in 1991 by band members Fernando Pardo and David Krahe, the group was named after the Californian town of Corona – home to the flagship factory of guitar giant Fender. With the brand’s iconic guitars being recognised as the instruments of the rock revolution, the choice of name encapsulates the timeless spirit of rock-n-roll Los Coronas incorporate into their work.

Influenced by the music of leading instrumental rock bands The Shadows and The Ventures, as well as American surf rock guitarists Dick Dale and Jerry Cole, the signature sound of Los Coronas is a mix of rock and ‘60s Californian surf, combined with a taste of traditional Spanish and flamenco melodies.

The five-piece band – made up of Fernando Pardo (guitar), David Krahe (guitar), Roberto Lozano (drums), Javier Vacas (electric bass) and Yevhen Riechkalov (trumpet) – is unique in its sound and has transformed the genre of instrumental rock with its exciting and fresh mix of musical genres.

One of Spain’s greatest musical exports and a leader in the surf-rock music scene, the group’s rare musical career spans two decades in which they have released 12 albums and generated rave reviews from national and international tours.

The spirited group is renowned for their dynamic live shows and charismatic performances, promising to stir up The Spiegeltant with two incredible concerts.

Los Coronas first visited Australia in 2012 with a 12-date tour that travelled to venues and festivals across the country. Following the success of their debut visit, the group returned early last year for a second tour that was met with popular acclaim.


Los Coronas is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation, BrisbaneMarketing and The Music.

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WHEN: Tue 22 and Wed 23 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $39, Concession $36, Groups $34BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix 13 62 46

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Bahamas

Rising international star Bahamas warms up The SpiegeltentMulti-JUNO Award-winner Alfie Jurvanen – known by his stage name Bahamas – will head to The Spiegeltent at Brisbane Festival on Thursday 24 September 2015 to showcase his beautifully melodic vocals and powerful lyrics.

The Canadian-born singer-songwriter grew up listening to the country sounds of iconic singers such as Vince Gill, Alan Jackson and Travis Tritt, and taught himself how to master the guitar.

Since 2009 he has been writing songs about sunsets and love affairs, with his unique musical exploration of relationships. Bahamas’ debut album, Pink Strat, was released in 2009 to critical acclaim and was nominated for a 2010 JUNO Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year, quickly catapulting him into the spotlight.

His success continued with the release of his second album, Barchords in 2012, which was also nominated for a JUNO Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year in 2013, while Bahamas himself was nominated for Songwriter of the Year.

The rising star released his third album in 2014, Bahamas Is Alfie, enjoying rave reviews and being awarded the #1 spot of the Top 20 Albums of 2014 listed by CBC Radio One’s popular arts and culture magazine show, Q. The album also won the award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the 2015 JUNO Awards, with Bahamas securing the lucrative award for Songwriter of the Year.

Bahamas Is Alfie is the next step in the evolution of Jurvanen’s songcraft, guitar mastery, and melodic pop hooks –providing stunning arrangements of strings, brass, winds, orchestral percussion and chamber choruses that transport the listener to a place of resolve and comfort.

The talented musician has worked with an array of Canadian stars such as indie-pop icon Feist, popular alternative-country singer Jason Collett and four-piece indie rock band Zeus.

He has also supported many international artists including American singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, critically acclaimed alternative rock band Wilco and Robert Plant – the iconic lead singer and lyricist of Led Zeppelin.

Bahamas will head to Brisbane Festival off the back of his highly anticipated tour around the US and Canada.


Bahamas is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation, Brisbane Marketing and The Music.

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WHEN: Thu 24 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minsTICKETS: Adults $39, Concession $36, Groups $34BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix 13 62 46

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Fox Capture Plan

Japan’s Fox Capture Plan makes Australian debut at Brisbane FestivalUp-and-coming Japanese contemporary jazz rock trio, Fox Capture Plan, will make its Australian debut in an exclusive performance at Brisbane Festival’s Spiegeltent on Sunday 6 September 2015.

Inspired by the likes of Japanese musician, composer and actor Ryuichi Sakamoto, Grammy and Academy Award-winning Burt Bacharach and Foo Fighter frontman Dave Grohl, this is a band with an original personality and huge talent.

With big piano chords and pop melodic hooks they conquer classics from Björk, Oasis and Massive Attack as well as offering up brilliant original material.

Formed in 2011 in Tokyo, Fox Capture Plan’s first full length album Trinity won the 2013 Jazz Japan Award for Album of the Year. Successful tours of Hong Kong and China led to a second full length album Bridge.

With Ryo Kishimoto on piano, Hidehiro Kawai on double bass and Tsukasa Inoue on drums, their beautifully crafted songs with catchy syncopated melodies will get your head bobbing, feet tapping and fingers feeling the groove.


Fox Capture Plan is presented by Brisbane Festival and proudly supported by South Bank Corporation, Brisbane Marketing and The Music.

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WHEN: Sun 6 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $39, Concession $36, Groups $34 BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Family Program

Brisbane Festival’s fun-fuelled family program set to make crowds LOL

This year Brisbane Festival will play host to a mix of three hilariously messy and educationally interactive children’s events, as part of its Family Program at the iconic Spiegeltent during September school holidays and weekends.

On Saturday 19 September, Australia’s most sought after family comedians will make Brisbane Festival crowds laugh out loud in The Listies Make You LOL!. The gloriously anarchic production has sold out shows across the world andincludes alien attacks, toilet paper guns, spew, the rudest word in the world and the most disgusting pair of undies.The Listies make you LOL! has won countless awards including Best Production for Children at the 2013 Sydney Theatre Awards (suitable for ages 5 to 12).

The Luck Child, performed by one half of The Umbilical Brothers David Collins and directed by Jonathan Biggins (The Wharf Revue), will show from Tuesday 22 to Friday 25 September. The winner of Best Production for Children at the 2014 Adelaide Fringe Festival, the show is based on an old Russian folk tale and will take children on a journey following the luckiest boy in the world, an evil king and a three-headed hound from hell (suitable for ages 4 to 12).

The Mudcakes’ Music for Little Monkeys, performed by Grammy, Oscar and ARIA-nominated entertainers Rick Plant and Sherry Rich, will play from Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 September. Featuring kazoos, electric ukuleles, bongos,and monkeys big and small singing and flying, the interactive show will also see some of the audience take to the stage. The Mudcakes will sing about the ups and downs of family life – the wonders of new teeth, hugging, potty training and all those things parents and kids go through. They have also been voted Top 10 children’s CD by New York Post (suitable for ages 2 to 8).

For some extra family fun, kids can also enjoy Library on the Lawn hosted for the first time by State Library of Queensland at South Bank Cultural Forecourt from Saturday 12 to Friday 25 September. The educational book affairwill be home to a pop-up storytelling and play space, where there will be tales under the trees and performances sure to please, with an assortment of kids books as well as a selection for the adults.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said this year’s Family Program would provide a wonderful mix of entertainment for children to get involved with and enjoy the Festival.

“From brilliant comedy and Russian folk tales to interactive music and dance, these shows are specifically designed for children and are entertaining, educational and most of all fun,” Mr Berthold said.

Other productions for younger festival-goers include The Voice in the Walls, an audio-immersive performance for 9 to12 year olds set in Old Government House and FLOWN, a captivating jaw-dropping circus in The Courier-Mail Piazza.

Brisbane Festival will also offer free activities for the whole family including Symphony for Me, Sunsuper Riverfire,Treasury Lights, Brisbane Airport 3D Chalk Walk and Backyard Cinema.


The Family Program is presented by Brisbane Festival and Channel Nine.

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The Listies Make You LOL!

WHEN: Sat 19 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 55 minutesTICKETS: All tickets $20, Groups $15 (4 or more)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

The Luck Child

WHEN: Tues 22 to Fri 25 SeptWHERE: The Speigeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 45 minutesTICKETS: Adults $27, Family $92 (2 adults, 2 children), Groups $25 (4 or more)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

Music for Little Monkeys

WHEN: Sat 12 to Sun 13 SeptWHERE: The Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South BankDURATION: 45 minutesTICKETS: All tickets $20, Groups $15 (4 or more)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Theatre Republic Overview

Death, nudity and royal bashing abound at Theatre RepublicTheatre Republic, the brat child of Brisbane Festival, will invade QUT’s Creative Industries Precinct with an insurgence of award-winning work from the independent arts scene in Australia and around the globe from Tuesday 8to Saturday 26 September 2015.

A place to share food, wine, music and ideas, festival-goers are dared to step into the Republic to traverse the cosmos, get camp-drenched in narcissistic megalomania, enjoy a funeral, get treasonous in the thick swamp of royal mediocrity and set fire to an actor. This is the place to immerse yourself in brave new works at the forefront of the independent theatre scene, and the ideas they inspire.

Rock up early and stay out late in the Theatre Republic bar with an enticing offering of pre and post-show artist chats and a free nightly indie music program starring the likes of Michelle Xen and The Neon Wild, The Cheap Fakes andAyla.

Adrienne Truscott, one half of the infamous Wau Wau Sisters, throws the rules – and her clothes – out the window inAdrienne Truscott’s Asking For It, a pointed stand-up about rape, comedy and the awkward laughs in between, while [almost] buck naked.

In another one-woman show, provocative Singaporean theatre makers, The Necessary Stage, will confront societal expectations in Best Of. Award-winning actress Siti Khalijah Zainal plays a young Malay-Muslim woman travelling through her day from prison to hospital revealing a contemporary vision of race, religion and cultural stereotypes in modern Singapore.

Get to know another Singaporean woman in Saltwater, a touching evening of storytelling, conversations and food.Dine with strangers at Jamie’s dinner table, help prepare then share a meal, and take a trip down memory lane as she reveals the inner workings of a woman responding to loss, grief, love and commitment.

Back home, hot on the heels of a sold-out Melbourne Fringe season, MKA: Theatre of New Writing attacks Shakespeare’s Richard II, spitting out a treasonous consanguinity of celebrity, corruption and religious self-love. With lavish staging and a pop soundtrack, this knife-in-the-back sharp satire is a passionate play about leadership, worship and ‘mateship’.

Giving another middle finger to the monarchy, Chris Ioan Roberts’ Dead Royal will whisk audiences to 1981 Paris, where the Duchess of Windsor – the infamous American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson who caused King Edward VIII to abdicate – invites a 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer to a doom-laden bachelorette party on the eve of her wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales.

In a searing immersive experience of biblical proportions, The City They Burned is a modern retelling of Lot and his family. Melbourne’s most fearless indie theatre company, Attic Erratic, tackles the political landscape head-on, while questioning the notion of the ‘greater good’.

Shrouded in mystery, Funeral takes a celebratory slant to a life lived richly and well. It is joy, death, eulogy, burial and acceptance all wrapped up in a live art performance, but you will never, never know, if you never, never go.


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Also delving into the macabre, Minnie and Mona Play Dead is a play within a play that tells the story of two friends: one wants to make believe they are cheeky unicorns and the other wants to die. This captivating black comedy delves into the rough ground unearthed when everyone around you wants to leave. Forever.

Red Stitch Actors Theatre will present an exhilarating double-bill in Dead Centre/Sea Wall, which joins two leading playwrights from different continents as they explore the lives of two seemingly unconnected people in unexpected and heart-rending ways.

Flying the flag for local talent, Thomas Quirk will present the world premiere of his new work The Theory of Everything. Solving the riddles behind black holes, popular music and why we fall in love, eight actors attempt to find purpose by condensing the history of the 14-billion-year-old universe into one hour.

Theatre Republic will also host Experimenta Recharge: The 6th International Biennial of Media Art, an exhibition that looks closely at the role media art plays in retelling and creating stories. Presented by Brisbane Festival, Experimenta and QUT Precincts, it features five new commissions and more than 20 leading artists from around the globe.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Theatre Republic would be a pulsing Festival hub, housing some of the best independent work in the world in its five venues.

“Audiences will flow from the surrounding theatres into the Theatre Republic garden bar - featuring a free nightlyprogram of indie music and conversations with festival artists,” Mr Berthold said.

“We have expanded activities at the site, so people can see two or three shows a night at low ticket prices.

“Come early for a drink and stay out late to savour the delectable selection of tastes from local artisan food makers,curated by Wandering Cooks.

“Theatre Republic is the place to be if you want to see thought-provoking theatre and artists with abandon.”

Executive Dean of QUT’s Creative Industries Faculty Professor Mandy Thomas said the University was proud to once again partner with Brisbane Festival to host Theatre Republic.

“As a university with a strong focus on creative industries research and teaching, we are committed to engaging with the community through the arts,” Professor Thomas said.

“Our partnership with Brisbane Festival for Theatre Republic will also give our creative industries students unprecedented opportunities to gain real-world career experience through internships and behind-the-scenes access to performers, directors and technical staff.”


Theatre Republic is presented by Brisbane Festival and QUT.

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Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It

Revealing one-woman show undresses difficult topic at Brisbane FestivalAdrienne Truscott, one half of the infamous burlesque duo The Wau Wau Sisters, will bring her controversial one-woman show to Brisbane Festival from Tuesday 8 to Saturday 12 September 2015 – a highlight of the Theatre Republic program.

Truscott, an established choreographer, dancer, circus acrobat and writer, made her debut performance of Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Her first attempt at stand-up comedy was met with critical acclaim, winning her the Malcolm Hardee Award and Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award, as well as being one of 20 artists selected nationally to receive the elusive Doris Duke Impact Artist Award.

Dressed only from the waist up and ankles down, Truscott throws the rules – and her clothes – out of the window in this unique rhetoric about rape, comedy and the awkward laughs in between.

Featuring a pop soundtrack and commentary from George Carlin, Louis C. K. and Robert De Niro, Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It looks at the complex politics around rape and comedy.

Truscott offers a fresh approach to the subject, challenging the way rape has been discussed by male comedians. One instance in particular saw American comedian Daniel Tosh make a series of jokes about rape following which a female audience member called out “Actually rape jokes are never funny”. Tosh responded with the words "Wouldn't it be funny if that girl got raped by like, five guys right now?” – a joke that caused widespread controversy within the comedy world.

In Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It, Truscott’s bold comedy and stunning wit redirects the way people talk about rape. Rather than her jokes targeting the victim, she targets the attacker and the way people discuss the subject ofrape.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It was a confronting show that approaches difficult topics in a witty and intelligent way.

“Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It is a highly nuanced and terrifically performed show that puts high comedy at the service of an interrogation into how we speak about rape and sexual violence,” Mr Berthold said.

“In a place where audiences can expect to be shocked and boundaries to be pushed, Truscott’s show will be sure to get people talking at this year’s Theatre Republic.”

Theatre Republic - described as the ‘brat child’ of Brisbane Festival - will invade QUT’s Creative Industries Precinct with an insurgence of award-winning work from the independent arts scene in Australia and around the globe from Saturday 5 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

Ahead of its arrival at Brisbane Festival, Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It has enjoyed full houses both nationally and internationally, running in Australia, the US and the UK.



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Adrienne Truscott’s Asking For It is presented by Brisbane Festival and QUT as part of Theatre Republic.

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WHEN: Tue 8 to Sat 12 SeptWHERE: The Loft, Theatre Republic, QUT Creative Industries Precinct, Kelvin GroveDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $25, Concession $20, Groups $20BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46MORE INFORMATION: This production is 18+ and contains nudity, adult content and frequent course language.

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Best Of

Eye-opening one-woman show explores Malay-Muslim culture in Australian premiereAward-winning Singaporean actress Siti Khalijah Zainal will take centre-stage at Brisbane Festival’s Theatre Republicin a poignant piece created especially for her by Haresh Sharma, one of Singapore’s finest playwrights, and Alvin Tan, Artistic Director of innovative Singaporean theatre company The Necessary Stage.

An Australian premiere, exclusive to Brisbane Festival, Best Of explores current issues including racism, religion, feminism and cultural stereotyping through the eyes of a young Malay-Muslim woman living in contemporary Singapore.

Through collective stories and personal reflection, the protagonist takes the audience on an insightful journey through her day, lined with her own brand of comedic wit.

Playing at La Boite Studio as part of Theatre Republic from Tuesday 8 to Saturday 12 September 2015, Best Of begins with a visit to a prison, ends at a hospital, and sees Siti’s character open up about her personal thoughts, hopes and fears, including her ongoing divorce proceedings under Sharia law.

In a delicate blend of poignant and comedic moments, Siti offers a captivating insight into modern Singapore.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said although the show would focus predominantly on Malay-Muslim culture, it would touch on universal issues that all audiences could resonate with.

“Siti’s captivating presence on stage is effortless and she delivers her performance with passion and authenticity,” Mr Berthold said.

“It’s wonderful to be in her company. The play confronts societal expectations with a gentle social critique and intimate moments of personal reflection.”

The show was first performed in 2013 and has been staged four times in Singapore and Malaysia to critical and popular acclaim.

Join Siti and the creative team from Best Of in the Theatre Republic garden bar for a series of post show discussions. For dates and times refer to brisbanefestival.com.au.

Best Of will form part of Brisbane Festival’s Singapore Series, which marks the Island state’s 50th anniversary of Independence from Malaysia. Other works in the series include The Importance of Being Earnest, Cabinet of Curiosities, Black Angels and Charlie Lim.

It is also a highlight of the Theatre Republic program which will invade QUT’s Creative Industries Precinct with an insurgence of award-winning work from the independent arts scene in Australia and around the globe from Saturday 5 to Saturday 26 September 2015. Featuring a nightly program of free music and artist chats in the garden bar, Theatre Republic is the place to immerse yourself in brave new works and in the conversations they inspire.


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Best Of is presented by Brisbane Festival and QUT.

Singapore Series is presented by Singapore Airlines.

ENDS


WHEN: Tue 8 to Sat 12 SeptWHERE: La Boite Studio, Theatre Republic, QUT Creative Industries Precinct, Kelvin GroveDURATION: 55 minutesTICKETS: Adults $25, Concession $20, Groups $20BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Dead Royal

Provocative one-man show brings madness to the monarchyIn an Australian premiere exclusive to Brisbane Festival, Dead Royal, a one-man show written, directed and performed by London-based Australian expat Chris Ioan Roberts, gives the middle finger to the monarchy from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 September 2015 as part of Theatre Republic.

A highlight of this year’s independent theatre program Theatre Republic, Roberts’ provocative comedy intertwines the remarkable stories of Diana Spencer and Wallis Simpson – the infamous American socialite and divorcee who caused King Edward VIII to abdicate.

Dead Royal will transport audiences to Villa Windsor, Paris in 1981 – the eve of Lady Diana’s wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales. In a despair-laden bachelorette party hosted by Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, she frantically warns 19-year-old Diana to flee her impending nuptials before she marries the wrong man and becomes lost in the immortal world of royal mediocrity.

Laying bare some heinous 80’s fashion crimes and Britain’s obsession with Lady Diana, this historical melodrama explores the notion of marrying into the royal family and how civilians that do are irreparably judged by history.

Roberts performs both roles, seamlessly transforming between the two characters, harnessing his cutting-edge comic and dramatic skills.

The show’s captivating script also includes quotes taken from historical interviews with Wallis Simpson and Diana Spencer. The authenticity and intimacy of incorporating their original words brings another dimension to the show, andcompliments Robert’s brand of twisted comedy by allowing audiences to feel as if they have intruded on a private moment.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said Dead Royal was a highly imaginative piece of theatre with Chris Roberts delivering a compelling performance.

“Roberts has a very subversive humour, but it contains tragic undertones in a way that is undeniably thought-provoking,” Mr Berthold said.

“Roberts is an extremely talented artist whose enthralling show will be a stand-out at this year’s Theatre Republic.”

Theatre Republic - described as the ‘brat child’ of Brisbane Festival - will invade QUT’s Creative Industries Precinct with an insurgence of award-winning work from the independent arts scene in Australia and around the globe from Tuesday 8 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

Audiences will flow from the surrounding theatres into the Theatre Republic garden bar – a place to share food, drink and ideas for change. Featuring a nightly music program and conversations with festival artists Theatre Republic is the place to immerse yourself in the works at the forefront of the independent theatre scene and the ideas that they inspire.



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Dead Royal is presented by Brisbane Festival and QUT.

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WHEN: Tue 15 to Sat 19 SeptWHERE: La Boite Studio, Theatre Republic, QUT Creative Industries Precinct, Kelvin GroveDURATION: 60 minutesTICKETS: Adults $25, Concession $20, Groups $20BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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Richard II

Cutting-edge playwright puts politically charged spin on Shakespeare classicMKA: Theatre of New Writing, one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary theatre companies, brings its provocative adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II – inspired in part by the Rudd/Gillard years – to Brisbane Festival from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

Featuring lavish staging and a pop soundtrack, this knife-in-the-back-sharp satire about leadership, worship and ‘mateship’ plays at The Loft in QUT’s Creative Industries Precinct at Brisbane Festival’s Theatre Republic.

Playwright, director and performer Mark Wilson, who created the comic adaptation, alongside Olivia Monticciolo (Bell Shakespeare’s Phèdre), is a bold new voice in Shakespeare having been selected as an International Fellow at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. His controversial interpretation of Macbeth, Unsex Me, sold out at last year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival and toured nationally.

In this compelling follow-up, Wilson performs as Richard II alongside Monticciolo as his cousin Henry Bolingbroke – as audiences discover the distrust and political intrigue of violent succession, which rings as true of politics today.

Exploring issues of gender politics, power and corruption with an edge of political satire, Richard II challenges the notion of power, warning audiences that all leaders are human, corruptible and compromised.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said this politically charged work was an intelligent and defiant piece of theatre that brought the issues of power and hierarchy in Shakespeare’s original work into a contemporary landscape.

“In a skilfully crafted combination of comedy and tragedy, Mark Wilson creates a unique experience that will both entertain audiences and offer a perceptive dig at Australian politics,” Mr Berthold said.

“It’s a great script and is blessed with incredible performances by Mark and Olivia. It’s Shakespeare from today’s news.”

Theatre Republic is Brisbane Festival’s alternative theatre program, showcasing award-winning work from the independent arts scene in Australia and around the globe. It is also a Festival destination - a place to share food, drinks, music and discussions with a nightly program of free music and artist chats.


Richard II is presented by Brisbane Festival and QUT.

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WHEN: Tue 22 to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: The Loft, Theatre Republic, QUT Creative Industries Precinct, Kelvin GroveDURATION: 55 minutesTICKETS: Adults $25, Concession $20, Groups $20BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or qtix on 13 62 46

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QUT precincts and Imaginary Theatre presents an excellent local production for children this Brisbane Festival

As Brisbane Festival fills our city with creativity and excitement this September, don’t forget to include your youngsters in the activity.

Returning by popular demand for its third season this year, ‘The Voice in the Walls’ is an incredible and unique performance experience created especially for 9-12 year olds.

Set in and based upon true stories from Queensland’s iconic ‘Old Government House’ this work takes children on an audio adventure through the house exploring hidden corners, searching for lost memories and meeting characters both real and unseen.

The work, commissioned by QUT and created by local children’s theatre company Imaginary Theatre, combines the best elements of live performance, gaming, historic audio tours and juvenile adventure novels to create a completely unique experience for children. One that is exciting, at times frightening, and very compelling for the 9-12 year olds who engage with the work unaccompanied by their adults.

Imaginary Theatre’s Artistic Director and co-creator of the work Thom Browning says: “Playwright David Burton worked with us to write an incredible story to build our show upon. Based in truths from Old Government House’s curious and somewhat marred history, David has extracted a thrilling and captivating plot, twisted in some fiction and created a story that grips children and asks them to be complicit in the actual delivery and outcome of the show.”

About the style of production Browning said “The Voice in the Walls is a bit unusual but we chose this form because it just works for this age group. The 30 children are set up with a wireless audio receiver and a set of headphones, and they hear portions of the story through the headphones, like an audio tour, which also guides them through the house to meet live performers, and discover objects to contribute to the story. It really allows the young audience to revel in their independence, it encourages them to take risks and be actively involved in the story: all things that 9-12 year olds have told us they want and like.”

Old Government House Curator and Historian Katie McConnel said: “I have never seen or heard of any production like this for children, and I have never seen children this engaged in any show or tour before. They absolutely love The Voice in the Walls and take great delight in sharing their experience with their parents and siblings after the show. As a Historian I am thrilled that Imaginary has created a project that allows children and families to engage creatively with our state heritage, and in a way that is both natural and exciting to the audience. Brisbane kids really are getting something special with this show.”

media release

For immediate release June 2015

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Precincts THE VOICE IN THE WALLS

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media releasePrecincts

– ENDS – For more information about the production or to arrange interviews, please contact Jess Halpin

Promotional images overleaf. Please email Jess Halpin for high resolution copies.

Media welcome to attend, please RSVP to Jess Halpin.

Permission has been granted to use all quotes in this release.

MEDIA CONTACTJess HalpinSenior Marketing Officer (Performing Arts)[email protected] 3138 5980

The Voice in the Walls by Imaginary Theatre Where: Old Government House, QUT Gardens Point, 2 George Street, Brisbane

When: 21 September - 2 October, Monday - Friday, 10am & 12pm daily

Bookings: ogh.qut.edu.au or phone 07 3138 4455

Cost: General $25 | Groups of 5+ $20 (Strictly for 9-12 year olds, no adults, teens, or younger)

QUT has cafés open to occupy parents during the show, and adjacent to Old Government House are QUT’s The Cube, Art Museum and the City Botanic Gardens; perfect for families to make a day of the trip to the city.

Imaginary Theatre is a Brisbane-based not for profit organization dedicated to creating world class art and arts experiences for children aged 2-12. They have had success staging theatrical adaptations of the Tashi books, and presenting theatre and workshops for children at Brisbane Powerhouse for the past decade.

The Voice in the Walls is supported by Brisbane Festival 2016 and is on sale now. Tickets are limited to 30 children per show, so book in fast to avoid disappointment.

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Photographs by Yan Chen

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Treasury Lights

Treasury Casino & Hotel switches on for a light display spectacular The façade of Brisbane’s iconic Treasury Casino & Hotel will transform into a son et lumière spectacular for Brisbane Festival’s Treasury Lights from Friday 18 to Saturday 26, from dusk until 11pm.

In a free Festival first, Treasury Lights will stop spectators in their tracks with its ambitious and wild light display created by Spinifex, one of the world’s greatest creators of live public experiences and gurus behind Vivid Sydney,How to Train Your Dragon and the Beijing Olympics.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said he was delighted to see this exciting new component in the2015 program.

“We are thrilled to team up with Treasury Casino & Hotel to put on this magnificent light display that is set to attract thousands. It will be a fantastic sight to see and something the whole family can enjoy,” Mr Berthold said.

Managing Director at Treasury Casino & Hotel, the Principal Partner of Brisbane Festival, Geoff Hogg said he was thrilled to announce a new free event – Treasury Lights.

“Following the tremendous success of the Colour Me Brisbane lightshow on Treasury’s façade during last year’s G20 cultural celebrations, we are delighted to ignite our beautiful buildings yet again with a light and sound spectacular for all of Brisbane to enjoy,” Mr Hogg said.

The Treasury Building is a heritage-listed public administration building; prior to its construction the site was occupiedby a two-story military barracks. Now known as Brisbane’s Treasury Casino & Hotel, it houses a hotel, five restaurants, seven bars and a nightclub.


Treasury Lights is presented by Brisbane Festival and Treasury Casino and Hotel and is proudly supported by Technical Direction Company.

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WHEN: Fri 18 to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: Treasury Heritage Hotel, Brisbane CityDURATION: Dusk to 11pmTICKETS: FreeMORE INFORMATION: This production contains strobe effects.

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goa Project

Snap-happy locals capture their view of Brisbane The goa Project will see the photographic work of students and members of the community displayed on goa’s digital network - THE goa GRID - across the city and showcased in an exhibition as part of Brisbane Festival, from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 26 September 2015.

The popular competition has been an educational initiative of Brisbane Festival for the past 18 years. So far this year, acclaimed photographic artist Henri van Noordenburg has been running free in-school workshops for students in years 7 to 12 to help them prepare for the contest.

As well as the schools category, the competition includes an open category giving anyone who loves to dabble in photography the chance to participate.

Participants’ photos must explore the theme ‘I am Brisbane’, shooting an original portrait reflective of someone who represents Brisbane.

An expert judging panel will select 15 semi-finalists from each category, whose work will be displayed on goa’s giant 6x3m screens throughout the city and at a professional exhibition at Judith Wright Centre for Contemporary Arts during Brisbane Festival.

Winners will be announced at a special awards evening on 15 September, including a ‘People’s Choice Award’ chosen by popular vote on Brisbane Festival’s website.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said after nearly two decades the goa Project continued to inspirestudents and capture the essence of Brisbane through art.

“The work produced by students, and the general public, continues to be of a high standard and it will be fantastic to see it reflected on goa billboards throughout the city for everyone to see,” Mr Berthold said.

“This year’s theme allows participants to capture the people who make up our city, providing a really interesting way of looking at Brisbane.”

Open category submissions for the goa Project close on Monday 13 July.


The goa Project is proudly supported by goa billboards. Participating schools include Brisbane State High, Runcorn State High School, Cannon Hill Anglican College, Jabiru Community College, Sandgate and Ferny Grove State High School.

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WHEN: Wed 16 to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: Shopfront, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary ArtsTICKETS: FREEBOOKINGS: NAMORE INFORMATION: brisbanefestival.com.au

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MEDIA RELEASE Thursday 7 May, 2015

Entries now open for Art from the Margins Brisbane Festival Exhibition 2015 at City Hall

Disadvantaged artists from across Brisbane will once again have the chance to exhibit their artwork in the Art from the Margins (AFTM) Brisbane Festival exhibition in September 2015.

Entry to the exhibition is now open, with artists encouraged to submit paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, 3D sculptures and ceramics that respond to this year’s theme: ‘Creating Wellness’.

The exhibition provides artists with public exposure, as well as the opportunity to earn a profit from artwork sales.

AFTM Manager Anthony Anderton said the program is excited to be heading back to City Hall.

“The historic City Hall is an exceptional location for this event. Last year we exhibited more than 450 artworks from over 280 artists in City Hall – the largest exhibition in AFTM history,” Mr Anderton said.

“Our program works with some of the most vulnerable people in our community; those living with mental health issues, disabilities and homelessness. Often these artists aren’t given the same opportunities as mainstream artists, so we are very excited to bring the work of these talented and courageous artists, to the people of Brisbane.”

AFTM Committee Member, artist and academic John Armstrong said the exhibition provides artists the opportunity to share their artwork with the wider community.

“This exhibition features some truly marvellous artworks and presents us with glimpses into other worlds where shape is given to thoughts and feelings that are sometime impossible to talk about,” Mr Armstrong said.

“Viewing these artworks can give us an impression of the stories that may lie beyond the canvas or paper.”

A highlight of the four-day exhibition program is the Public Art Forum on Saturday 26th September.

A panel of experts and art enthusiasts featuring Sim Luttin, Curator and Gallery Manager at Arts Project Australia, will explore the exhibition’s theme ‘Creating Wellness’. Artists and members of the public are invited to attend the forum.

Art from the Margins, a creative initiative of Wesley Mission Brisbane, is a not-for-profit community art program providing disadvantaged artists with art mentoring, practical art classes and the opportunity to exhibit their works in prominent public showcases. www.artfromthemargins.org.au

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For tickets to the forum and more information, contact Anthony Anderton on 0408 873 561 or email [email protected]

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EVENT: Art from the Margins Brisbane Festival Exhibition WHEN: Thursday 24 September to Sunday 27 September, 10am-5pm daily, free entry. WHERE: Sherwood & Sandgate Rooms, Brisbane City Hall, King George Square

Public Art Forum Saturday 26th September, 1pm – 4pm (Ticketed $10) Sister Cities Room, Brisbane City Hall. Free for exhibiting artists

MEDIA CONTACT: Jessica Mewburn | Wesley Mission Brisbane 07 3621 4520 | 0428 608 490 | [email protected]

ABOUT WMB Wesley Mission Brisbane is a leading not-for-profit organisation, offering community support, aged care, child care and retirement living. The work of Wesley Mission Brisbane reaches throughout Queensland encouraging social inclusion and strengthening communities. www.wmb.org.au

ABOUT Art from the Margins Art from the Margins (AFTM) began in 2008 as a program to support homeless artists. The idea was born in a Brisbane park beside a coffee van when a member of the Albert Street Uniting Church’s Servant Network was talking with an artist living in isolation. The artist spoke about the challenges confronting artists living with disadvantage when they try to display their work in a public space or participate in the wider arts community. Wesley Mission Brisbane made the commitment to support artists whose creative development was limited by homelessness, disability, disadvantage or social isolation and Art from the Margins was created.www.artfromthemargins.org.au

ABOUT AFTM Brisbane Festival Exhibition The first Art from the Margins exhibition was held in the Albert Street Uniting Church in 2008 and proudly became part of the Brisbane Festival’s annual programme. In 2014, the Art from the Margins Brisbane Festival Art Exhibition grew to attract over 400 entries by 280 local artists from South East QLD – the biggest number of entrants in AFTM’s history. The exhibition is an opportunity for outsider and disadvantaged artists and community art groups to showcase their artwork to a wider audience. AFTM is pleased to announce that the 2015 exhibition will again be held in the iconic Brisbane City Hall building in King George Square and will be part of the Brisbane Festival 2015 programme.

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Media Release 2 June 2015 RE: Perception – an installation and exhibition by artists from Access Arts The Camera Wanderers, a group of photographic artists who are part of Access Arts, project their view in Perception, a fast moving photographic installation that helps kick off the 2015 Brisbane Festival at Parade Ground, The Republic, QUT Creative Industries Precinct, on Saturday 5 September. The installation continues until Saturday 26 September 2015. In this installation the Camera Wanderers unpack the concept of perception through the visual language of photography. Coming from a background of disability and disadvantage, the artists reflect on how internal and external perceptions have shaped their life experiences. Access Arts and KPMG have partnered to create a further exploration around Perception, in an exhibition that complements the Camera Wanderers’ installation. This exhibition, based at KPMG in Brisbane’s CBD, runs from 7 September–11 December 2015. It showcases the artwork of Brisbane Outsider Artists and Camera Wanderers in an eclectic range of mediums including painting, drawing, photography, mosaic, weaving and collage. Viewings are strictly by prior appointment only, made through the Access Arts office (07) 3254 9585. Access Arts’ Camera Wanderers and Brisbane Outsider artists are proud to be part of Brisbane Festival. Access Arts helps Queenslanders experiencing disability or disadvantage enjoy and excel at arts and culture. Note to editors: Access Arts pioneers pathways in the arts for people with disability or disadvantage. Our vision is to

create a Queensland where everyone has access to participate, create and work in the arts. Over three decades Access Arts has become an acknowledged leader, helping develop thousands of artists and cultural workers who experience disability or disadvantage.

For publicity enquiries please contact: Angela Witcher P: (07) 3254 9585 E: [email protected]

Access Arts Inc 1F/24 Macquarie Street

Teneriffe QLD 4005

Phone: (07) 3254 9585 Local: 1300 663 651

Email: [email protected]

www.accessarts.org.au ABN 82 066 160 761

Patron: His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC

Governor of Queensland

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Media contact: Emily McCowat 3403 5281 or 0409 876 317

Delivering for our suburbs

G r a h a m Q u i r k

Lord MayorMEDIA RELEASE

Iconic bridge to light up local artworks for Brisbane Festival

Brisbane’s iconic William Jolly Bridge will be transformed into a colourful canvas, with Council teaming up with local artists to project vibrant artworks onto the bridge later this year.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said local artworks would be projected onto the bridge every evening throughout the Brisbane Festival which runs from 5 to 26 September.

“Brisbane has a great reputation as a vibrant, creative city that attracts a range of local, national, and international artistic talents,” Cr Quirk said.

“This is a great opportunity to celebrate the city’s artists, and what better time to show off their talents than during the Brisbane Festival, which celebrates everything our city has to offer.”

Council will contribute $5,000 to establish the light projections, which will showcase works by Brisbane artists Gerwyn Davies and Alice Lang.

“Visual artists Gerwyn Davies and Alice Lang are based right here in Brisbane and have studied and worked both locally and internationally.

Both artists are great examples of our city’s rich cultural and creative resources, and it’s great that we can provide a platform through our iconic, heritage bridge.

The William Jolly Bridge was used for art projections during the Brisbane Arts and Culture Innovation Awards in March to celebrate the city’s creative and cultural sector, and also featured in the G20 cultural celebrations last year.

Cr Quirk said the project was another example of Brisbane’s urban design being used to support public art projects.

“This is another innovative way of transforming under-utilised spaces into something the entire city can enjoy,” he said.

Gerwyn Davies and Alice Lang’s artworks will be projected onto the bridge every night from 7pm until midnight during festival time.

“I encourage all Brisbane residents and visitors to check out the projections and enjoy the works of our talented local artists, all while celebrating the vitality of our great city.”

For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Council on (07) 3403 8888.

[Ends] JUNE 10, 2015

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Venue: The Block, QUT Creative Industries Precinct – August 24 – September 26 Experimenta, Australia’s leading media arts organisation, presents Experimenta Recharge: 6th International Biennial of Media Art at Venue: The Block, QUT Creative Industries Precinct. The exhibition is open from 24 August – 26 September 2015. Experimenta Recharge asks does knowledge change when it is presented in different technological forms and cultural contexts? By producing unconventional perspectives, can experimental artists illuminate existing knowledge and meaning for a new generation? Can artists lead us to entirely new modes of consciousness? Experimenta Recharge presents artists whose works are consciously inspired by and entangled with the past, and who use the most contemporary of tools. The exhibition presents over 18 works from Australian and international artists, featuring five new commissions, artist representation from every mainland Australian state, and six international artists, five of whom are being shown in Australia for the first time. Artistic Director Jonathan Parsons has selected multidisciplinary works that draw from photography, installation, electronic sculpture, interactive and immersive media, robotics, bio art, live art, sound art, 3D printing, games, animation, film and video. “Media art is inherently multidisciplinary, born out of the processing power of computer technology that made possible, for the first time, a substantial interplay between various media. The artists in Experimenta Recharge are alert to both the intimate and the broader cultural contexts through which they move and live. By listening, watching, thinking and making, they recharge knowledge and meaning systems, reinvigorating these systems or radically transforming them.” International biennial artists include, German sound art collective, Korinsky – who’s work RL2000, explores what would happen if ancient sounds never disappeared and could be retrieved; and works from Brazilian artist Anaisa Franco’s interactive robotic sculpture series Psychosomatics. Australian artists include Brisbane based Svenja Kratz whose artwork Contamination of Alice Instance #8 uses the DNA of Alice, a young girl who died in 1973 and donated her body to science, to reveal the uncanniness of having living fragments of an absent human body present; Christy Dena whose Magister Ludi playfully investigates the recent cultural phenomena of both computer and live ‘escape room’ puzzles through an interactive game installed in a vintage school desk; Cake Industries are inviting 15 people from the Newcastle comunity to have their portrait taken using 3D printing technology to reinstate the sense of occasion and significance of portraiture for Simulacrum; and Raymond Zada’s installation Acknowledged, whose work speaks to the erasure of history and culture in his home town of Adelaide.

Other artists are Japanese collective teamLab presenting 100 Years Sea, an animation which draws on traditional Japanese art and logic to animate predicted sea level rises, the animation began on the 10th of December 2009 and runs for 100 years; and Dubai based artist Maitha Demithan who has painstakingly digitally knitted together flatbed scans of body sections to produce luminous images of her Emirati community. www.experimenta.org #experimenta download the Experimenta Recharge audio guide and interactive app – available on the app store!

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Film events

Brisbane Festival brings a film-tastic line-up of cinematic fun to Brisbane

Brisbane Festival will host three film-tastic events as part of its 2015 program, including the Festival’s first virtual Backyard Cinema, The Female Gaze at Palace Centro Cinemas New Farm and Singapore unbound at Griffith Film School, South Bank.

Backyard Cinema will let all of Brisbane simultaneously celebrate the joy of film by sharing a specially selected film in their very own special space, at the same time as it is being shown on a big screen at South Bank on Sunday 20 September 2015.

The selected live-streamed film, which will be announced closer to the time, can be viewed in backyards, local parks or anywhere where people can congregate and fix up a screen on the first weekend of school holidays.

Brisbane Festival will even be offering tips on how to build a cinema space and how to make the best popcorn and choc tops – with prizes on offer for the best Backyard Cinema across Brisbane.

At Palace Centro Cinemas New Farm from Monday 7 to Tuesday 22 September The Female Gaze, curated by Kiki Fung, will showcase seven iconic indie female-focused films dating back to 1941, exploring the nuances of film through female eyes, exhibiting atypical female characters and revealing women’s thoughts and emotions.

Common perceptions and representations of women are challenged or subverted, and desire, gender politics and existential quests are narrated. All the films are M or 18+ rated.

Films showcased as part of The Female Gaze include The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Party Girl, Sworn Virgin, The Night Porter, India Song and Opening Night.

Brisbane Festival and Griffith Film School will also present Singapore unbound, exhibiting a rare collection of movies by Singaporean filmmakers, navigating Singapore film history since independence onwards, from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 September.

Films showcased as part of Singapore unbound include Saint Jack, Snakeskin, The Naked DJ, Faeryville, and Seven Letters.

Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said the film line-up would offer something for everyone and anexceptional cultural and educational experience.

“It is great to see such a diverse range of cinema, from classic family fun and old school feminist indie flicks, to historical Singaporean films,” Mr Berthold said.

“The Festival’s first ever stream viewing Backyard Cinema is another real coup, which is all about bringing the family together and enjoying your own personal movie experience, while feeling connected with thousands of people in Brisbane.”


Brisbane Festival’s film events are presented by Screen Queensland and Griffith University.


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Backyard Cinema

WHEN: Sun 20 Sept, 7pmWHERE: South Bank, your own backyardTICKETS: Free

The Female Gaze

WHEN: Mon 7 to Tue 22 SeptWHERE: Palace Centro Cinemas, New FarmBOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au

Singapore unbound

WHEN: Tue 22 to Sat 26 SeptWHERE: Cinema 1, Griffith Film School, Griffith University, South BrisbaneTICKETS: $10, closing night $15 (a fee applies per transaction)BOOKINGS: brisbanefestival.com.au or eventbrite.com.au/e/singapore-unbound-singapore-cinema-showcase-tickets-17147147580MORE INFORMATION: This production may contain adult themes, nudity, coarse language, drug and sexual references

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BRISBANEFESTIVAL.COM.AU#brisfest

Brisbane Festival is an initiative of theQueensland Government and Brisbane City Council

Principal Partner

Documents

MEDIA KIT 2015 - Brisbane Festival · 456 shows, seven world and 13 Australian premieres, four new commissions and a new Festival Village at South Bank named ‘Arcadia’ that will