Download Sydney Festival 2009 10–31 January www.sydneyfestival.org.au

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL INFORMATION ON SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2009
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Sydney Festival 2009
10–31 January www.sydneyfestival.org.au
Exuberant, exciting and forever effervescent – the best time to experience Sydney is in January, when the city
is in full celebratory mode. Sydney Festival is Australia’s largest annual cultural event, presenting the biggest
and best of the world’s theatre, music and dance, all coming together in an avalanche of artistic activity.
The program for Sydney Festival 2009 announced Wednesday 5 November 2008
Tickets on sale Monday 10 November 2008
FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT
FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT
SATURDAY 10 JANUARY 2009
Sydney Festival invites you to experience a truly epic summer celebration – and it’s all free.
Make a note of Saturday 10 January 2009, when one of the world’s most beautiful cities gives over its streets,
laneways and parklands to hundreds of musicians, dancers and artists. A crowd of more than 200,000 dancing
and singing revellers made the 2008 First Night a massive success. Festival First Night in January 2009
offers more stages, more artists and more chances for visitors and locals alike to join together in re-imagining
Sydney as a creative playground where everyone is welcome and free to explore this magical city.
With major street closures throughout the CBD, the drone of traffic will be replaced by a profusion of musical
sounds from every corner of the world. Expect major international stars on The Domain main stage, beats from
around the world in Angel Place, a romantic gypsy wonderland in Hyde Park and a major celebration of dance
featuring Australia’s leading contemporary choreographers – including a chance for everyone to join in and
show off their dance moves!
Amongst the line-up for Festival First Night 2009 will be the indomitable Grace Jones, Brooklyn pop sensation
Santogold, soul singer Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, the best of the Balkans with The Gypsy Queens
and Kings and many more to be confirmed.
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THEATRE
THE WAR OF THE ROSES
Sydney Theatre Company
This eight hour epic takes a journey through all Shakespeare's "History Plays" for
arguably the greatest theatrical cycle written in the English language, following the
passage of a single crown through a marathon of language and story. The engine of
history is displayed as a machine of bloody slaughter, addiction, baffling conspiracy,
illegitimacy, murder, perverse marriage and generational warfare. Directed by
Benedict Andrews, and with Cate Blanchett and Robert Menzies, this will be the
last outing for STC’s Actor’s Company.
GATE / FRIEL
A celebration of the work of Brian Friel
On 9 January 2009, Ireland’s greatest living playwright Brian Friel will celebrate his
80th birthday. In recognition, Gate Theatre Dublin is producing a special season of
Friel’s work. Friel’s career as a writer spans nearly 45 years of short stories, original
stage plays and adaptations.
Faith Healer
“Brilliant and profound…an infinitely fine play.” The Irish Times
Friel’s greatest play, Faith Healer influenced a generation of Irish writing for the
theatre. A Faith Healer has spent his life touring Scotland and Wales with his
manager, Teddy, and wife, Grace. Their stories are told in separate, often
contradictory monologues, making for a both seductive and terrifying mosaic of
narratives. Cast includes Owen Roe and Ingrid Craigie.
Afterplay
“A musical duet of the highest order, imbued with Chekhov but acquiring a poetic life
of its own.” Daily Mail
In Afterplay, Friel brings together two of Chekhov’s lost souls: Sonya, Uncle Vanya’s
devoted niece, and Andrey, the three sisters’ henpecked brother. 20 years have
passed and Friel brings together these two refugees, who gradually reveal what
has happened to their families – and to their own quiet hopes. Cast includes
Francesca Annis and Niall Buggy.
The Yalta Game
The Yalta Game is based on Chekhov's greatest short story, Lady with Lapdog.
After a holiday game of amorous dalliance and seduction, a married accountant
and a young woman find themselves obsessed by reveries and meet again to
embark on a self destructive future of duplicity, ecstasy and perhaps, love.
LIPSYNCH
Ex Machina
“You don’t watch a Lepage epic, it happens to you.” The MontrealGazette
Following the towering achievements of The Andersen Project (2006) and The Far
Side of the Moon (2001), Sydney Festival welcomes back theatre visionary Robert
Lepage with Lipsynch, his much anticipated epic new ensemble work. Lipsynch is
a sweeping nine-hour performance spanning 70 years and exploring the voice as a
compelling metaphor for human expression and interaction, conjuring up a hugely
ambitious panorama that links nine lives, spinning stories that often juxtapose
tragedy with slapstick. The play journeys between war-torn Vienna, pre-revolutionary
Nicaragua and contemporary London, encountering people who have lost the power
of speech and those for whom it is their only lifeline. This limited season is a chance
to experience the extraordinary reach and ambition of one of the world’s leading
artists. Performed in English, French, German and Spanish with English surtitles.
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IVANOV
Katona Jozsef Theatre
Sydney Festival welcomes one of Europe’s finest acting ensembles, Budapest’s
Katona Jozsef Theatre, in their acclaimed production of Chekhov’s early
masterpiece. Ivanov tells the tale of a once idealistic landowner who has lost all
interest in life. With consummate skill, director Tamas Ascher has uprooted the play
from its usual setting amongst the fading Russian bourgeoisie, and planted it firmly
within Hungary’s ascendant peasant classes of the 1960s. Ascher’s deeply
sympathetic production performs a dizzying balancing act between the hopelessness
of the protagonist’s mid-life crises and the unexpected hilarity of the dreary soviet
provincialism of 1960’s Hungary. Performed in Hungarian with English surtitles.
THE TELL-TALE HEART
“A stunning tour-de-force performance.” Variety
A man – a murderer – sits alone on a staircase, pursued by shadows and imaginary
demons. The Tell-Tale Heart is based on the classic short story by Edgar Allan Poe,
a writer whose legacy haunts the shelves of our greatest modern literature. Together
with Austrian actor, and angelic singer, Martin Niedermair, Barrie Kosky creates a
thrilling voyage into the morbid and fascinating world of the “Master of Horror” with a
performance that is sharpened to steely perfection.
BEING HAROLD PINTER
Belarus Free Theatre
“…dazzling production.*****” The Guardian
Banned in their native Belarus and renowned for staging covert, uncensored
performances, Belarus Free Theatre is a voice of dissent fighting for democracy and
free expression. Being Harold Pinter is a performance that uses extracts from
Pinter's writings, from The Homecoming (1965) to Ashes to Ashes (1996) as well as
the playwright’s Nobel acceptance speech in 2005, along with documentary
monologues from Belarusian dissidents. The work questions truth in life and art, and
exposes the repression and brutality to be found in Belarus and elsewhere.
Performed in Russian with English subtitles.
THE PIANIST
Based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman
“Rudy is a pianist with an enormous musical appetite…an intrepid explorer.”
Gramophone
Award-winning Russian pianist Mikhail Rudy brings the story of The Pianist to the
Belvoir St stage. Best known as an Oscar-winning film by Roman Polanski, based
upon the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, this is the harrowing story of one man's
time in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation. Using Szpilman's original text
and the ravishing music of Chopin, The Pianist tells a powerful story of suffering,
strength and survival – and the role played by music in that survival.
NO DICE
Nature Theater of Oklahoma
“Smart, witty, highly physical, and eager to twist notions of theatricality.” Village Voice
A tale of the everyday blown to epic proportions, No Dice is an abbreviated four-hour
version of the company’s legendary 11-hour melodramatic spectacle. Seven fearless
souls take 100 hours of taped phone conversations conducted with friends, family,
and colleagues and, through the conventions of amateur dinner theatre, transform
them into a mighty, sweaty, and exhilarating celebration of the struggle of daily life.
The result is often hilarious, at times infuriating but, in the end, surprisingly sublime.
THE SMILE OFF YOUR FACE
Ontroerend Goed
Warning: this show includes audience participation (ie being tied up and
blindfolded)… Enter a titillating world of scents and sounds, sharpen your instincts
and let yourself lose control. Sit in a wheelchair, put on a blindfold and indulge your
imagination as Ontroerend Goed digs into your pleasures, desires and memories.
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Once you take the plunge and relinquish control, you’ll be taken on some
very personal and intimate adventures, both beautiful and surreal.
DANCE
MORPHOSES
The Wheeldon Company
Morphoses is the new dance company formed by international ballet star
Christopher Wheeldon, hailed as contemporary ballet’s saviour for his original,
innovative choreography. Formed in November 2006, Morphoses performed its first
season in Vail, London and New York and featured top-range dancers from the
Bolshoi, New York City and Royal Ballets. The company aims to revitalise
contemporary classical ballet by marrying dance, music, visual arts and design,
incorporating the world’s finest dancers in collaboration with significant artists across
all relevant disciplines. Wheeldon was Resident Choreographer at New York City
Ballet from 2001 – 2008, and has created works for companies including San
Francisco Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and Royal Ballet. Dancers include Céline Cassone,
Aesha Ash, Lucinda Dunn, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Stephanie Williams, Silja
Schandorff, Robert Curran, Rory Hohenstein, Jon Jordan, Edwaard Liang, Matt
Trent, Matthew Dibble and Damian Smith. All four works will have live music
accompaniment including Michael Keiren Harvey on piano.
MUSIC
ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES
Curated by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
For the first time in Australia, a new kind of music festival is coming to Cockatoo
Island. Curated by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, and described as “the ultimate
mix tape” by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, All Tomorrow’s Parties is a music
festival founded in 1999 as an alternative to Glastonbury or Reading. With a
tendency towards post-rock, avant-garde, underground hip hop as well as more
traditional rock, ATP is presented in an environment more intimate than a stadium or
country field. Guest artists are asked to curate, inviting their favourite performers to
play, giving punters a taste of their particular musical aesthetics. For Sydney Festival
2009, ATP will feature special guests, The Saints (with original members Chris
Bailey, Ivor Hay and Ed Kuepper) and performances by seminal international artists
including Spiritualized, James ‘Blood’ Ulmer, Silver Apples, Fuck Buttons,
Harmonia and Michael Gira alongside Australians Laughing Clowns, Robert
Forster, Bridezilla and The Necks. More to be announced in November.
FANFARE CIOCARLIA
And Special Guests
“Open with a wild, orgiastic climax and then work their way up from there.“ The Times
Never before has Sydney witnessed such a wealth of Romany musical talent on one
stage at the one time. It's fireworks time as Sydney Festival heads to Eastern
Europe for an incendiary night of gypsy music. 'Speed demons' Fanfare Ciocarlia,
winners of BBC Radio 3's 2006 World Music Award for Europe, are the most famous
gypsy band in the world, and will be joined on stage by Macedonia’s Gypsy Queen
Esma Redzepova, Bulgarian Gypsy soul singer Jony Iliev, Hungary’s maverick
vocalist Mitsou and Perpignan Rumba Gitano band Kaloome.
GLEN HANSARD AND MARKETA IGLOVA
The Swell Season
“Achingly beautiful.” Variety
The Swell Season is a collaboration between Glen Hansard, frontman of influential
Irish band The Frames, and classically trained Czech vocalist and pianist, Marketa
Irglova. Hansard and Irglova first happened upon one another when The Frames
were touring the Czech Republic. Together they recorded an album in Prague, The
Swell Season, released in April 2006. The album’s haunting songs contributed
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hugely to the success of the 2007 hit Irish film Once, a love story set on the
streets of Dublin, starring Hansard and Irglova. The film won the Audience
Award at Sundance in 2007 and a 2008 Academy Award (Best Original
Song) for ‘Falling Slowly’.
MASTERS OF TRADITION
Celebrating traditional Irish music in its purest form, Masters of Tradition is a
spectacular concert featuring some of Ireland’s greatest musical luminaries. Fiddleplayer Martin Hayes leads an array of talents in a huge celebration of traditional
music and its modern masters. Originating at the West Cork Music Masters of
Tradition Festival, this event has become the ultimate presentation of Ireland’s rich
musical heritage by its utmost contemporary exponents. Superb fiddler Martin Hayes
will be joined by his usual partner, guitarist Dennis Cahill, as well as fiddle player
Cathal Hayden (Four Men and a Dog), accordionist Martin O’Connor, guitarist Steve
Cooney and extraordinary traditional vocalist Iarla O’Lionaird (Afro Celt Sound
System).
MATTHEW HERBERT BIG BAND
Matthew Herbert’s dazzling new album There’s Me and There’s You is the most
seductive, sophisticated and subversive collection of protest songs ever recorded.
Blending lush jazz instrumentation, soulful vocals, fascinating rhythms and a secret
underground arsenal of outlandish samples, it marks Herbert’s second collaboration
with his big band. An electronic innovator, sonic explorer and prolific collaborator,
Herbert has released a huge catalogue of critically acclaimed music under his own
name as well as Doctor Rockit, Wishmountain, Radio Boy and others. He has also
produced and remixed artists as diverse as Björk, REM, Quincy Jones, John Cale,
Yoko Ono, Dizzee Racal and Roisin Murphy, as well as working with highly regarded
original thinkers such as the chef Heston Blumenthal and playwright Caryl Churchill.
BON IVER
“Irresistible.” New York Times
Soulful, intimate and gracious, Bon Iver is the Wisconsin-based indie folk singersongwriter Justin Vernon. His debut album For Emma, Forever Ago, has been hailed
as an unassuming masterpiece with Mojo magazine naming it one of 2008’s
landmark records, and The Independent calling it one of the year’s best. Vernon
spent over three months alone in a hunting cabin recording For Emma after he split
from his long-time band. The album is the sound of a man left only with a guitar and
his memories, with Vernon’s shimmering voice shifting smoothly from a light, spectral
falsetto to his deeply soulful, grainy growl, layered over and under his spare,
atmospheric instrumentation.
CAMILLE
“She's chic, she's lit, and she's a Paris match for Björk.” The Independent
Direct from a sell-out tour of Europe and the UK, Camille brings her unique and
innovative vocal style to Sydney Festival. Parisian born Camille is an eccentric
French-pop chaunteuse whose live shows are a feast to behold, with mixes of full
body percussion, vocal trance and throat singing. Three years after breaking onto
the music scene with Le Fil, Camille’s latest album, Music Hole, proves she is as
musically innovative and vocally audacious as ever.
THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA
“It is rare to find a gig where so many levels of artistic expression are touched, and
with such intelligence.” Jazz Review
One of the most innovative and spellbinding bands in the UK, The Cinematic
Orchestra live up to their name with an atmospheric and beguiling combination of
ingenious sampling and technical know-how, live instruments and improvised jazz. In
the last three years the Cinematics have played far and wide at every conceivable
type of venue and on all kinds of occasion, from Ronnie Scott’s to Fuji Rock in Japan,
Montreaux to Coachella Music Festival.
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DOUBLE DREAM
Mikhail Rudy and Misha Alperin
Double Dream is an exciting, innovative project for two pianos created by classical
pianist Mikhail Rudy and renowned jazz pianist Misha Alperin. The work consists of
partly rewritten and partly improvised “recompositions” of works by Haydn,
Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Debussy, Janácek and Scriabin. Double Dream
has been performed to enthusiastic audiences in Norway, France and Germany. The
CD, released in 2004 on EMI Classics, received numerous distinctions, including
Gramophone’s “Best Record of the Month.” Rudy also appears in The Pianist and
Alperin with Moscow Art Trio.
SAMSUNG MOBILE FESTIVAL GARDEN
LA CLIQUE
Fairground attraction collides with sideshow burlesque when La Clique, the sell-out
hit of fringe festivals in Edinburgh, Brighton, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as the
2007 and 2008 Sydney Festivals, returns to The Famous Spiegeltent in Hyde Park
North. David Bates, co-creator of La Clique, staged the first version of the show in
2002 as a raunchy late-night vaudeville act in Melbourne, and has watched it swell in
popularity ever since.
JOE HENRY
Broadminded singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, Joe Henry’s warm, poignant
blues defies easy labels. A dynamic sonic explorer, his simple, poetic songs
incorporate elements of trip-hop, jazz and soul, with tango and alt-country stylings.
With his growling, soul-inflected vocals and tales of a shrewdly-observed America,
Joe Henry is often likened to Tom Waits. A songwriter with a deeply reflective point of
view, the warring forces of romance and chaos in his songs give Henry’s live shows
an unforgettable emotional impact.
ST. VINCENT
Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Annie Clark has been wowing European
music festival audiences with her gorgeous songs since stepping onto the global
stage in 2007. Performing as St. Vincent, Clark struck out solo after touring and
recording with both Sufjan Stevens and The Polyphonic Spree. St. Vincent’s swirling
indie-pop is a distinctly elegant fusion of the classical and experimental, the quirky
and sophisticated. An original, ascendant talent, St. Vincent won the title of “Female
Artist of the Year” at the PLUG Awards 2007.
MOSCOW ART TRIO
The poetic jazz of the Misha Alperin’s Moscow Art Trio picks up Moldavian,
Georgian and Russian themes, playfully mixing their character with spirited
improvised flights. When classically trained Alperin founded the trio in 1990, he
chose musicians with differing musical fortes – French Horn player Arkady Shilkloper,
a former member of the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra and Moscow Philharmonic
Orchestra, and vocalist/clarinetist Sergey Starostin, whose specialty is the vocals and
traditional wind instruments of Russian folk music Together, Moscow Art Trio
interlace folklore and classical elements in a blues format, embarking on a fascinating
journey between loyalty to tradition, openness to the world and the joy in
experimentation. Alperin also appears in Double Dream.
JUANA MOLINA
Juana Molina’s hypnotic grooves come alive with rhythms that writhe around each
other, punctuated with coos, sighs, handclaps and murmurs. This is ambient, electro
folk-ish pop, infused with irresistibly warm vocals. Molina stepped away from her
success as a major TV star in Argentina and Latin America to pursue her childhood
dream of being a musician. Her homemade debut Segundo won her international
attention and the title of Entertainment Weekly’s 2003 Best World Music Album. Her
album Tres Cosas featured in the New York Times Top Ten Records of 2004.
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BILL CALLAHAN
Enigmatic singer-songwriter and under-recognised pioneer of the lo-fi, US musician
Bill Callahan’s fractured music neatly epitomises the underground rock revolution.
Melancholy and poignant, Callahan’s songs are strikingly characterised by his
baritone voice and reflective, sensitive delivery. Breaking through the introspection,
there is also a broad swathe of black humour throughout his work. Until recently,
Callahan performed under the alias Smog, with much of his early instrumental output
a stark contrast to the lyrical focus of his current releases. His latest album Woke on
a Whaleheart, on Chicago rock label Drag City, is his first as Bill Callahan and is a
work of subtle, sonic grandeur.
REGGIE WATTS
"Original, off-the-wall and entertaining Bliss." The Sunday Telegraph (UK)
With his mix of improvised music, absurd comedy, and visceral social commentary,
Reggie Watts shakes new meaning into what you can do with a microphone and
loop-machine. Channelling over 300 characters with his ten-octave vocal range,
Watts combines looped vocals (created live on stage) with his unique brand of
improvised comedy, tackling everything from ancient history and technology, science
and racism, to theology and pop culture. The results incorporate hip hop, trip hop,
80s pop, alternative, nu metal and classic opera, all improvised over looped beatboxing.
PARADOXICAL UNDRESSING
Kirsten Hersh
“A magnificently charged union of Sylvia Plath and Patti Smith.*****” The Guardian
Kirsten Hersh first gained attention at the age of 14, when she founded the band
Throwing Muses with step-sister Tanya Donnelly. An extremely shy person, Hersh
found this attention difficult to deal with. Paradoxically, as an artist, she is known for
her sometimes brutal emotional honesty and openness. In Paradoxical Undressing
Hersh tells about her life as a teenage girl, wrestling with issues of extreme creativity,
mental illness, pregnancy and life within this seminal indie rock band. Her story is
punctuated with songs from both Throwing Muses and her own solo catalogue,
creating a candid and moving experience that combines film, music and text.
SUMSUNG MOBILE SECRET SHOW
Bosco Theater is a space especially for those last-minute programming
opportunities – we’ve got an incredible line-up of musos and entertainers in town –
where do they go if they want to put on a last-minute late-night show? Every
morning, Sydney Festival will announce the show for that night – cash sale tickets
available at the door only – it’s sure to be the veritable lucky dip of the Festival!
EAT DRINK TALK ART
One of the Festival’s favourite recurring events, Eat Drink Talk Art, is back for it’s
forth year, this time in the surrounds of the The Famous Spiegeltent. Eat Drink Talk
Art is a series of free informal lunchtime talks by Festival artists, writers, directors.
This is a wonderful opportunity to hear behind-the-scenes stories, as well as insights
into the work, lives and inspirations of the creative forces and colourful personalities
behind the Festival. BYO or buy some lunch at the Festival Garden, slip into the
magical atmosphere of The Famous Spiegeltent, and settle in for some good stories.
KIDS AT THE GARDEN
The popular Kids at the Garden program returns to Sydney Festival in 2009 with old
favourites and new Festival friends presenting kid-friendly music, dance, art and
circus at the The Famous Spiegeltent in Samsung Mobile Festival Garden. For ten
days throughout January, parents can bring kids along for art classes, dance lessons,
acrobatic demonstrations, percussion workshops, story-telling and more. All events
at Kids at the Garden are free however capacity is very limited.
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FESTIVAL KIDS AT PARRAMATTA
This year Sydney Festival is taking over Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres with a bunch of shows especially for
the small ones in our lives.
DAN ZANES & FRIENDS
“The happiest concert vibe since Woodstock. With a lot less drugs and mud." New York
Magazine
Calling all kids and kids-at heart: get ready to sing and dance the day away with familyfriendly rockers Dan Zanes & Friends! Zanes, former front man of the 80's group Del
Fuegos, creates new versions of traditional songs, playing rock ‘n roll, gospel, blues
and folk-inspired tunes with diverse instrumentation and original arrangements. It’s one
big music party and everyone’s invited.
THE TRAGICAL LIFE OF CHEESEBOY
Slingsby
“An exotic flight of whimsy and imagination.” The Adelaide Review
Inside a magical travelling theatre tent, discover a storyteller who shares an enchanting
and timeless tale… Cheeseboy's home planet has been reduced to a bubbling fondue.
Where are his parents? How did he become marooned on Earth? Gypsies have given
him a home of sorts, but Cheeseboy is tugged this way and that by tides of strange
longings and stranger powers. This quirky, beautiful, dark and very funny theatre show
will transport you to a fantastical world of loss, trickery, gypsies, discovery and, of
course, cheese. Age 10+
FLUFF
Christine Johnson
"One of the most imaginative shows for the young you will find.” Adelaide Advertiser
What happens when your favourite toy is lost? In a fantasy world of odd-sized boxes,
night-lights, handmade gingham costumes and curtains, three intriguing characters
make a home for lost toys. They discover how each toy came to be lost in the first
place, before giving them their own sound, a movement, a piece of music, a night-light.
And a nice comfy bed to sleep in. Created by Christine Johnston, one of Australia’s
most celebrated performing artists, Fluff combines audience interaction, music,
movement and stunning visual design to create a whimsical piece of theatre. Ages 3-8
THE NARGUN AND THE STARS
Erth
Where do you find a Potkoorok, Turongs and Nyols? Look no further than the new
children’s play, The Nargun and the Stars, based on Patricia Wrightson’s much-loved
book of the same name. The story follows Simon, a boy orphaned and relocated to his
cousins’ bush farm, where he soon meets the trickster Potkoorok, the mischievous
Turongs and the cave-dwelling Nyols. This peaceful haven is disrupted by the arrival of
the Nargun, a stone creature from the beginning of time. The mythical indigenous
creatures are bought to life by the extraordinary puppets and inflatables created by
visual theatre makers, Erth. The adaptation is informed by Erth’s on-going consultation
with the owners of the original Nargun story, the Gunai/Kurnai, Monaro and Boon
Wurrung communities of East Gippsland.
THE PROMISE
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus
A spectacular fusion of circus and puppetry, The Promise travels from the dusty
paddocks of rural Australia to the far-flung edges of the world. The tale of a pledge
between and father and son, The Promise is a heartwarming, rollicking adventure
celebrating love, loss, life and the tests that define us all. Powerful visual theatre, The
Promise incorporates a range of puppetry styles from miniature to small-scale, booth
to shadow, large-scale to object images, together with The Flying Fruit Fly Circus
performers’ extraordinary physical skills. Age 6+
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MUSIC IS MAGIC
Australian Children Music Foundation
Last year’s competition was all about singing the ‘Mashed Banana’. This year – who
knows?! To celebrate the nurturing of our youngest songwriters, Sydney Festival is
again bringing together some of our finest young singers and musicians. Led by the
much-loved Maestro George Ellis, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Australian Children’s
Choir and a line-up of surprise guest vocalists will present some of the highlight
entries in the 2008 Australian Children’s Music Foundation National Songwriting
Competition.
iiNET FILMS AFLOAT AT DARLING HARBOUR
Get set for a night at the movies like none other. Sydney Festival is presenting a selection of films on a floating
screen on Darling Harbour. Each of the films will have a new film score played live.
RUN LOLA RUN with THE BAYS
“The Bays remind you that music is about experience rather than shopping.” The
Guardian
UK band The Bays make exhilarating live electronic music. Their seamless segues
from hip hop and drum ‘n bass to ambient grooves and dubby bass lines challenge
every old-school notion of a ‘live’ band. A band with no albums, no rehearsals and no
set-list, The Bays live in the moment, giving an unrepeatable, completely improvised
performance every single time. Here, the band takes Tom Twyker’s iconic 1998 film
Run Lola Run as inspiration. A punchy play on fate and choices with a three-way plot
that careens through cartoon sequences, bank heists and the urban jungle, it is the
perfect fit for The Bays’ fast, loud, dazzling music.
ENTER THE DRAGON with KARSH KALE & MEDIVAL PUNDITZ
New York city based composer, multiinstrumentalist and Bruce Lee fanatic Karsh Kale
joins forces with New Delhi based electronica producers, MiDival Punditz, to perform
their incendiary new live score of the 1973 martial arts classic Enter the Dragon.
Considered a force of nature on the tablas, Kale has been labelled as a “visionary
composer and producer” by Billboard magazine. Karsh Kale and Midival Punditz join
forces for a fierce live performance capturing a panorama of influences – past and
future, analog and digital – bringing classical Indian music into the rock and electronic
vernacular. A combination perfectly suited to Bruce Lee’s masterful screen presence.
FANTASTIC PLANET
with BEN WALSH & THE ORKESTRA OF THE UNDERGROUND
This work brings to life Laloux's 1973 Cannes award winning French animation La
Planète Sauvage (Fantastic Planet), with a live score played to the big screen version of
the cinematic gem. This is animated psychedelic science fiction brought to life by The
Orkestra of the Underground, showcasing some of Sydney's finest musical minds. The
Orkestra will weave together a 72 minute score composed and conceived by Ben Walsh
(The Bird, Circle of Rhythm, Tom Tom Club) alongside musicians from The Bird,
Hermitude, Ponyclub Massacre, The Crusty Suitcase Band, and special guest Sarangan
Sriranganathan.
BECK’S FESTIVAL BAR
BECK’S FESTIVAL BAR
13 nights at Hyde Park Barracks
During Sydney Festival, Beck’s Festival Bar transforms Hyde Park Barracks into
Sydney’s coolest outdoor live music haven. Catch the finest line-up of local and
international DJs and bands while making the most of the balmy summer evenings this
January. Enjoy a beer and a bite to eat, chill out or make a party of it. Full line-up
announced late November.
January 14
French multi-instrumentalists Java mix rap, hip hop, samba, reggae, ragga, rock, jazz, funk and electro with
circus spirit and manic humour. / $38*
9
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL INFORMATION ON SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2009
IS UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER
January 15 / Popfrenzy Party
UK indie dance three-piece Metronomy’s live shows feature robotic frivolity, ironic light show and synchronized
dance routines. Pivot’s innovative post-rock combines dreamy synth patterns and subtle guitar grooves. Joining
the party is absurdly fun US pop-punk maestro Totally Michael. / $38*
January 16
Throwing Muses pioneered a thrillingly raucous form of ‘art rock’ years before the term existed, blending
elliptical post-punk, harmonious folk jangle pop and rockabilly thunder. Dappled Cities blend playful grandiosity
with chillier sonic explorations, culminating in an exuberant indie-pop sound. / $38*
January 22
Widely considered to be the founder of the mash-up movement, Z Trip’s (US) live sets are an eclectic, crowdpleasing, tour de force of beat-matching artistry. Oz hip-hop crew TZU join the party. / $38*
January 23 / Disco Nouveau
Two-man DJ show Holy ghost! (NY) is one of the most exciting acts in the nu-disco scene. Idjut Boys(UK)
produce genre-bending dance floor stormers with a dash of humour. Theatre of Disco play angular indie disco
and Nathan Mclay (Future Classic) tops it off alongside nu-disco posse Canyons (Hole in the Sky). / $28*
January 24 / Hyper-Dub
London/Jamaican The Bug featuring Warrior Queen mix ragga, dancehall, hip hop and garage set to dubstep
and grime. Berlin Rhythm & Sound’s stripped down, rootsy, hi-tech dub/techno has earned them legendary
status – Maurizio and Tikiman (Paul St Hilaire) bring the sound to Australia for the very first time. Joining them
are Mark Pritchard, Sub Bass Snarl, Victim, Garage Pressure, Mc’s Ozi Batla and Steve Spacek. / $38*
January 28
Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) makes machine-based music with acoustic warmth as evidenced by his remixes of
Beth Orton and Radiohead. / $38*
January 30 / FBi Night
Portugal’s Buraka Som Sistema (DJ/Mc set) fuse the wild traditional beats of South West Africa with
electronics, drum n bass, hip hop and dance. / $38*
January 31 / Mad Racket
Eccentric Ninja Tune maestro Daedelus’ trademark musicality contrasts intelligent, left-field hip hop cut-ups
with samples from the 30s and 40s in a fun, quirky and energetic live set. Mad Racketeers Simon Caldwell,
Jimmi James, Ken Cloud and Zootie round off the night. / $28*
FREE OUTDOOR
PLAY ME, I’M YOURS
Luke Jerram
30 pianos, 10,000 pianists…
From Luke Jerram, the creator of Sky Orchestra (Sydney Festival 2007) comes another
inspiring project, placing art and music in the urban environment in an unusual way.
Designed to encourage people into unexpected interactions, Play Me, I’m Yours
challenges preconceived notions of city living and enhances our sense of community.
Play Me, I’m Yours places pianos in the streets of the city, on pavements, at street
corners, free to play to anyone who walks by. Play Me, I’m Yours provides public
access to that most well-loved of all musical instruments and brings creativity
and musical play into our everyday public spaces.
DAWN CHORUS
Sydney Philharmonic Choirs
Ask anyone what it’s like at a beach at dawn, and they are quite likely to mention a
magical serenity. This stillness lends itself to some charmed acoustics – something
which Sydney Festival decided to capture in song. On every Saturday throughout the
Festival, a choir of 120 will gather on a beach at dawn to sing a selection of old and
new a capella works. Directed by Brett Wymark, with specially commissioned music by
Iain Grandage, Raffaele Marcellino, John Peterson and Dan Walker, Dawn Chorus will
be a treasured treat for early-risers.
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PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL INFORMATION ON SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2009
IS UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER
THE GYPSY QUEENS AND KINGS
Domain Jazz
Saturday 17 January
Nothing is more intrinsic to Sydney in summer than The Domain Series, where up to
100,000 people gather to soak up the atmosphere of superb music on a balmy summer
evening. The last couple of years have seen a resurgence of interest in Jazz in the
Domain, with the word getting out that this is a night for a bit of alfresco dancing. In
2009, Jazz in the Domain will feature The Gypsy Queens and Kings for a night of
the very best of European gypsy music.
OLD WORLD / NEW WORLD
Domain Symphony
With the Sydney Symphony conductor Richard Gill
Saturday 24 January
Join us in The Domain as conductor and guide richard gill leads the Sydney Symphony
through the work of some of Australia’s most brilliant composers before taking us back
to the beauty and inspiration of the giants of the classical canon. Australian composers
and musicians have a respected, unique place on the world stage across all musical
fields, and have become an intrinsic part of our culture. This year’s concert celebrates
them. The first half features works by Percy Grainger, Peter Sculthorpe, Ross
Edwards, Matthew Hindson, Nigel Westlake and Paul Stanhope, while the second half
takes us back to Europe and favourite compositions by Dvorák, Mendelssohn and
many more.
AAMI FERRYTHON
Monday 26 January
The AAMI Ferrython is one of Sydney’s best-loved annual large-scale spectator
events, when crowds numbering in the 100s of 1000s flock to boats and along the
harbour foreshore to soak up the atmosphere and cheer on the race as part of their
Australia Day Celebrations. In 2009 the AAMI Ferrython will once again unleash
those four fast and feisty old gals, the much beloved little green and yellow
catamarans, to race up and down Sydney Harbour. As always, they’ll be dressed to
the nines and racing at full throttle in a battle for line honours and the coveted Lord
Mayor’s Trophy and Best Dressed Ferry Award.
MOVIES IN THE OVERFLOW
Sydney Olympic Park
Every year Sydney Olympic Park celebrates the holiday spirit by offering a fabulous
range of free films throughout January. The films are free, so sit back and soak up a
night under the stars! Arrive early with family and friends to enjoy the great food on
offer. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and low chairs.
OTHER !
FESTIVAL FLICKS
To complement the program Sydney Festival presents a selection of films at Dendy Opera Quays.
FAST FESTIVAL FEASTS
Over the last couple of years, Fast Festival Feasts have moved from a best-kept secret to an all-out Festival
favourite. In 2008, more than 7300 people sampled top-notch nosh at some of Sydney’s best restaurants for
just $25. Now in its ninth year, Fast Festival Feasts offers a dinner for just $25 at a wide range of top-level
restaurants in Sydney and Parramatta. The fact that they throw in a wine or beer as well makes the whole
experience pretty near perfect. Fast Festival Feasts can now lay claim to having its own cult of fervent
Festival foodies. They know it’s all about enhancing the complete Festival experience – you’ve got the tickets,
you’re ready for a great show, and what better way to start off the night than a great meal.
11