Festival Director: Lieven Bertels
2015 heralded the return of Sydney Festival favourites along with brand new productions. New Australian work featured strongly with the world premiere of Masquerade by Kate Mulvany, Kate Champion’s provocative final work with Force Majeure, Nothing to Lose, and composer David Chisolm and his collaborators with The Experiment. Indigenous choreographer Vicki Van Hout premiered Long Grass, whilst in Western Sydney, three new works explored original use of space: Disco Dome, BANKSTOWN:LIVE and PUNCTURE.
James Thierrée was back in Australia with his national exclusive Tabac Rouge (pictured above), and from the creators of The Manganiyar Seduction came The Kitchen, playing at the Festival in an Australian exclusive.
The popular public installations included Higher Ground, Maser’s colourful art installation, and Waterfall Swing, the large scale summertime playset in Darling Harbour. The Festival Village in Hyde Park again proved most popular with thrilling circus and cabaret shows, free activities and contemporary music performances.
The Festival presented another robust program in Parramatta, with the Parramatta Opening Party headlined by Paul Kelly in his new collaborative project The Merri Soul Sessions. Sydney Festival Parramatta was bigger than ever, with not one but two extra performances of the Festival hit Far From Folsom programmed at Parramatta Gaol.
THEATRE
Tabac Rouge
Compagnie du Hanneton
Directed, choreographed and performed by James Thierrée
Masquerade
By Kate Mulvany
Based on the book by Kit Williams
Directed by Sam Strong and Lee Lewis
Griffin Theatre Company & STCSA
The Kitchen
Roysten Abel
BANKSTOWN: LIVE
Urban Theatre Projects
On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco
Chekhov, Bach, Berio and Tchaikovsky
Directed by Denis Podalydès
Concept by Floriane Bonanni
Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord
UKCHUK-GA: Pansori Mother Courage
Directed by In Woo Nam
Written, composed and performed by Jaram Lee
Pansori Project ZA
Endings
Tamara Saulwick and Insite Arts
DANCE
Kiss & Cry
Michéle Anne De Mey and Jaco Van Dormael in collective creation with Grégory Grosjean, Thomas Gunzig, Julien Lambert, Sylvie Olivé and Nicolas Olivier
Charleroi Danses
Nothing to Lose
Directed by Kate Champion
Force Majeure
Dancing for the Gods
Chitrasena Dance Company
Choreography by Heshma Wignaraja
PUNCTURE
Directed by Patrick Nolan
Choreographed by Kathryn Puie
Composed by Stefan Gregory
Musical direction by Elizabeth Scott
Legs on the Wall, Form Dance Projects, Vox-Sydney Philharmonica Choirs
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Bach and the Italian Style
Trio Arcomelo
JS Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier (Book I & II Marathon)
Alain Franco
Latvian Radio Choir
Conducted by Sigvards Kļava
Variations on Béla Bartók - 44 Duets
Iva Bittová and Hana Kotková
Darkness and Light
Bernard Foccroulle and Lynette Wallworth
The Artist (live in concert)
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Ernst Van Tiel
Composer, pianist: Ludovic Bource
CABARET
Between the Cracks
Yana Alana
Written by Sarah Ward
Music by Sarah Ward and Louise Goh
Directed by Anni Davey
Designed by Adrienne Chisolm
The Wau Wau Sisters Are Naked As The Day They Were Born Again!
CIRCUS
Timber!
Cirque Alfonse
LIMBO
Strut & Fret
A Simple Space
Gravity & Other Myths
ABOUT AN HOUR
Long Grass
Vicki Van Hout
Adrienne Truscott's Asking For It
The Long Pigs
We3
Falling Through Clouds
The Last Great Hunt
Have I No Mouth
Brokentalkers
I Guess If The Stage Exploded
Sylvia Rimat
Wot? No Fish!!
Bread & Circuses
Dick and Christa Hughes
The Sound of Burning Water
Claire Edwardes
Australian Theatre Forum: Making It
Theatre Network Victoria
The Listies Make You LOL!
The Listies
MUSIC
ATOMIC BOMB! The Music of William Onyeabor
Gotye, Sinkane, Money Mark, Luke Jenner, Pat Mahoney, Pharoah Sanders, The Mahotella Queens
Far From Folsom
Tex Perkins & The Tennessee Four with Rachael Tidd
Seu Jorge
#1 Dads
Alela Diane, Olivia Chaney & Jessica Pratt
Anna von Hausswolff (supported by Aldous Harding)
Beat the Drum - celebrating 40 years of triple j
Hilltop Hoods, The Presets, The Cat Empire, You Am I, Vance Joy, Ball Park Music, The Preatures, Tkay Maidza, Nina Las Vegas, KLP (DJ Set), Special guests Adalita, Courtney Barnett, Remi
Ben Frost & Tim Hecker
Blank Realm
Body/Head
Camille O'Sullivan - Changeling
Christine Salem
Client Liaison
Cornelius Presents salyu x salyu
Creation
Archie Roach
Dan Deacon
Debashish Bhattacharya
Ed Kuepper & SCO String Quartet
Fez Hamadcha
Firekites
Frikstailers
How To Dress Well
Iva Bittova (solo)
Jessica Pratt
Karol Conka
Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds
Kirin J Callinan
Lace Curtain
Led Kaapana & Mike Kaawa
Leon Vynehall
Maria Schneider, Jef Neve & the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra
Myele Manzanza
Nightmares on Wax
Olivia Chaney
Omar Souleyman
Oneman
Opera in The Domain
Opera Australia
Perry Keyes
Roger Knox
Ross McHenry Future Ensemble
Rufino and The Coconuts
Senyawa
So Frenchy, So Chic
La Femme, Francois & The Atlas Mountains, Emilie Simon, The Dø
Summer Sounds Afterparty
DJ Beco Dranoff
Symphony in The Domain
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Johannes Fritzsch
Performer: William Barton
Readings: Anita Heiss
The Clean
Tiny Ruins
Wye Oak
Xylouris White
ZA!
Zammuto
Blak Cabaret
Malthouse Theatre
The Experiment
Mark Ravenhill and David Chisholm
Created in collaboration with Jude Anderson, Emmanuel Bernardoux, Mauricio Carrasco, Fernando Garnero and Matthew Gingold
POP 2015
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions featuring Dan Sultan, Clairy Browne, Kira Puru, and Vika & Linda Bull; Radical Son, Christine Salem, DJ Small Change, Uptown Brown, Waratah Drumcorps, Stiff Gins, Soul of Sydney, and Fire Garden
FAMILY
Dear Hope Street
Maybe (_) Together
Fright or Flight
3 is a crowd
Jazzamatazz!
Ali McGregor
The Luck Child
David Collins
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
Created by Jonathan Worsley
Directed by Naomi Edwards
Puppets created by Puppet Kitchen
Set design by James Browne
JWR Productions & Michael Sieders
EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS
Bill Culbert Exhibition
Sydney Buddha: Zhang Huan
Carriageworks in association with Sydney Festival
Higher Ground
Maser
Waterfall Swing
Dash 7 Design
Spongebob Squaretimes
Created by Greg Barrett
Music composed by Simeon ten Holt
Inside There Falls
Mira Calix
Choreography by Rafael Bonachela, Sydney Dance Company
Disco Dome
Information and Cultural Exchange
AUSTRALIA DAY
Ferrython
