Bringing together an ambitious ensemble of artistic talent from Australia and Asia, Adelaide Festival Centre’s annual OzAsia Festival will feature an extensive program of theatre, dance, music, literature and cultural events, and help mark Australia’s transition into a celebratory spring.
Scheduled to open on 21 October, this year’s OzAsia Festival is the first full-scale program programmed by new Artistic Director Annette Shun Wah, a writer, broadcaster, actor, producer and theatre-maker who was appointed to the role in May 2020.
‘For OzAsia Festival 2021, we are thrilled to be presenting the most significant showcase of contemporary Asian Australian artists that’s ever been seen before,’ Shun Wah said.
‘We have so many world-class performers right here in Australia, and these first few shows that we’re announcing today [30 June] are just the tip of an iceberg that includes world premieres and collaborations featuring some of Australia’s most respected artists alongside exciting new voices.’
Shun Wah took over the reins of the festival following the departure of former Artistic Director Joseph Mitchell, who stepped down from the role in March 2020 after reshaping OzAsia Festival over five successful years.
A FIRST GLANCE INSIDE THE FESTIVAL
One of the first events to be announced by Shun Wah is White Pearl by Thai-Australian playwright Anchuli Felicia King. Her satire centered on a fictional Asian skincare startup will highlight discussions surrounding the toxicity of corporate culture, Pan-Asian relations and racism.
King’s show is scheduled to open at the Adelaide Festival Centre’s Dunstan Playhouse from 20 – 23 October, after a successful season in Sydney.
Read: Theatre Review: White Pearl, Queensland Theatre
Premiering on 21 October is a new wave classical concert featuring acclaimed Taiwanese-Australian pianist Belle Chen (pictured above) at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Titled Destinations, the blend of classical piano, electronica, and visual installations will provide a vibrant, multi-sensual experience.
Another Adelaide exclusive, The Special Comedy Comedy Special, will bring together a one-night only lineup of popular Asian Australian comedians. Programmed for 30 October, the show will be hosted by Jennifer Wong from ABC’s Chopsticks or Fork? and also features Jason Chong, Suren Jayemanne, Triple J host Michael Hing and TV personalities Lawrence Leung, Alex Lee and Nina Oyama.
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
Wrapping up the festival is In Other Words – a free, open-air series of thought-provoking programs curated and led by former Adelaide Writers’ Week director Laura Kroetsch and staged on the banks of the River Torrens.
Guest curators include acclaimed writer and irreverent cultural commentator Benjamin Law (known for his memoir The Family Law and its popular TV adaptation) and 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Award Multicultural Prize recipient Roanna Gonsalves.
Gonsalves said: ‘In Other Words brings together the world’s most exciting contemporary writers who live and love in Asia and Australia as they engage in vital conversations about the churn of our histories, our present longings and our interdependent futures.’
Law added: ‘OzAsia Festival is a brilliant celebration of Asian Australian culture and a community whose presence here pre-dates white arrival. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to take stock of Australia’s place in the Asia-Pacific and have some of the most urgent conversations about our shared futures.’
Early bird tickets are now available from OzAsia Festival, with the full program to be announced in August.
