Header image: OzAsia Festival.
The always amazing OzAsia festival is returning to Adelaide in 2021, and a brand-new program has been revealed packed full of events to keep you busy in the lead up the Christmas.
The Australian premiere of Destinations by acclaimed Taiwanese-Australian pianist Belle Chen is one of three shows providing a sneak peek at Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival 2021.
At the forefront of UK new wave classical music, Chen is as uncategorisable as her music is captivating. Her compositions retain the beauty of classical piano while traversing avant-garde and electronica to embody the world’s natural wonders.
Using electric keys, synthesizers and visual installations, Destinations will see Chen’s arrangements brought to life in vivid colour at Her Majesty’s Theatre on October 21.
Tickets are also on sale today for Adelaide exclusive The Special Comedy Comedy Special featuring an exciting line-up of Asian Australian comedians including host Jennifer Wong (from ABC’s Chopsticks or Fork?) and Adelaide’s own Jason Chong, along with Suren Jayemanne, Triple J Drive host Michael Hing and TV personalities Lawrence Leung (Offspring, Maximum Choppage), Alex Lee (The Feed) and Nina Oyama (Utopia).
Rounding out the early release is the Adelaide premiere of Sydney Theatre Company’s White Pearl. Written by Thai-Australian playwright Anchuli Felicia King, the play is a blisteringly funny satire about a skincare company whose new TV commercial goes viral for all the wrong reasons.
With the rest of the program to be revealed in August, this will be the first full-scale OzAsia Festival under the leadership of new Artistic Director Annette Shun Wah.
“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. We have so many world-class performers right here in Australia, and these first few shows that we’re announcing today 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,” says Annette.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM: “We can’t wait to share the full program for this year’s OzAsia Festival, and this early release is just a taste of what audiences can expect. In addition to theatre, music and comedy, we’ll have a wonderful selection of dance, film, visual art and community events – all providing unique interpretations of the cultural engagement between Australia and Asia.”
In another exciting development, OzAsia Festival 2021 will present In Other Words – a new writing and ideas program featuring a range of talks, workshops and performances from November 5 to 7.
In Other Words will bring together some of Asia and Australia’s most inspiring contemporary writers as they engage in vital conversations about their past, present and future.
Led by former Adelaide Writers’ Week director Laura Kroetsch, the program boasts acclaimed authors Benjamin Law and Roanna Gonsalves as guest curators.
The festival is jam packed with things to do and see and it will bring life to Adelaide through October and November.
For more information about OzAsia festival visit their website, here.
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