Russian monsters, Ganesh's visit to Hitler, contemporary Chinese drama and similar rebellion make for a confrontational Melbourne Festival program“That’s the cliché,” says Melbourne Festival director Brett Sheeby. “But certainly something happened –- maybe it was the indoor culture.
“What sets Melbourne apart from other Australian cities is the average woman and man on the street will say that arts and culture is a critical part of the town.”
Sheeby says the Melbourne Festival “will now do what hasn’t been before.”
From October 6 through October 22, the festival brings together around 60 acts from different genres from around the world.
All have one thing in common: protest and rebellion.
“That wasn’t pre-scripted,” says Sheeby. “But the ideas evolved to revolution and redemption. It’s people coming together for good -- it’s absolutely proactive.”
From contemporary Chinese drama to Russian requiems and global photography, the Melbourne Festival is a celebration of that. Here are the highlights.
Russian Apocalyptic monsters
Mischievous, six-meter-tall Russian monstrosities will mark the metaphorical beginning of a new world in Melbourne, where angels and demons are indistinguishable.
The subversive Russian collective -- AES+F -- sculpts reptile tails and bat-like wings to stand on city streets.
This spectacle of mythology and art “gives the city a sense of ownership of the festival,” Sheeby says.
“It’s a parade in a Russian sense -- they’re statues, rather than actually marching.”
Swanston Street and St. Kilda Road, Thursday, October 6 to Saturday, October 22. Free
Ganesh versus the Third Reich
In 2011, the Back to Back Theatre -- a contemporary troupe of mainly mentally impaired actors -- brings the elephant-headed Hindu god, Ganesh, to the stage.
He travels to Germany to confront Adolf Hitler and get his swastika back.
“It’s a story about power and the abuse of power -- and about the use of symbols,” says director Bruce Gladwin. “But there are two narratives: as well as Ganesh’s journey, a second narrative is about the moral and ethical issues of creating such a script.”
The storytellers ask whether they have a right to tell such an Indian story.
Attacks against the play commenced weeks ago.
“Initially, the criticism came from Hindu associations in the United States,” says director Gladwin. “But in our story, Ganesh is a hero.”
Of the eight individuals who created the theater, six of have mental disabilities. They were filmed during improvisation to create the script.
“One actor has Turret’s Syndrome, so he says what everybody else thinks," Gladwin says. "Which created a lot of the ethical and moral dialogue.”
Merlyn Theatre, The Malthouse, 29 September to October 9, Tuesday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, 5 p.m. Tickets $26-$58 from M-TIX, +61 (0)3 9685 5111, or Ticketmaster (in Australia) 1300 723 038, www.malthousetheatre.com.au, www.melbournefestival.com.au
