World Theatre Festival 2013 Launch

World Theatre Festival Launch at Brisbane Powerhouse (Source: Facebook).

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the 2013 World Theatre Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse. In February next year, eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Iran, Ireland, Germany, Malaysia, UK and the USA) will be represented in the line-up of over 30 items over 11 days.

I've no knowledge of any of the theatre companies represented in the main program, and with not much to go off I'm not exactly feeling any urgency to see any of the productions. A lot of people murmured in approval when Gob Squad's Kitchen was announced, which will be a bizarre adaptation of Andy Warhol's film of the same name. A Doll House by Ireland's Pan Pan Collective is potentially a good choice, but given what a certain other company did with an Ibsen text this year, it's probably wise to approach this work with extreme caution. The festival staples such as the controversial stuff to make the audience feel challenged (The Economist by MKA) and the theatre of the oppressed (White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Nassim Soleimanpour) are also here. The one that really piqued my interest is The Last Supper by Reckless Sleepers. The collective, comprised of artists from the UK and Belgium, will present an intermedial dinner party where the audience join figures experiencing their last dinner. The final moments and sentiments of figures ranging from condemned prisoners to Beethoven will be represented.

What I'm most looking forward to is the Scratch program. Scratch gives creatives a chance to trial their work, simultaneously allowing them to develop their work, receive constructive feedback for the final product, and also make a much needed profit. While last year the program unfortunately included one of the worst things to appear at Brisbane Powerhouse ever (Disappearing Acts by Kelly Ryall & Martyn Coutts), it also featured some incredible gems including A Spectacular of Sorts and Murder. Those pieces that gleamed with potential and delivered so well - this time the lineup includes Horrendo's Curse by Imaginary Theatre will feature the wonderful Lucas Stibbard and Neridah Waters as their leading actors - I don't care if it's created for kids, I'll be there. Robert Davidson and Topology (the best thing about The Lady from the Sea), return with a new work that fuses together melodies with recorded voices of the worlds leading thinkers in a piece titled Nature/Nurture. Oedipus Schmoedipus by Post also looks like it could be a good one considering the company's history. The best thing about Scratch is that all the tickets are $10, so that's what I'll be attending most of the time in the festival.

There are also a couple in-conversations, workshops and music events to attend, many of which are free. The one that I'm dreaming most about is the in-conversation and four day masterclass with Richard Schechner, a renown theorist and practitoner who actually wrote a good number of text books that I've studied with. Unfortuantely the cost is extortionate for a student, and his talk has already filled up on reservations. I imagine it would certainly be a worthwhile and invaluable experience to do - if you can afford it!

It's a few months before the festival, but it was a great evening to preview what would be featured at Brisbane Powerhouse next February. I'm looking forward to attending many Scratch works and a few of the mainstage shows - onward and upward!

Brisbane Powerhouse's World Theatre Festival 2013 will be running from 13-24 February 2013. The complete program can be viewed online at the World Theatre Festival Official Website.