THE 2012 MELBOURNE FESTIVAL LAUNCH

Melbourne may be the world’s number one sports city, but it’s also one of the foremost festival cities in the world. There are 39 Arts Festivals in any given year and first and foremost is the Melbourne Festival (October 11 – 27, 2012), which launched on Monday Evening (July 30) at The Sofitel Hotel, a great supporter of the Arts. This is Brett Sheehy’s last year as Festival Director and he offers us an astonishing programme which features such exciting offerings as Michel van der Aa’s cross-genre opera After Life; Schaburne Berlin’s acclaimed production of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People; and exquisite dance premieres from The Forsythe Company (Germany); Australia’s Chunky Move under the direction of the amazing Anouk van Dijk; and the wonderful Akram Khan; not to mention such diverse musical offerings as Billy Bragg, Paul Kelly, Tim Fain and Hahn-Bin. There really is something for everyone. Given the wide-ranging and varied programme, it seemed only fitting that we send not one, but THREE of our Stage Whispers reviewers to share with us their thoughts and excitement about the forthcoming Festival. What did the night hold for them?

Coral said – “I had never met my fellow reviewers, Sara Bannister and Suzanne Sandow before, so that set the level of excitement for the evening. With Champagne and canapés and scrumptious coconut fried king prawns to whet our appetites we settled in for Festival President Carillo Gantner’s whimsical introduction. What a programme! And where and how to start describing it?”

Suzanne was more erudite “My response to the Melbourne Festival Launch is - I want to see it all!!! Brett Sheehy is a terrifically enthusiastic entrepreneur who could sell just about anything with his bright, brisk, to the point delivery. What excites about this is its sense of the ephemeral. The contemporary Music program as described at the launch is ‘out there’, challenging, maybe a bit brash and - very likely - exquisitely enlivening.  There are several standout offerings, both local and imported. A work that promises to be moving is COMPS/Gob Squad’s Before Your Very Eyes a work about youthful dreams of future possibilities played behind one-way mirrors by children.  Many will be delighted by the inclusion of Film through a program of International New Cinema curated by Richard Moore.  Nothing offered looks too safe or predictable and there is a huge variety of eclectic experiences of mixed genre on offer.” 

Coral:- “After the speeches we were treated to a snippet from La Soiree. I don’t know which was more fun:- watching Captain Frodo squeeze his entire body through a 30 cm tennis racket, or watching our totally immersed Lord Mayor Robert Doyle squeamishly hiding his eyes and watching the body dislocations through his fingers.  The three of us have very different tastes so I suspect we won’t have an all out battle choosing who reviews what – along with our fellow Stage Whispers reviewers – if we are lucky enough to be asked. I’ve already ticked the Festival Highlights that are  “must-sees” for me. They are The Forsythe Company’s I Don’t Believe in Outer Space, the “divinely decadent” La Soiree; Performance poet Luke Wright’s Cynical Ballads and Tim Draxl’s homage to Chet Baker – Freeway. There…I’m not being greedy….but then there’s the Amazing Hahn-Bin, and not forgetting Antony and the Johnsons Swanlights and….and….(I wonder if I could borrow a small baby to see Polyglot’s wondrous How High The Sky?). And I can’t forget all the fabulous free events, including Federation Square’s 10th birthday party. I’m going to spend weeks looking at my festival guide.”

Stage Whispers can’t wait to join the ladies browsing the Festival Guide. Have you got yours yet?

http://www.melbournefestival.com.au/program

Melbourne Festival runs 11^th - 27^th October, 2012.

Images (from top): Brett Sheehy announces the 2012 Melbourne Festival program; Melbourne Festival President, Carrillo Gantner AO, Melbourne Festival Patron, The Right Hon. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Robert Doyle and Melbourne Festival's Artistic Director Brett Sheehy, and Captain Frodo from La Soiree performed his famous contortion act  Jim Lee Photo.