Perth Festival kicks off on 8 February and finishes up on 3 March. During the three and a half weeks of this festival, there will be circus, live music, theatre, conversations, workshops, cinema and much more. Below you will find things to do that have a link to France or the French language.
CIRCUS
Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam “Toi : My Village”
The Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam returns to the Perth Festival. This time with an adaptation of their first ever show, named “Lang Toi : My Village”.
The Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam’s productions are their unique type of circus, one that uses bamboo. In “Lang Toi: My Village”, you enter into typical Vietnamese life, while watching the circus, which is accompanied by live music.
You can read our interviews with Tuan Le et Nhay Ly, founders of the Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam: LINKS
Lang Toi will be played from 8 to 17 February, except 11 February. There will also be a Q&A session with the Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam team after the 2pm show on 16 February.
Tickets cost between $36 and $70, plus booking fees. There are also reduced priced tickets for Friends of the Perth Festival, those who have a concession card and students.
There is also a family ticket which costs $180 for two adults and two children. Seats are in the A Reserve section. You can also purchase tickets for additional children for $40 each if you have already selected this ticket type.
Tickets are available here.
WORKSHOP
Workshop: Creativity and research
Lan Maurice Nguyen, Creative Director of the Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam, will present a workshop over 5 days on the subject of creativity and research. If you are interested, you can find out more by clicking here.
DANCE
Dada Masilo’s Gisele
An adaptation of French ballet “Gisele” this time by South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo. In Dada Masilo’s Gisele, the action takes place in a South African village, in which barefooted dancers dance to a mixture of classical ballet, contemporary dance and African rituals. This is an adaptation of Gisele with a contemporary twist.
Gisele will be performed from 28 February to 2 March. There will be a conversation with the artists after the 1 March performance.
Tickets cost between $36 and $85 plus booking fee. There are also reduced priced tickets for Friends of the Festival, concession card holders and students. You can purchase your tickets here.
MUSIC
Christine and the Queens
On Saturday 3 March, Christine and the Queens will perform her only Perth concert. Héloïse Letissier is Christine and the Queens, both a force of bravado and artistry. Her second album, Chris, gained her a place as a true pop legend. This album explores female desire, as well as questions of gender and sexuality, all to pulsating pop-synth beats.
Perth Festival promises this will be a concert of contagious music, drenched in sweat and vulnerability.
Tickets cost between $36 and $103 plus booking fees. The $103 tickets get you “Premium Seating” and give you a VIP experience of the concert. These tickets are the only way to have a reserved seat and are situated high in the stands in a VIP area.
CONVERSATION
Future D Fidel “Prize Fighter”
Future D Fidel is a Congolese playwright who lives in Queensland. In this event, he will speak about the journey from script to stage and to book of his award-winning play “Prize Fighter”.
“Prize Fighter”, the play, made its debut at the Brisbane Festival last year and was also performed at the Melbourne Festival.
You can see Future D Fidel at 11:30 am on 24 February. Tickets cost $15 plus booking fees. There are also reduced priced tickets for students and Friends of Perth Festival. Tickets can be purchased here.
FILM
“Non-fiction”
“Non-fiction” is a film by French director Olivier Assayas.
Juliette Binoche stars in this film which treats literature, relationships, art and online culture. Alain is a Parisian editor who has to tread carefully with the author Léonard, whose fictional stories of his friends lives are not selling well. At the same time, Serena, Alain’s wife, played by Juliette Binoche, finds that her work on a TV show, even thought it is very well paid, is beneath her. Through a series of meetings and lively conversations, Alain, Serena and Léonard reveal that their professional and personal lives are linked in a surprising way.
“Non-fiction” will screen at UWA Somerville at 8pm each night from 18 to 24 February and at ECU Joondalup Pines from 26 February to 3 March (except 1 March).
Tickets cost $19, plus booking fees. There are also reduced priced tickets for Friends of the Perth Festival, concession card holders and students. You can purchase your tickets here.
Capharnaüm
Capharnaüm is a film from France, Libya and the United States in Arabic which was awarded at Cannes. It tells the story of Zain, a 12-year-old boy, who does his best to survive the streets of Beirut. He files a lawsuit against his parents for having been born in a world so unfair, in which being a refugee without papers signifies that your rights can easily be denigrated.
Most of the actors in the film play themselves, refugees from Africa and the Middle East. The actors play roles describing their own experiences.
If this seems familiar to you, it’s because Capharnaüm was a part of the Adelaide Film Festival last October.
Capharnaüm will screen at ’UWA Somerville at 8pm each night from 11 to 17 February and at ECU Joondalup Pines from 19 to 24 February.
Tickets cost $19 plus booking fees. There are also reduced priced tickets for Friends of the Perth Festival, concession card holders and students. You can purchase tickets here.
Which of these shows will you attend at Perth Festival 2019?
