Sydney Festival 2020 starts today and runs until 26 January. Among the shows programmed, there are a few with French and francophone links to see. Here they are!
Lady Rocks, Parisian break group solely made up of women dance in a battle against Australian company Riddim Nation in this show choreographed by Nick Power.
Whereas Lady Rocks specialises in combative and complex choreographed battles, Riddim Nation mixes Pacificka, African and Asian influences in its eclectic and cheeky style.
Fly Pan Am, Canadian electro-rock group will play live music for Canadian avant-garde choreographer Dana Gingras’s dance show with her dance troupe Animals of Distinction.
In Frontera, the question is explored as to in this world in which the human body is subject to more and more invasive surveillance and treatment, what space remains for the undisciplined, ungovernable body?
With synchronised and complex projections and lights by United Visual Artists (UVA), and live music by Fly Pan Am, 10 dancers explore ideas of inclusion and exclusion; their bodies are mapped in high resolution, their destinies unresolved.
Ronnie Burkett, marionette master, returns to Sydney Festival, this time with his show Forget Me Not.
In Forget Me Not, you find yourself in the new now, a world where written words are forbidden and putting pen to paper is a powerful act of defiance. For those determined to compose or write a heartfelt declaration, there is one way, but it requires you to take a perilous journey to a secret camp to trouver “She, the guardian of the lost hand”, the last to retain the knowledge of reading and writing.
Absurd, romantic and provocative, Forget Me Not is a tender call to arms and a rich theatrical love letter to ourselves in these more and more uncivilised times.
We spoke to Ronnie Burkett back before his 2018 Sydney Festival performances. Read the interview here.
Inspired by Virigina Woolf’s Orlando, the Elizabethan courtier who changes sex and lives for more than 300 years, this opera-ballet show from François Chaignaud, choreographer, dancer, singer is a love letter to centuries of Spanish culture and an odyssey about a shape-shifting body which crosses centuries.
In this show, François Chaignaud and four musicians playing period instruments will traverse Spanish history from the Golden Age to the 21st century, in a theatrical mix of Baroque, cabaret, flamenco and gender play.
François Chaignaud gives life to three characters – luminaries from drama, poetry and Spanish folklore: Doncella Guerrera, who leaves for war dressed as a man, San Miguel, the ambiguous archangel from the poet Garcia Lorca and Tarara, free spirited dancer and Anadulsian Roma disappointed by love and who hides a secret androgyny.
Which shows are you seeing at Sydney Festival 2020?
On 22 September 2017, Matilda Marseillaise was born. In the 12 months since her birth, she has taken you across Australia in research of all things French and francophone.
So in this article, we look back over her first year.
There was a lot more than film soundtrack to entertain our ears over the last 12 months. Matilda was lucky enough to interview the renowned Youssou N’Dour, who came to Australia for a concert at the Sydney Opera House and also for BluesFest. She has listened to and spoken with Australian artists who play French or French inspired music: Mélange à Trois, Baby et Lulu, and the very original Coconut Kids who translated Australian classic pub songs into French for their Adelaide Fringe show “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oui, Oui, Oui”. Well-known Australian singer Gotye presented a tribute to the Belgian Jean-Jacques Perrey at Sydney Festival. Caroline Nin took us on a trip to the Paris Lido with her show “Songs and Stories of the Paris Lido” that she performed at the Adelaide French Festival.
Place des Anges, was a show of quasi ballet, quasi circus which leads nicely into other physical performances such as “Club Swizzle” and the Cirque de Soleil’s arena spectacular “Toruk – The First Flight” inspired by James Cameron’s film “Avatar”. Matilda got to speak with francophone performers from these shows.
A night at the theatre
There was also theatre with Camus’ Caligula performed in English, “The Great War” a Dutch show based on letters from a French soldier in the trenches during the war. The show “The Far Side of the Moon” impressed us with its innovative set and Yves Jacques’ talent performing alone on stage during the entire show. We learned about the story of the very interesting Julie d’Aubigny, in the show “Deviant Women – Julie d’Aubigny”. And we got to see a puppet show that was most definitely not for children with the show “The Daisy Theatre” by Canadian Ronnie Burkett at the Sydney Festival.
Schnitzel from “The Daisy Theatre” ready for bed. Image by Prudence Upton
Schnitzel from “The Daisy Theatre” ready for bed. Image by Prudence Upton
Just for laughs!
We laughed at French-speaking or faux French comedians such as Al La France with his show “I think I’m Dead”, Marcel Lucont, and the show Cyranose, from which we spoke to Richard Maritzer, all of which performed at the Adelaide Fringe.
John Russell ‘Mrs Russell among the flowers in the garden of Goulphar, Belle-Île’ 1907 oil on canvas 79 x 100 cm Musée d’Orsay, Paris, held by the Musée de Morlaix, bequest of Mme Jouve 1948 “John Russell, Australia’s French impressionist” exhibition.
Art
There weren’t just performing arts either. Impressionist art was prominent in exhibitions in Australia. There was the very well received “Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay” which was in Adelaide for 4 months and we got to speak with Paul Perrin, one of the exhibition curators from the Musée d’Orsay the day before the exhibition opened. Currently on in Sydney, another French impressionist art exhibition is on but this time, the paintings are those of an Australian who studied and lived in France: “John Russell: Australia’s French Impressionist”.
Claude Monet: La Pie which was shown in Adelaide for the Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay exhibition
We also got to speak with Camille Chaumette and Agnès Mabille, exhibition curators while they were in Australia for the small exhibition of paintings by French photographer Michael Setboun. The photos comprised his “Paris Dark Light” exhibition and stayed in Adelaide for the weekend of the Adelaide French Festival in January.
France. Paris. 4th district. quai d Orleans along the seine river , on saint louis island. in the distance Notre dame Cathedral / Quai d orleans sur l ile saint Louis,
Another important exhibition of French works was that of Cartier: The Exhibition, which was on at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra for a few months. Cartier Jewels dazzled the crowds.
And because no celebration is complete without champagne, Matilda let you know about all the events on the subject. She spoke to you about Champagne Fest at the National Wine Centre and of her experiences at its masterclasses. Matilda told you how and where to celebrate the Grand Moët Day in Sydney and Melbourne. She invited you to diners with a champagne focus such as the Mumm and Perrier-Jouet dinner or festivals which celebrate champagne like Effervescence which was on last month.
Champagnes and Sparkling wines enjoyed at the Masterclass at Champagne Fest 2017
And Matilda told you where to catch all of the French or Belgian World Cup Matches – even if they were played in the middle of the night Australian time. And of course, we all know that France won, which gave us yet another reason to celebrate!
La cuisine française
French cuisine has also had its moment. Matilda has spoken to you about Good France – the worldwide French dinner and about French restaurants awarded among the top 500 Australian restaurants according to the Australian Financial Review.
What have been your favourite moments over the last year? What subjects would you be interested in reading about over the next year?
