Top Picks for the 2013 OzAsia Festival

The OzAsia Festival kicked off this week and Aussie Theatre takes a look at the best of the 2013 Programme – 5 shows you shouldn’t miss!

Meeting with Bodhisattva

A spiritual journey, in the ancient Buddhist tradition, channelled through the art of drumming and movement. It tells the story of one man meeting a deity and learning the path to wisdom is by letting go. The reclusive, secretive U-Theatre troupe is from Taiwan and trains on the isolated Laochuan Mountain. This show is said to be their best ever and it’s even the most highly recommended pick of Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier. Fri 13 & Sat 14 September, 7:30pm, Her Majesty’s Theatre

Extreme Jump

Yegam Theatre Company and its choreography is described as a “Jackie Chan film crossed with The Matrix live on stage – part action flick, silent comedy and cartoon caper mixed with martial arts.” Making their return to Australia since their hit show JUMP in 2010. The madcap Koreans of Extreme Jump are bound to entertain audiences with their martial arts moves, slapstick comedy and acrobatics! Sat 28 September, 7pm, Sun 29 September, 4pm, Festival Theatre

Fight The Landlord

Performed in Mandarin with English surtitles and presented in the round on Her Majesty’s Theatre stage, three panda’s play a card game – Fight the Landlord. They gossip about all the things of life – relationships, money, children, parents and culture. The show is a collaboration between Ireland’s Pan Pan Theatre and Beijing’s Square Moon Culture; together they shine a bright light on the issues of living in contemporary China. Tue 17 September, 11am & 7:30pm, Wed 18 September, 7:30pm, Her Majesty’s Theatre

Parah

In an Australian exclusive Parah is the story of four young friends who explore and confront the timely issues of race, immigration, the power of language to shape society and what role our own sense of identity plays in the greater world. The work is inspired by Yasmin Ahmad’s film Talentime and Abdullah Hussain’s book Interlok. This show is meant to be thought provoking and by all accounts it succeeds. 20 – 24 September, Fri & Sat, 7:30pm, Mon & Tue, 11am Her Majesty’s Theatre

Super Everything

Super Everything is true to its name – a bombastic cross-cultural, multidisciplinary art extravaganza determined to tickle the senses of every attendee. Britain’s acclaimed audio-visual artists have joined forces with artists and musicians from across Malaysia to bring this mix of modern and traditional art forms into one layered show of original live music, film and of course a stunning light show! 25 – 28 September, Wed 11am – Post Show Q&A, Thu – Sat 8pm, Space Theatre

For bookings and further information go to http://www.ozasiafestival.com.au