All things come in threes and Carriageworks will be presenting 3 events each in dance, theatre and Australian premieres in addition to a visual arts exhibit! Here are 12 reasons to explore the best of Sydney Festival at Carriageworks this season:
VISUAL ART
Nick Cave, Until
A free installation that brings to light issues around gun violence, police brutality, race and gender in America. Its an installation of shimmering crystal, plastic beads, wind spinners and ceramics suspended in mid air.
What’s most intriguing about this art work is the ability for the artist to bedazzle leaving the viewer awestruck with the components of structures above them while subliminally asking confronting questions on such taboo topics.
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERES
La Passion de Simone (Australian Premiere)
Resident company, Sydney Chamber Opera bring to life the production with Finnish composer, Kaika Saariaho in this alluring French opera surtitled in English. It centres on the famous French philosopher, Simone Weil, who’s works on political activism, mysticism and philosophy didn’t grab mainstream attention until after her death in 1943. Weil’s texts are incorporated into the lyrics and dialogue
Daughter (Australian Premiere)
It’s a chilling one man show with Adam Lazarus, that explores the relationship of the lead character with his daughter, wife and women in general It starts off light hearted and then crumbles into dramatic intensity confronting the darkest aspects of human behavior and masculinity. Taking the audience through extremes as a father and as a predatory man while maintaining traits of endearment, it will leave you confused as to whether you choose to sympathize and side with the show’s protagonist. Describing it to Kick & Push Festival as a cautionary tale about the good guys, Adam Lazarus says, “The experience in the audience, is you relate to him to a certain point and that at certain points [as stories of his views and experiences unfold] people will drop off and that is where the discussion really happens around the show – at what line can we stop forgiving behavior, at what point do we think people can’t change”.
Deer Woman (Australian Premiere)
A reminder of the universal social issues and themes from the perspective of a Canadian first nations perspective. It’s compounded when Cherish Violet Blood’s character, an ex-army lesbian indigenous woman is forced to rely on a system that’s all too familiar and seemingly blase about the 1600 native women who go missing each year. How far would she go when her own sister goes missing?
MUSIC:
Ben Frost 
Widening Gyre (Music)An Australian composer and producer now based in Iceland, his music is described as minimalist, instrumental and ambient. His repertoire ranging from punk rock to black metal. Having written music for dance, theatre and soundtracks for video games, TV and film, he brings ‘Widening Gyre’ to Sydney. It’s a deep dive into spatialization, synthesis, analogue tape and live guitars.
Neneh Cherry
A legend in her own right in hip hop and feminist pop music, this 35 year music veteran will deliver her trademark trip hop, jazz, rap and riot girl punk to the stage for two nights only. A selection of tracks from her new albums, Broken Politics and Blank Project together with several of her 80s classics solidifying her as a pioneer in the genre.
Jonathan Bree
An evening of music with the former indie pop band, The Brunettes. Featuring hits from his most recent album, Sleepwalking, Jonathan Bree’s composition style tends to sit in a place of unease in 1960s rock. The lyrics are dark with dreamy whispers of threats, celebration of pain and struggle with wafts of fleeced pop like hints of eerie melodies and tempos of a horror movie soundtrack.
DANCE
Dust
North Queensland’s Dancenorth investigates the power structures and positions that bring together and cause divisions in society that future generations are born in to. Presented through the whimsical costuming of Contemporary dance it challenges the audience to uphold the traditions left behind or break the cycle.
One Infinity
A cross cultural music and dance collaboration between Dancenorth and Beijing Dance Theatre, an oriental musical flavor provides the canvas for contemporary choreography. It explores the differences in east and west culture through symbolism and movement into cohesions of common ground and empathy.
THEATRE
The Chat
David Woods and former parole officer, J. R. Brennan share the stage with ex-offenders as the audience becomes the parole board. It confronts the topical issues of the criminal justice system, challenging stereotypes of criminals and the idea of rehabilitiation.
The Weekend
A world premiere, this one-woman play by Henrietta Baird is a rollercoaster of love, laughter and loss as Lara goes in search for the father of her children after he goes missing. Creatively, Baird’s focus has previously in in Australian indigenous contemporary dance and this production marks her debut as a playwright.
Yellamundie
A showcase of 8 National First Peoples Playwrighting works. The stories presented will include family dramas, tales of friendship and coming of age stories. A program of performances, public readings, talks and meets with the playwrights will constitute the Yellamundie experience. In native indigenous language, ‘Yellamundie’ means ‘storyteller’.
Photo Credit: ArliftAtoz2205, Zixia, Kasia Sykus, Jamie James, Amanda James