Sneak Peek: George Town Festival 2018

The George Town Festival (GTF) has been called ‘one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting celebrations of culture, heritage and community’. Inaugurated in 2010 in honour of George Town’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this brilliant festival will be held from 4 August to 2 September this year.

WHIST – United Kingdom 
Inspired by the work of Sigmund Freud, ‘WHIST’ takes you on a journey via physical theatre, augmented reality (AR) and interactive virtual reality (VR) exploring the dreams, fears and desires of a fictional family. This is theatre of a surreal nature as 76 different perspectives are explored. 

Isle Of Dreams – Taiwan 
This is a mythological musical theatre performance featuring poetry, ritual dance and puppetry, accompanied by traditional Nanguan and Beiguan music. Characters are inspired by ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas’ (a renowned Chinese myth) and the story has been modernised to address problems we face today. 

We Cannot Talk About It – Iran 
Performed by a theatre company from Tehran, this is a play that promises to have you thinking about it long after it’s over. Revolving around suppression, melancholy and the pain of losing a loved one in terrible circumstances, the premise is a family dinner where everyone eats, but no one talks. 

Instant Theatre – China 
From China comes this unique collaboration, which sees artists performing live and on-the-spot in a space given to them. This is improv theatre as it should be and will feature seven independent performance artists from China and a specially selected group from Malaysia. 

KaBooM: Stories From Distant Frontlines – Australia 
Another thought-provoking production, this time focusing on the experiences of soldiers who have fought on the frontlines. There are several unusual intertwining stories featuring a child soldier from Burundi, a deserter from Saddam Hussein’s army and a 16-year-old who escaped the Holocaust to fight in the Pacific. 

Between Tiny Cities – Australia / Cambodia 
Two dancers from vastly different cities – Aaron Lim from Darwin and Erak Mith from Phnom Penh – share their love of hip hop culture in this stimulating dance production. Choreographed by renowned hip hop artist, Nick Power, the dancers battle it out accompanied by music by Australian producer, Jack Prest. 

Blind – Brazil 
When it comes to avant garde performances, ‘Blind’ takes the ticket. Originating in Brazil, this presentation sees people in business suits, blindfolded, covered in clay, walking slowly through city streets. An edgy urban performance which will have people who live in Penang planning the route and participating in the production.