Immerse yourself in performance art in Australia

February 14, 2012

Witnessing the best of Shakespeare, a one-on-one play performance, a Mozart-inspired masterpiece and a dramatic tale about boxing probably doesn't seem like your everyday allotment of art. At Australia's
Perth International Arts Festival, that's exactly what you'll see while on locum assignment through February and March.

This month marked the opening ceremony of the 60th annual show, which involved 600 people singing, playing brass instruments and officially welcoming all attendees into the country. The celebration is the longest running annual international multi-arts festival in the southern hemisphere, combining theatre, music, film, visual arts, street displays, literature and community events. Artistic director Jonathan Holloway shared with The Australian some of the not-to-miss performances for this year's anticipated event.

Oraculos, directed by Enrique Vargas, provides an intimate performance for each of its viewers. And by intimate, we mean as personal as it gets - the show is performed for one person at a time. Entertaining 54 people a day, the event is an exclusive performance that only about 1,000 will get the chance to experience.

"Everyone who sees Oraculos will remember it, and it will be a transforming experience for them," Holloway said.

Mozart's A Magic Flute, Shakespeare's Henry V and The Winter's Tale and Beautiful Burnout, an explosive look at the world of boxing, are additional treasures on Holloway's must-see list. Make sure to catch at least one of the acclaimed performances that only come around once a year.

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