Press Release (Friday 4 March):
71 events, 9 world premieres, 6 Australian premieres, 17 events exclusive to Adelaide
The 2022 Adelaide Festival officially opens today! With a whole host of events over the next 17 days, 2022 marks the 37th Adelaide Festival over 62 years, and the sixth festival under Artistic Directors Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy.
Joint Artistic Directors Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy said: “To keep an international arts festival flourishing while a deadly virus is running rampant across the globe is no mean feat. If delivering 2021 was difficult, 2022 has been herculean. Given the absence of live streaming in the program, and the wonderful presence of large companies of European and African artists in the city right now, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Adelaide Festival had ‘bounced back’ to normal. But all the meticulous planning for this event took place at a time of unprecedented uncertainty and chaos, in Australia as much as the performers’ home countries. Would we all be vaccinated? Would our health system cope? How long would guests have to quarantine? Would flights be available? Could the sets be freighted on time? How big an audience will be allowed? Can we rehearse? Can we sing? Can we dance? The answers to these questions changed from day to day and the leap of faith required to surmount the chasm between then and now was simply too big for many to make.”
“But it’s now not then and the people of Adelaide have an extraordinary festival on a grand international scale to relish and be proud of. The best and most stimulating music, dance, theatre, opera, visual and public art that Australia and the world have to offer are here, and sometimes only here, for the next three weeks. Get amongst it!”
OPENING WEEKEND KEY EVENTS
Operatic centrepiece The Golden Cockerel makes its Australian Premiere at the Adelaide Festival Theatre on Friday 4 March. Written by Rimsky-Korsakov 113 years ago, and directed by revered international opera director Barrie Kosky, the opera will play 4 sold-out shows across the opening week.
The world premiere of Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan has already opened at Dunstan Playhouse with 7 sold out shows. The new oratorio is a long-awaited artistic response to the landmark tragedy 50 years ago that stemmed from the death of Dr George Ian Ogilvie Duncan. It is a joint commission between Adelaide Festival, Feast Festival and State Opera South Australia.
Adelaide Festival exclusive The Rite of Spring / common ground[s] will open at Her Majesty’s Theatre for three sold out shows across the opening weekend. Emanating from Germany, Senegal and the UK; produced by the Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables and Sadler’s Wells; with choreography by the late Pina Bausch, her contemporary Germaine Acogny and Bausch colleague Malou Airaudo. More than 30 dancers from 14 nations across the African continent, The Rite of Spring is Bausch’s towering and unsurpassed response to Stravinsky’s music, recreated in its entirety by a brilliant, hand-picked ensemble.
The opening weekend spectacular on Saturday 5 March will see favourite homegrown contemporary circus powerhouse Gravity & Other Myths (GOM), team up with dance sensations Djuki Mala from North East Arnhem Land to present the FREE concert Macro at the Village Green, Adelaide Oval. Featuring a 30-strong acrobatic troupe, a mass choir, ancient Celtic rhythms, fireworks and giant projection scrims in a fun, FREE family event.
On Tuesday 8 March, another major event at the Village Green, Adelaide Oval will be ICEHOUSE: Great Southern Land 2022, a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band’s legendary anthem. Also on the bill will be yidaki master William Barton and Groote Eylandt’s ARIA-nominated blues and roots artist, Emily Wurramara.
Rundle Mall again becomes a pop-up environment for free and joyous experiences, with Groundswell, designed by Melbourne artist Matthias Schack-Arnott. The six-metre, circular tilting platform equipped with 40,000 illuminated ball bearings has already opened in Rundle Mall for anyone to walk on and become a composer of oceanic soundscapes.
*CHANGE OF DATE
Look to the skies early on the new date of Saturday 12 March as Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhales:Every Heart Sings soars above Elder Park from 6am. Skywhale and Skywhalepapa complete with their brood of calves, will float some ten stories high in a majestic floating art installation.
The Summerhouse, home and hub of the Adelaide Festival will feature 40 free and ticketed events involving more than 235 artists, speakers and special guests from Thursday 3 March. Transforming its look and feel from early morning breakfast sanctuary, a go-to meeting place before a show, to live music hotspot; it is the beating heart of the Adelaide Festival.
Opening weekend will feature Billy Davis & The Good Lords on Thursday night, Genesis Owusu (SOLD OUT) and HMC on Friday night, and Amyl and the Sniffers (SOLD OUT) and Ministry of Sound on Saturdaynight. Breakfast with Papers kicks off on Saturday 5 March with Tom Wright and a panel of informed guests at 8am daily.
