We spoke with Joon-Yee Kwok, the festival’s Artistic Director, to get an inside look at this year’s standout features, including international and local talent, the beloved Moon Lantern Trail, and a diverse array of events that highlight both traditional and contemporary Asian arts.
Can you share your creative vision for this year’s festival and how you curated the diverse lineup?
To me, OzAsia Festival is about people coming together. When I was curating the program, I was thinking about our communities and what they might like to experience with their family and friends. For our Asian communities, I was thinking about works where communities could gather to celebrate their own culture and identities, or with others with a similar lived experience of migration or interests or wanting to feel a part of the wider community. I was also thinking about who we needed to make space for in the program and in our audiences. I’m excited to be able to platform artists who identify as queer, with disabilities, and senior. And joy. I thought a lot about creating a joyful experience. It is a festival after all!
Are there any particular performances or exhibitions this year that you are particularly excited about?
I’m excited to be presenting Por Por’s Big Fat Surprise Wedding, a really fun dinner theatre experience from Singapore. Audiences are invited to be a guest at Por Por’s wedding where no one, including her family, know who the groom is. She’s organised a Chinese wedding at her friend’s Indian restaurant, a first for the restaurateur! Hijinks and family drama ensue, alongside karaoke and dancing. It stars Koh Chieng Mun, who you might know from the Hollywood movie, Crazy Rich Asians, and promises to be an exuberant night out. Audiences will be treated to the ultimate dinner and a hilarious show, with delicious Indian food and a glass of sparkling included in the ticket price.
From the UK, a new production by Deaf Japanese artist, Chisato Minimamura, tells the hidden story of the Deaf survivors of the 1945 atomic bomings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s incredibly powerful story-telling. The show integrates innovative technology used to reach Deaf and hearing impaired people, and is performed in Auslan with English subtitles.
And from India, A Passage to Bollywood promises a Bollywood film live on stage, complete with all the action, love, melodrama and of course the dancing! It tells the story of a village boy and his journey to Mumbai where he meets the girl of his dreams and the ‘Don’. Featuring Bollywood classics and latest hits, spectacular costumes and choreography by renowned Bollywood film choreographer, Ashley Lobo, this is a jaw-dropping production you won’t want to miss.
“Growing up, Asian representation was lacking, especially on Australian screens and stages. We’re seeing change, and the OzAsia Festival plays an important role in making that change happen.”
How has your background and experience influenced your approach to producing the OzAsia Festival?
I am a second generation Chinese Australian, and that lived experience influences the way I see the world and the change I’d like to see in it. Growing up, Asian representation was lacking, especially on Australian screens and stages. We’re seeing change, and the OzAsia Festival plays an important role in making that change happen. The Special Comedy Comedy Special is one example of the change we’ve seen, with many of those comedians being household names now, like Lawrence Leung, Jennifer Wong and Dilruk Jayasinha. And that is important for all those of Asian descent with aspirations for a career in making people laugh. OzAsia Festival provides an opportunity for audiences to see themselves reflected back, through the Asian and Asian Australian artists that we present.
With OzAsia Festival, it doesn’t matter where you are from, there is something for everyone to take part in. Whether it’s celebrating common experiences or interests, or discovering something or someone new, there is so much to come together for. I can’t wait for you to check out the program and find something to share with your loved ones.
What are some of the standout features of this year’s OzAsia Festival?
OzAsia Festival features a variety of free and ticketed events across food, art, words and ideas, culture and community. These events include free fun for the family at Moon Lantern Trail, something for the foodies at Lucky Dumpling Market, lots of laughs at The Special Comedy Comedy Special, and the largest gathering of Asian and Asian Australian writers and thinkers at OzAsia Festival’s Weekend of Words.
We have exciting artists from Asia including Singapore’s Koh Chien Mun, star of Crazy Rich Asians, in Por Por’s Big Fat Surprise Wedding, and Filipino drag queen, Taylor Sheesh, uniting Swifties with her fabulous impersonation of Taylor Swift. In addition to our international talent, there’s lots of home-grown South Australian artists gracing our stages as well.
This year the festival delivers even more for families – something to bring the kids and grandkids to – with the world premiere of The Story of Chi, a coming-of-age story about a girl and her dragon for young audiences, and Tanabata: Star Village, an interactive art installation that takes inspiration from the Japanese story of how two stars met in the sky and invites audiences to make a galaxy of stars in the Dunstan Playhouse Foyer.
The Moon Lantern Trail is a beloved feature of the festival. Can you tell us more about this year’s theme and what visitors can expect?
Moon Lantern Trail is a beautiful way to kick-off OzAsia Festival with over a dozen of our giant lanterns lighting up the banks of the Karrawirra Pari/River Torrens. We’ll once again be celebrating place and community along with mid-Autumn festival traditions from across Asia. Visitors can expect delicious food provided by local South Australian businesses, roving performances, and arts workshops and cultural activities for kids provided by Adelaide artists and communities.
The writing and ideas program is a significant aspect of the festival. What are some of the key topics and speakers featured this year?
We are thrilled to be celebrating Asian and Asian Australian writers and thinkers at OzAsia Festival’s Weekend of Words. This year, we’re about expanding the idea of writing beyond books. Writers are found almost everywhere, so we’re excited to be hosting panel sessions, conversations and workshops with artists that write songs, comedy, screenplays and more. This year, our line-up includes Benjamin Law, Vajra Chandrasekera, Shelley Parker-Chan, Sara M. Saleh, Lawrence Leung, Louisa Lim and Qin Qin, and curated by writer and comedian, Sami Shah.
How do you balance showcasing traditional Asian arts with contemporary and avant-garde performances?
Many of the artists we feature actually draw inspiration from traditional art and culture and bring this together with more contemporary forms. For instance, Qais Essar who plays the Afghan rabab blends folk and classical music traditions from India and Afghanistan with contemporary music influences. Australian vocalist Parvyn combines Sikh Punjabi folk traditions with rock, disco and jazz to create a unique pop sound. And A Passage to Bollywood features spectacular Bollywood dancing which is a combination of Indian classical dance moves with hip hop, jazz and funk.
OzAsia
24th of October – 10th of November, 2024
Festival Theatre, Adelaide
