Our Hot Picks for PerthFest 2021

What does summer bring to Perth? Hot days at the beach, cool drinks with mates, and lots and lots of art. Of course, this year in particular we’re appreciating our local festivals even more than we already did. Get out your diaries, and clear your schedules for just a few of the events we’re keen for at Perth Festival 2021.

Black Brass

Joined by musician Mahamudo Selimane, writer and performer Mararo Wangai explores how the choices we make change our lives, and celebrates stories of resilience – inspired in part by interviews with Perth’s Zimbabwean, Sudanese, South African, Central Congo, Mauritius, Nigerian, Congolese and Kenyan communities. A mysterious and playful work, that offers a rare chance to hear marginalised and oft-silenced voices in the theatre.

Fist of Fury Noongar Daa

In a groundbreaking world first, the iconic Fist of Fury will be the first film to ever be dubbed in an Australian language. Directed by Lo Wei, the 1972 film launched Bruce Lee’s career and transformed him into an international star. Helmed by Perth Festival Artistic Associate Kylie Bracknell (Kaarljilba Kaardn), who adapted and directed Yirra Yaakin’s breathtaking Hecate, a Noongar-language staging of Macbeth – this is sure to be special.

Witness Stand

Taking place at a series of locations along the Derbal Yerrigan, audiences are invited to gather together and experience sound works that evoke the ancient stories of Whadjuk country, as well as the disruptions caused by colonisation. Specially commissioned by Perth Fest and featuring some of Perth’s premier musicians, this will be a communal experience that connects past, present and future.

Everything Is True

Sculptor Abdul-Rahman Abdullah’s works tread the boundaries between the playful and the terrifying, the spiritual and the domestic. The largest ever assembly of work by the artist, audiences are sure to be captivated by the dream-like quality of his sculptures, as well as the technical virtuosity of the exhibition.

Fair Isle

Fair Isle is an exploration of how craft-based practices can serve as a medium of self- sufficiency, reflection, of recording histories and fostering cultural traditions. Featuring works by WA artists, photographers, designers and writers, the exhibition reflects and responds to a year in which artists – like many others – have been forced to adapt, refocus and turn towards the domestic space.

Whistleblower
The Last Great Hunt

Part escape room, part live mystery film? Count us in. An audience member is taken into a soundproof set decked out with hidden cameras, and after waking up with “amnesia”, must solve Whistleblower’s mystery, piece by piece. Joined by a cast of both actors and fellow audience members to help them find clues, of course. Grab an interactive ticket to be a part of the fun, or enjoy from the sidelines as a regular audience member.