Macao Arts Festival kicks off

The 34th Macao Arts Festival kicks off with “Grand Opening: Jungle Book Reimagined” May 3. SD-Agencies

The 34th Macao Arts Festival kicked off May 3 at the Macao Cultural Center with legendary choreographer Akram Khan’s recreation of the wondrous classic “The Jungle Book.” Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, the festival will last until June 7.

The “Grand Opening: Jungle Book Reimagined,” adapted from the classic “The Jungle Book” by the literature Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling and produced by legendary British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan and his stellar team, tells the story of the adventure of a child who was separated from his family after their city faced a catastrophe and turned into a jungle, leading the public to reflect upon the importance of harmony between humans and nature.

Themed “Wondrous Encounters,” this edition of the arts festival features 19 fantastic and novel programs covering theater, Chinese opera, dance, circus, music and visual arts, inviting the public to discover and embrace the arts and embark on an intriguing artistic journey together.

A scene from “The Chairs.”

Highlights of the festival include “The Three Brothers” that depicts the entanglements of family relationships; “The Fury of My Thoughts” brought by internationally renowned director Marie Brassard from Canada; “Macbettu,” a reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s classic in the Sardinian language from Italy; and “The Chairs,” an adaptation of the Western classic using Kunqu opera, a genre of traditional Chinese opera.

A scene from “The Three Brothers.”

In “The Three Brothers,” which will be staged by the Portuguese art troupe My Own Name on May 18, three dancers will depict the most intense human emotions through dance and portray the mental struggles of three brothers after losing their parents, leading the audience into the realm of a split relationship through physical movements and texts.

In “The Fury of My Thoughts,” six actors and a dancer will present the rich yet delicate feelings throughout the life of the legendary Canadian writer Nelly Arcan on a stage composed of 10 square grids, conveying the thoughts that weigh on women’s minds.

In the ancient Sardinian language from Italy and with their martial physicality, an all-male cast will reinvent the stirring scenes of the classic Shakespearean tragedy in “Macbettu.” In the theater space soaked in dim yet strongly contrasting light and the metal sounds stemming from dust and iron plates, the Sardinia Theater will subject the audience to an intense tension and oppressiveness.

Adapted from the play of the same name created by the great absurdist playwright Eugène Ionesco in 1952, “The Chairs” offers a reinterpretation in the form of Kunqu opera. With their unique aesthetics blending the artistic elements from China and the West, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe produced this award-winning opera that has been recognized as an outstanding play in the studio theater showcase and relates an absurd dream of an old couple on a deserted island.

In addition, the baby theater production “The Little Book” by Baj Theater from Poland, is specially dedicated for babies aged from 6 months to children aged 3 years old, opening the door to the wonderful world through a textless book. The Macao Chinese Orchestra will join hands with super diva Frances Yip from Hong Kong, presenting a number of classics to music aficionados. (SD News)