The Three Brothers © Estelle Valente
Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 34th Macao Arts Festival, themed “Wondrous Encounters”, will be held from 3 May to 7 June, featuring a selection of Chinese and international programmes, including The Three Brothers presented by Portuguese art troupe that depicts the entanglements of family relationships; The Fury of My Thoughts brought by internationally renowned female 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. Tickets are now on sale through the Macau Ticketing Network.
In The Three Brothers, staged by the Portuguese art troupe My Own Name at the Macao Cultural Centre Small Auditorium on 18 May, 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, presented by Infrarouge at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium on 31 May and 1 June, six actors and a dancer depict the rich yet delicate feelings throughout the life of the legendary Canadian writer Nelly Arcan on a stage composed of ten 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 Shakesperean tragedy in Macbettu, which will be presented at the Macao Cultural Centre Small Auditorium on 25 and 26 May. In the theatre space soaked in dim yet strongly contrasting light and the metal sounds stemming from dust and iron plates, the Sardinia Theatre 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 will be staged at the Mandarin’s House on 25 and 26 May, offering 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 theatre showcase and relates an absurd dream of an old couple on a deserted island.
The “Wondrous Encounters” Flash Sale Offer is now available from today until 19 April, offering a 30% discount on ticket purchases for the Grand Opening: Jungle Book reimagined, Sleeping Beauty, Duck Pond and Sino-Portuguese Concert. Tickets are limited and the public are advised to purchase their tickets as soon as possible.
For more information about the programmes, ticket purchases and other discounts, please visit the Macao Arts Festival’s website (www.icm.gov.mo/fam), follow the respective page on Facebook (search “Macao Arts Festival”), or follow IC’s official WeChat account (IC_Art_Macao). Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Online ticket reservation is available at www.macauticket.com.
