Launched in 2010, George Town Festival (Jul 29-Aug 28) is a month-long showcase of the arts, culture and heritage. In short, it’s the perfect excuse for a trip to Penang. Here are some of the highlights at this year’s event.
Pearl of the Eastern & Oriental (Jul 28-31)
Commissioned for this year’s George Town Festival, Pearl of the Eastern & Oriental is a production written and directed by Singapore’s own Lim Yu-Beng. It tells the story of a young lady butler who encounters guests (and ghosts) of the past and present at the iconic E&O Hotel. The performance will play out as guests follow a designated route around the hotel.
Strandbeest (Jul 30-31)
Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests are the stuff of viral video legend. These mesmerizing creatures, built mostly with PVC tubes, have been crawling around the world’s beaches since 1990 powered only by wind. See them for yourself as they make their Southeast Asian debut at the Esplanade.
Missing (Aug 5-6)
Presented by dance theater company Gecko, Missing is an exploration of the human psyche. In particular, it follows the journey of Lily, an otherwise successful woman who notices that her soul has begun to decay.
Obscura Festival (Aug 19-31)
This unique photography event comprises two major exhibitions, six nights of projection installations, a photo book festival, workshops, talks and fringe events. All in all, you can expect to see 2,500 images made by a global cast of 180 photographers.
Triptyque (Aug 26-27)
Montreal collective Les 7 doigts de la main has performances at the 2012 Academy Awards and the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony under its belt and now they’re bringing their show Triptyque to the festival for its Asian premiere. Triptyque is a combination of circus acrobatics and contemporary dance.
Tickets go on sale on May 1. For more information, head to the George Town Festival website.
