2019 BUTOHOUT! “FORBIDDEN LAUGHTER”

REVIEWS (2019)

“We are laughing, but always in a minor key.”

— Jana Perkovic, The Age ★★★★

“ButohOUT! feels like Samuel Beckett meets Beyoncé via Eraserhead”

— Shane Murphy - Daily Review

“Some of the characters in this work functioned as ciphers, beyond who they were as people. This opened up a realm of possibility for the viewer to experience and interpret the uncanny function of the work as a whole.”

— Philippa Rothfield - Witness Performance

“This piece of erotic comedy captures a strong sense of Butoh itself, and at this moment, we find a laugh that is so instinctive, our egotistic exterior cracks.”

— Dance Writer

“.. notions of “the impossible task” are explored in vignettes and installations throughout the space.”

— Hayden Burke, Australian Stage

BUTOHOUT! 2019

“Forbidden Laughter”

ButohOUT! 2019 is a festival to celebrate creative communities in Victoria and beyond through the profound performance art medium of Butoh. Originally called Dance of Darkness, Butoh was conceived in Japan in the late 50’s and early 60’s, during the social turmoil after the war.

Co-produced by Japanese-Australian artists Yumi Umiumare and Takashi Takiguchi, ButohOUT! 2019 will challenge the commonly held conception of Butoh as dark and grotesque and ask:

“Can the audience laugh at Butoh?”,

“Can we do comedy in Butoh?”

In partnership with Abbotsford Convent Foundation, the two-month program consisting of public workshops, performance and discussion groups will run between March and May 2019. Following successful festivals in 2017 and 2018, ButohOUT! 2019, with the theme ‘Forbidden Laughter’, will focus on surreal comedy from multi-disciplinary performance mediums including Butoh, Cabaret, Bouffon, Burlesque, Physical Theatre and visual installations.

Please explore your body to bring out ‘Spirit of Butoh’ at ButohOUT! 2019.