NEWS ITEM: Africa comes to Luminato festival
2 Mar'10

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

A new work from Toronto's internationally renowned Volcano Theatre, titled THE AFRICA TRILOGY, sits at the heart of Luminato's theatre and dance programming, which was announced Monday.

Inspired by Stephen Lewis' 2005 Massey lectures, THE AFRICA TRILOGY features an ensemble of three writers (Roland Schimmelpfennig, Christina Anderson and Binyavanga Wainaina) and three directors (Ross Manson, Liesl Tommy and Josette Bushell-Mingo) and is slated to open June 15 at the Fleck Dance Theatre, commissioned by Luminato and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, it is a production of Volcano Theatre, presented by Harbourfront Centre.

Also on the playbill announced Monday:

-The world premiere of ONE PURE LONGING: TAHIRIH'S SEARCH, directed by Erica Batdorf, at Buddies In Bad Times.

-BEST BEFORE, a fusion of theatre and video games from Europe's Rimini Protokoll theatre company, playing at the Berkeley Street Theatre.

-HOMAGE, from Halifax's 2b theatre company and based on the work of sculptor Haydn Davis, at the Imperial Oil Opera Theatre.

Meanwhile, in addition to the National Ballet of Canada's previously announced mixed program blending the world premiere of a new work from Jorma Elo with WEST SIDE STORY SUITE and OPUS 19/THE DREAMER (at the Four Seasons Centre), look for the North American premiere of Syria's Anana Dance Theatre's JULIA DOMNA (at the Macmillan Theatre) and the Canadian premiere of Australia's Chunky Move dance and theatre company's TWO FACED BASTARDS (at the Imperial Oil Opera Theatre).

Luminato takes place June 11-20. For more information, visit luminato.com.