The Pink Floyd Experience - Wish You Were Here 40th Anniversary

The internationally acclaimed Pink Floyd Experience is proud to announce the 2015 Wish You Were Here Australian tour. This celebratory tour will mark the 40th anniversary of this hugely successful album, which had its original release in September 1975.

Wish You Were Here has sold over 13 million copies worldwide, it achieved Number One status in the US, UK and Europe simultaneously, and remains one of the fastest selling albums of all time.

As well as performing the album in full the band will also perform other classic Pink Floyd tracks from their catalogue of albums with a stunning performance that stretches over 2 hours.

The Pink Floyd Experience is much more than a tribute to the great music of Pink Floyd. The band captures and conveys the spirit as well as the sound and jaw-dropping visual effects for which Pink Floyd is renowned. 

Having toured Australia on 5 occasions and sold over 100,000 tickets in their own right The Pink Floyd Experience are much admired for their note perfect performances, which remain true to the original. Their loving recreation of Pink Floyd’s landmark ninth studio album is not to be missed.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW THROUGH TICKETEK

PACKAGES

Make a night of it with Crown Show Packages.
Pre-show dinner available at Bistro Guillaume, Modo Mio or Market & Co.

RUNNING TIMES

7:30pm - Doors Open
8:00pm - Show Commences
Please Note: Running times are approximate and may be subject to change.

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Perth International Arts Festival 2015

As part of the line-up for the $22.4 million festival, World War I themes feature prominently, with giant puppets set to roam the streets and the stories of Indigenous soldiers presented on stage.

In total, more than 1,000 artists will feature in the festival's 63rd year.

"We're very fortunate this year that almost everyone we wanted to come to the festival has said yes, so actually the scale of it and the intensity of it is increased by the fact that people around the world, artists around the world really want to come and play in Perth," festival director Jonathan Holloway told the ABC.

"It's by far the largest festival Perth has had."

This is the fourth and last year Mr Holloway will sit as director of the festival, before handing over the reins to a yet to be announced successor.

His first festival included the grand spectacle of Place Des Anges, which saw high-wire performers dump nearly two tonnes of feathers on ecstatic crowds above St George's Terrace on a hot summer night in 2012.

He said while Perth audiences have always been "incredible", there was a courage and willingness to engage with performances that had emerged during his four years at the helm.

"We've seen them really engage in unusual and unexpected ways of connecting with arts," he said.

"Whether that be through iPads, or under feathers or on the beach at dawn, whether that be rolling about with death in wheat, or breaking bread with deaf-blind Israeli performers, it's been an audience all along that's really taking creative risk

A Word from the Director:

My four Festivals as Artistic Director in Perth have been about two things – stories and experiences

The stories have spanned millennia and have explored who we are, where we have come from, our current situation and where we might be going.

They are stories about this land, between the desert and the sea, defined by and beholden to both. Stories of our relationships with each other and with the rest of the world. The truth of our digitally complex, environmentally conscious, culturally diverse world and how we reconcile with it.

While the stories are intellectually complex, it is the visceral experiences that have the power to transform and define us.

Curating experiences is less straightforward than telling stories. No two people approach a Festival moment in the same way, and no four people will agree on the meaning – or indeed value – of the experience they just shared.

No two Festival journeys will be the same, and our hope is that your travels through this Festival will include experiences both intimate and epic. Experiences that whet the appetite and stimulate all five senses. Moments that allow us to remember something we all knew as children – that the map is not the territory, that the best discoveries are made by straying from the path or committing to a fantastic voyage.

Stories and experiences in perfect collision can propel us around the world in one Festival. In our constant search for and celebration of the extraordinary, we have looked far and near, seeking out ever new ways to harness the greatest talent from around the world and nurture the best artists from Western Australia.

Perth International Arts Festival is a beautiful and much loved thing, and I have been honoured to spend half a decade getting to know its character and its desires, and to have guided it to new places.

And so we come to another crossroads, and the beginning of our next great adventure …

Bon voyage.

EVENT DATES - 13 Feb–7 March 2015

Find out what is on at the Perth International Arts Festival 2015 at the official site

What Are The Things You Love About Summer in WA?

IT’S hot, dry and ... heaven. If there’s one thing that characterises Western Australia it’s summer.

Three months of sun, sand, salt water and how we’ve moulded our lives to make the most of it. Whether that be a stunning swim at a beach Down South or waiting for the Fremantle Doctor to come sweeping through the front door. Maybe it’s a Simmo’s ice cream (two scoops), or crabbing at that secret spot in the Swan.

For some it’s backyard cricket with the boys next door, an outdoor movie under a still sky or an ice cold beer from one of our boutique breweries.

To remind us how lucky we are, today The Sunday Times and PerthNow lists 50 reasons why we really do love these three long, lingering months of magic.

Listed in any order we hope they trigger memories from the past and tempt you to try something new in this sunburnt state of ours. And if you think we missed anything that makes your summer great, let us know below.

Jaylen Henke (6), Kynan Wells (8), and Jai Henke (8) enjoying a game of cricket at home in the garden. Photo: Marie Nirme

1. Backyard cricket. All we need is a bat, a ball and an esky for wickets (or a wheelie bin). No tip-and-run for us though – that’s for amateurs.

2. AFL footballer Hayden Ballantyne: Boating, skiing, crabbing and fishing with family and friends in Mandurah.

3. Sundays at the Mundaring Weir hotel. Nestled in the Perth Hills’s jarrah forest – there’s not much better than a pint of beer, the bush band and the venue’s famous spit roast.

4. Fish and chips while watching the sun set over the ocean at one of our beautiful beaches.

5. The influx of tourists from all over the world who come to WA to experience one of the world’s best summers. More than 500,000 interstate and overseas visitors will travel from all over the world to enjoy our piece of the world during summer. The majority of tourists are from the UK and Singapore and the US.

Moonlight Cinema is back for 2015.

6. Outdoor films. There are plenty of options to enjoy a great film outside at night, from the Moonlight Cinema at Kings Park to the Somerville Auditorium at the University of WA. A special mention has to go to the funky Rooftop Movies on the top floor of the Roe St car park in the City.

7. 92.9 Breakfast presenter Heidi Anderson: I love being able to cruise down the freeway and within three hours be in paradise (the South-West). A perfect day for me is waking up in Dunsbourough with a breakfast at Sumudra cafe and then heading down to Meelup Beach. I normally finish up with a pint of beer at Eagle Bay Brewery while munching on their delicious ribs and watching the sun go down.

8. Ice coffee, because deep down we’re all a bit bogan.

9. The “interactive sculpture” in Perth’s Forrest Place we call the water labyrinth. It’s like a giant sprinkler fight in the city.

Wendy Lockhart, Zali Eddington and mum Brooke enjoying Perth’s water labyrinth. Photo: Marie Nirme

10. The new free sun lounges at Bathers beach in Fremantle.

11. Fresh fruit. Fresh bread. Fresh honey. Fresh everything from one of the state’s 21 farmers markets. Special mention to the Boyanup Farmers Market (every fourth Sunday of the month from 8am-noon).

12. The summer music festivals and outdoor concerts every year. We may not have the Big Day Out or Soundwave anymore, but mega stars like Drake are still enticed to WA by events like the Future Music Festival.

13. West Coast legend Karl Langdon: Crayfishing off Hillarys, fishing off Rotto and crabbing in Mandurah at this time of the year is the best way to spend quality time with family and friends.

14. Watching our champion cricket team the Perth Scorchers at the WACA as part of the Twenty20 Big Bash League.

15. The sausage sizzle. It doesn’t matter if it’s outside Bunnings, at your kids’ sporting match or on the home barbie – the sizzle is a summer staple.

16. Night markets. The “Twilight Hawkers Market” every Friday in Perth is a taste feast and has spurred a bunch of more local versions, like the new night markets every Monday night in Inglewood.

17. Dragging for prawns in the Swan River on a balmy night. Once a summer institution, this is back on the agenda thanks to restocking efforts.

Rottnest Island is an iconic beacon of summer in WA.

18. Our iconic Rottnest Island. Pinky’s, The Basin, a mock cream bun from the bakery or a sweat-soaked cycle to West End. The list goes on.

19. Crown Austrlian Resorts CEO Barry Felstead: Having an ice old beer while cooking a steak on the barbie.

Jenna Bevan exercising on the DNA tower in Kings Park. Photo: Alf Sorbello

20. Wedding season. Love is in the air during summer as cooing couples walk down the aisles at venues (or beaches) all over the state.

21. The award-winning and world-famous Simmo’s ice cream at Dunsborough, Busselton, Mandurah and Rottnest. Too many flavours to count. Maybe Licorice for dad, Lemon Sorbet for mum and a non-stop selection for the kids including Caramel Malteser, Jaffa, Crunchie Munchie, Bubblegum. Plenty of excuses for a return visit or two or three ...

22. Ditching the confines of the gym and getting fit instead by running along the Swan River at dawn or watching the sun set as you go up and (and up and down again) at Kings Park’s DNA tower.

23. The Golden Valley Tree Park in Balingup. The 60-hectare, heritage-listed site in our South-West has a collection of trees that was started more than 100 years ago and is now the largest arboretum in WA.

24. Skyworks 2015. Join the throng of patriotic Australians and celebrate what it means to be an Aussie on The Esplanade foreshore and at Kings Park. As ever, the spectacular fireworks will be a highlight of the January 26 celebrations.

Australia Day at the South Perth Foreshore.

25. Sky News presenter Ashleigh Gillon: A long lazy vineyard lunch accompanied by a chilled bottle of Margaret River white. Life with a toddler means opportunities for the indulgence are few and far between. For my family, the discovery of Arimia down south has meant we can still enjoy what has always been a favourite summer’s day treat.

26. Swimming with dolphins at Bunbury thanks to the multi-award winning Dolphin Discovery Centre.

27. Lake Leschenaultia. Pack your bathers and head 45 minutes inland to the Shire of Mundaring where this former railway dam turned recreational lake offers a stunning weekend retreat.

28. WA Cricket coach Justin Langer: Catching blue manna crabs and then eating them with fresh bread, salt, pepper and vinegar. You wouldn’t be dead for quids.

29. Cheering on the table-topping Perth Glory in the soccer A-League.

30. Craft beer, from the staples at Little Creatures in Fremantle to the Feral Brewing Company in Baskerville.

31. Don the mask and snorkel and make a splash at the Busselton Jetty. The longest jetty in the southern hemisphere is a wildlife mecca, with visibility to match.

32. A steak and cheese pie at the Dunsborough bakery.

33. Kayaking on Augusta’s Blackwood River in the rivermouth.

34. Popstar Samantha Jade: WA summers are simply the best. From Cottesloe Beach to Margaret River we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The Giants are coming to Perth.

35. The Giants. We haven’t seen them yet, but these towering puppets (one that stands 11m tall) will be something to remember. The $5.4 million public spectacle will kick off the Perth International Arts Festival and be the biggest free public arts event the state has ever had.

36. Dropping the crab nets in the Swan River or Peel Inlet for a feed of fat blue mannas.

37. Watching how bad the weather is everywhere else. As Perth enjoys an amazing summer, there’s always someone on your Facebook newsfeed who is complaining a miserable winter and declaring how jealous they are of your photos.

38. Nine News Perth weather presenter Scherri-Lee Biggs: Fish and chips on at Cottesloe beach on a balmy summer evening.

Scherri-Lee Biggs. Photo: Sean Middleton

39. The Boyup Brook Country Music Festival.

40. Trying your luck under the lights of the Narrows Bridge for the mythical mulloway.

41. An early morning round at Point Walter Golf Course. The giant gum tree in the middle of the fairway on the 7th hole has ruined many promising under-par rounds.

42. The Fringe Festival. Running from January 23-February 22, the annual art event takes over Perth with everything from burlesque to a battle between rappers and comedians. This year’s event comes with the Fringe World UV rating (mild to very hot) so audiences can tell what they’re in for.

43. Every green thumb with a veggie patch loves summer for one reason above all others – it’s the one time of year to grow a bountiful harvest of sweet, juicy tomatoes that eclipse anything you can find in a supermarket. For a true taste of summer, pick one ripe from the bush, wrap it in a basil leaf and devour on the spot.

44. Tourism Council Chief Executive Evan Hall: Summer Sunday in the Perth Hills. I love wandering through Kalamunda markets, having a picnic in the cool at Araluen gardens or a Sunday session with cold ciders at CORE cider house.

45. The summer afternoon sou’wester. Beach-goers might head for home when the sea breeze kicks in but this is the hour our army of kite surfers relish.

46. Summer is crayfish season and few spots are more scenic than diving for crays off Hamelin Bay near Augusta. While you’re in the vicinity, take in the spectacular view from the top of the Augusta lighthouse.

47. Manjimup stone fruit. During summer the peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots are ripe, full of flavour, sweet as honey and about as local as they come.

48. Summer means it’s finally warm enough to ditch the wetsuit and indulge in a surf or stand-up paddle board session at Iso’s reef off Cottesloe wearing only boardshorts or a bikini.

49. Being lazy. Summer in WA is hot, so there’s no better excuse to just lounge around. Whether its under the shade in a park, on the couch at home or down the beach – summer makes being lazy socially acceptable.

50. WA Premier Colin Barnett: Tennis season. I play early on Thursday mornings and on the weekends when I can. For tennis lovers this is a great time of year with the Hopman Cup in Perth and the Australian Open (on TV).

See original Perth Now Post

Les Misérables is Coming to Crown Theatre Perth

Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production, Les Misérables is coming to Crown Theatre Perth for a strictly limited season.

With glorious new staging and dazzling reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, this new production features classic songs including I Dreamed A Dream, Bring Him Home, One Day More, Do You Hear The People Sing? and On My Own.

“THIS NEW PRODUCTION SENDS SHIVERS DOWN YOUR SPINE” - METRO PARIS

“THIS ACTUALLY EXCEEDS THE ORIGINAL – LES MIS IS BORN AGAIN” - NY1 TV

“ * * * * * A FIVE STAR HIT, ASTONISHINGLY POWERFUL” - THE TIMES UK

“THRILLING, SPECTACULAR AND UNFORGETABLE” - NEW YORK TIMES

BOOK NOW THROUGH TICKETEK

Location: Crown Theatre

Date: From 13 January

Tickets: From $55.00

Plus a one-off service/delivery fee from $8.45 per transaction and a credit/debit card processing fee from 1.95% applying. 

Running Times: Duration: 2 hrs, 50 mins (including one interval)

Book Nearby accommodation at Metro Hotel Perth

For more details visit http://www.lesmis.com.au/

Skating, Songs and Striptease Make for Chilly Winter Fun in Perth

The James St Amphitheatre is set to become an ice rink

It might be tempting to stay indoors, but a number of events around town are hoping to entice you out into the chilly weather during the winter months.

Need something to entertain the kids? A 250 square metre outdoor skating rink will be open in the James Street Amphitheatre from July 4 to 20, just in time for the school holidays.

If you’re a whiz on a pair of skates it could make for a romantic date, particularly if your loved one is less coordinated and needs to hold onto you for dear life. Adults can indulge in a little mulled wine or cider afterwards, while the kids (and the big kids) can renew their sugar high on hot chocolate and cookies.

It’s the first time Winterland has been held in Perth, though a similar event was held in Fremantle in 2012. More details are available here.

If a snowball fight is more up your alley, pack up the family and head to Bindoon this Sunday for the Wear Ya Wellies Family Fun Day at Edmonds Place Reserve. A "snow truck" will provide the winter-themed fun, along with quirky competitions such as "Welly Toss" and Tug-O-War.

The City of Perth will also host its own snowfield in Forrest Place starting 7 July, but it's only for kids aged under 12 and their parents.

Those who really want to heat things up might find some saucy inspiration among the acts at this year’s Perth City Winter Arts Season, which runs until the end of August.

Generally, winter is a time when most people want to be putting more clothes on and not taking them off, but if you’re willing to risk hypothermia, there are burlesque workshops running, as well as striptease shows by national and international performers.

Also part of the Winter Arts Season, a monthly supper club held in the undercroft of the Perth Town Hall on the last Friday of each month. The set-up is a bit of a do-it-yourself degustation with street food vendors selling their wares and local musicians providing the entertainment.

If you’re really into the local music scene, the Hidden Treasures series will run every Thursday in July. It’s the fourth time the event has been held in Fremantle with a variety of acts scheduled to play in venues a little left of centre, including the Navy Club and the Fremantle Workers Club.

Finally, for something more sedate and (most importantly) free, Brookfield Place in the city will be illuminated once more for this year’s Winter Lights Projections.

From 12 to 28 July, a number of Perth’s historic buildings will be lit up with scenes of snow and ice. For more information, click here. 

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Top 10 tourism strategy could see Perth overtake Gold Coast

Currently, on a list of international visitor nights spent per tourism region, Perth sits in fifth place with 719,000. The Gold Coast is fourth with 755,000

A leading WA tourism body has called on a working plan for the rail link between Perth and the airport and the development of bigger and better event venues to be among the state government's priorities.

Cutting government red tape currently hampering the development of tourism initiatives and improved customer service standards are also among the strategies that the Tourism Council WA believe can see Perth overtake the Gold Coast as the No. 4 most popular destination in Australia for international visitors.

The new plan set out by Tourism Council WA is expected to create 11,000 new jobs and add $2.6 billion to the local economy from extra visitor spending.

Tourism Council CEO Mr Hall said that most of the attractions and accommodation needed for the Destination Perth strategy to be realised are already being planned or are already underway.

"But we must work together on the events, services and marketing to convert these new assets to bums on seats and guests in beds," he said.

"New destinations such as the museum, stadium and Elizabeth Quay will transform Perth as a tourism destination.

"Under the Destination Perth strategy, our evolving city will create new jobs delivering services to new visitors."

The strategy was delivered to media and industry members by Mr Hall on Monday as a vision to be considered by government, industry and the community.

It was developed in alignment to the state government's Strategy for Tourism in WA that has a target of doubling the value of tourism expenditure from $6 billion in 2010 to $12 billion by 2020.

Part of the strategy includes 10 major developments that have been identified as targets that if addressed will see Perth rise closer to the top of favoured destinations for international, interstate and intrastate visitors.

Currently, on a list of international visitor nights spent in 2012 per tourism region, Perth sits in fifth place with 719,000. The Gold Coast is fourth with 755,000.

And in a similar list that shows domestic overnight visitors in 2012, Perth is in seventh place with 2,808,000, behind both the North Coast and South Coast of NSW. Again, the Gold Coast is fourth behind Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Mr Hall insists that the rail link between Perth and the airport needs to happen sooner rather than later and hopes it is not still an issue for debate by the time the next state election comes around.

He also believes that there is a renewed interest from private investors in Perth that could help make the wish list more achievable.

"There is certainly an appetite for private investment in the city; we are seeing people wanting to build hotels. We haven't seen that for many, many years," he said.

"That's what happens when you get the policy right, with government and with the private sector. We are seeing people wanting to start up new tourism operations and certainly for things like the cable cart, these would certainly be private operations, funded by the tourism industry, not by government.

"What we are doing is leveraging off government investment in things like Elizabeth Quay and the stadium and the museum and we can turn that into jobs and revenue and improved lifestyle for the people of Perth."

Top 10 developments:

1. Perth Airport upgrade and rail link to the CBD;
2. 1900 additional hotel rooms and a broader range of budget, business and luxury hotels.
3. 4 new event venues and expansion of the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre to 30,000m2 (from 16,700m2).
4. Fast track approvals for innovative new experiences, tours and adventure activities.
5. New flagship attractions including the Elizabeth Quay to Kings Park Cable Car and an Indigenous Cultural Centre.
6. Managing and marketing new attractions to attract new visitors to Perth (eg selling 10,000 seats to Victorian visitors for AFL games at the new stadium).
7. A new iconic annual home grown event to showcase Perth to the world.
8. Sustained investment in public beaches, parks, gardens, heritage and cultural assets.
9. Investment to secure future business and tourism events timed to fill the new hotels and attractions as they open doors.
10. Enhanced customer service culture and liberalisation of liquor and retail trading regulations.

By Brad Elborough -

Source: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/top-10-tourism-strategy-could-see-perth-overtake-gold-coast-20140325-35f83.html#ixzz2x7627uQ5

New Perth Zoo Additions are Otter-ly Cute

New Perth Zoo Additions are Otter-ly Cute

Four new members of the world's smallest otter species – the Asian small-clawed otter – have made their public debut at Perth Zoo.

Perth Zoo Chief Executive Susan Hunt said the tiny pups are part of an Australasian breeding program to help protect a wonderful species that is threatened in the wild.

"The otters at Perth Zoo have now had 16 otter pups which is four litters in the past two years.
"These latest pups are the third litter for parents Asia and Tuan," Ms Hunt said.

Asian small-clawed otters are highly social animals who pair for life. Males play a critical role rearing the pups, including nest building, swimming lessons and supplying food.
Older siblings also take a role in the care of new pups and two older sisters are currently helping rear the new babies.

The four pups were born on December 27 and recently started swimming lessons.

At this age, the pups are being carried out of the nest box and taken into the pool by the adults and then carried back inside again – but they will soon start venturing out by themselves.

The pups lined up for their first medical check on Monday by Perth Zoo veterinary staff to weigh, sex, microchip, vaccinate and examine their general health.

The vets identified two females and two males ranging in size from 520grams to 560grams.

Asian small-clawed otters weigh just 3.5kg when fully grown. They are native to parts of India, southern China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Source: WA Today

Perth International Arts Festival 2014

Perth International Arts Festival 2014 is the longest running and best loved international arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

This year is the 62nd annual Festival. In 2013 Festival shows sold more than $5 million worth of tickets, with attendances of over 500,000 from a city of under 2 million people: we sell more tickets per capita than any international arts festival in Australia.

The 62nd Perth Festival kicks off on Friday, 7 February and runs until 1 March. The diverse program offers a world-class cultural feast for arts lovers of all ages and persuasions. In a quintessentially Western Australian experience, more than 1000 of the world's most exciting contemporary artists transform and disrupt Perth as the Festival spills across unique venues and glorious, outdoor spaces.

Living up to its worldwide reputation for excellence, in 2014 the Festival delivers a program of unforgettable, enriching works, created by artists who are daring, thoughtful, and innovative, with 26 Australian exclusives, 33 Australian premieres and two world premieres.

Perth Festival Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway said: "The 2014 Perth Festival collaborates with the world's greatest artists and many of Western Australia's most creative and talented people to find new and exciting ways to create a Festival in and of Perth. Joining us in our exploration of what it is to be a 21st Century festival in the remotest and yet most connected capital city in the Southern Hemisphere are Robert Wilson, Dawn Upshaw, Martin Amis, The National, William Kentridge, Tod Machover and Public Enemy, to name just 20 of the 1000+ artistic collaborators."

The 2014 Festival explodes in a spectacle of wonder with the Lotterywest Festival Spectacular Veles e Vents, supported by Eventscorp. For three nights over the opening weekend, the Spanish masters of public theatre take to the seas and the sky, recreating a ship's grand and perilous voyage in a sublime visual display of fireworks and light. Suitable for the whole family, the exclusive Australian premiere promises to kick off the 2014 Festival with an explosion of music and movement.

The Festival's free program takes art to the people as the streets of Perth are playfully transformed and life re-imagined. Sam Routledge & Martyn Coutts' I Think I Can brings avatars to life in an enchanted model town. The Lotterywest Festival Celebration, Jeremy Deller's Sacrilege, invites Festival goers to literally leap into ancient history, re-creating Stonehenge as a full-scale bouncy castle.

The Chevron Festival Gardens become the ambient Festival hub as guests gather, discuss and participate, with free entry to the Garden from 5pm until late Wednesday-Saturday and 6.30pm until late Sunday-Tuesday.

The 2014 Theatre and Circus program traverses the spectrum from the gritty to the surreal, inviting the world's most acclaimed performers to the Australian stage. Modern master of the Russian avant-garde, Dmitry Krymov, makes his Australian debut with A Midsummer Night's Dream (As You Like It), a whirling re-imagining of history's first great love story, that of Pyramus and Thisbe. From Israel comes the Australian premiere of Not by Bread Alone: 11 deaf-blind actors take audiences on a profoundly moving journey through their inner world, as bread is kneaded, formed and baked on stage. Raw and explosive, South Africa's Yael Farber adapts Strindberg's classic Miss Julie to post-apartheid South Africa in Mies Julie, revealing theatre at its most potent.

Theatre genius Robert Wilson returns to Perth in the exclusive Australian premiere of Samuel Beckett's blackly comic masterpiece, Krapp's Last Tape. From New York, Perth welcomes An Iliad, superstar Denis O'Hare's riveting one-man performance of Homer's Trojan epic. The UK's internationally renowned NoFit State Circus brings circus as you've never seen it with the Australian premiere of Bianco, a graceful, aerial adventure of drama and breathtaking ability which immerses the audience in the action.


Further highlights include two Festival co-commissions. Malthouse Theatre's The Shadow King is an explosive interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear, melding contemporary Aboriginal storytelling in a blood-soaked interrogation of kinship, land and belonging. Co-commissioned by the Festival, Opus fuses the contemporary circus of Australia's finest, Circa, with dynamic music of Shostakovitch performed by France's Debussy String Quartet.

You Once Said Yes is unforgettable one-on-one theatre. As part of our Vital Stages program, we bring Look Left Look Right together with Western Australian artists to create a thrilling theatrical experience for the people of Perth. One of the most exciting theatre collectives in the world, Germany's Rimini Protokoll presents the Australian exclusive of Situation Rooms. In this multi-dimensional, interactive documentary theatre experience, audiences explore a maze of stories from people whose lives have been touched by the weapons industry. This is theatre like you've never experienced it before.

Ten Best Free Things To Do In Perth

The crucial third Test begins in Perth tomorrow. For cricket fans with a spare day away from the action (or who need to escape the scenes on the field), here are some suggestions for the best things to do on little or no budget.

Free walking tours
See another side of Perth on a free i-City tour. Volunteer guides lead themed walks every Monday to Friday from the Information Kiosk in Murray Street Mall. Take a tour of the city’s gardens, follow an art trail or take in the gold rush history. The tours take up to two hours, and you can join in or leave anywhere along the way. Alternatively, download the free audio tours and maps and do it yourself.
See www.perth.wa.gov.au

Explore Fremantle by bike
Pick up a free bike at the E-Shed markets and explore the area’s heritage buildings, markets and fascinating maritime and convict history as well as a beach or two. Run by the Free Wheeling Freemantle initiative.
See www.fremantlewa.com.au

Free movies and yoga in Northbridge
There’s free entertainment in the Northbridge Piazza in central Perth, including free yoga and Tai Chi class in the mornings. If you haven’t got tickets to the WACA, you could perhaps catch the game here during the day. Otherwise watch a movie on the permanent LED screen in the evening.
See www.showmeperth.com.au for listings

Perth's Cultural side
The Perth Cultural Centre is in the heart of the city, and is home to a range of free state-owned attractions. Explore the stories and culture of the local Aboriginal people, unique flora, fauna and biodiversity at the WA Museum or see the country’s biggest aboriginal art exhibition at the Art Gallery of WA. There’s also free WiFi, markets and an urban orchard.
See www.perthculturalcentre.com.au

Cottesloe beach
There are 19 white sand beaches within easy reach of the city centre to while away a day on, but Cottesloe is one of the most popular. Surf or snorkel by day, or wait for the magnificent sunsets, when locals flock to the bars and cafes that line the beach. It becomes an outdoor art gallery in March with the free Sculpture by the Sea exhibition.
See www.sculpturebythesea.com

Lunch with a view
Kings Park, one of the largest inner city parks in the world, has great views of the city and the Swan River. Perched on Mount Eliza, the park includes 400 hectares of natural bushland, lookouts and botanic gardens which showcase the incredible array of flora from around the whole of the state. Take the Federation walkway through the eucalyptus tree tops, or see one of the Kimberley’s immense boab trees. There are free BBQ facilities. Free guided botany walks run daily (except Christmas Day).
See guided walks http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/services/tours/guided-walks
**Note: Currently these walks are cancelled due to high fire risk

Sample some of Perth’s fine craft beer
Little Creatures Brewery (cited by David Gower as one of the best places to go in the city) is set inside a massive converted boat shed right on Fishing Boat Harbour. Get an insider’s look at the process with free tours of the brewery at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm.
See www.littlecreatures.com.au

Taste the Swan Valley
Spend the afternoon touring the Swan Valley, the oldest wine region in Western Australia just 25 minutes’ drive from Perth city. Many local producers offer free samples for its wine, craft beer, cheese, chocolate and ice cream. Of course, you may find something you can’t go home without.
See Swan Valley food and wine trail

Learn to play the didgeridoo
Fremantle is home to Australia's largest specialty didgeridoo store. Didgeridoo Breath runs lessons and workshops for beginners through to advanced players. You can get a 15pminute session for free.
See www.didgeridoobreath.com

Explore the city for free
You can get around the city using the free CAT (Central Area Transit) bus. Three separate lines navigate the city’s key attractions from Northbridge to East Perth and West Perth. Additionally, a free transit zone operates in the city area where passengers can travel for free on any bus. Look for the red FTZ logo on bus stops to identify the free travel boundaries.
See www.transperth.wa.gov.au
These suggestions are courtesy of Tourism Western Australia

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/australiaandpacific/australia/10513251/Perth-Ten-of-the-best-free-things-to-do.html

By Jolyon Attwooll

Need a hotel in Perth? Come and book a stay at Metro Hotel Perth

Metro Hotel Perth offers guests a wide range of stylish and spacious hotel accommodation, with most rooms enjoying spectacular panoramic views of the Swan River and Perth city. The hotel is close to Perth’s major tourist attractions, Perth Zoo, Kings Park and the river foreshore. The Burswood Casino complex is 2.5 kms from the hotel as is the famous West Australian Cricket ground. Located within walking distance from the hotel are many fantastic restaurants offering a wide variety of international cuisines.

Click here to view hotel: http://www.metrohotels.com.au/perth-hotels/metro-hotel-perth-13