ButohOUT! Festival: Forbidden Laughter Showcase

"The action of laughing is like the breaking of the stiff mask of ego. When we laugh, the authentic spirit jumps out from deep inside of us." - Keiichi Ueno

Immerse yourself in the powerful performance art of Butoh with this showcase of short works celebrating the unique nature and cultural dialogue within this Japanese art form. Featuring a cast of established Butoh performers, alongside a talented ensemble drawn from ButohOUT! Festival’s 2019 workshop series, this performance showcase explores the theme 'Forbidden Laughter'.

The word for laughter in Japanese, waray, comes from the verb wareru—to break, crack or split. Multiple images, body movements and narratives are created through the focal point of ‘laughing’. The surreal narratives are woven between the short works—combining the sacred and the carnal, the earthly and the divine, the contemporary and the mythic, and Eastern and Western sensibilities.

This performance season is being held at the Convent as part of the ButohOUT! Festival, presented by Yumi Umiumare and Takashi Takiguchi in partnership with the Abbotsford Convent Foundation.

Originally called Dance of Darkness, the Japanese art form of Butoh was conceived in the late 1950s during the social turmoil after the Second World War. It transcends the confines of specific culture, gender, status and religion, aspiring to be a universal expression that touches on the true nature of humanity.‘ButohOUT!’ Festival brings Butoh into the context of Australia’s landscape, culture and history, through a series of workshops, performances and a public forum.