Performance art, live music and letting loose in a ball pit: Welcome to Sound and Fury

Posted on 9 March, 2023

Free this Sunday night? You should be. With a public holiday (hello, Canberra Day!) the next day, there’s no excuse not to make a night of it—and we have the perfect occasion.

You may have heard of Sound and Fury, the outlandish and edgy parties that have taken place in a variety of unique Canberra settings featuring live music, dance, performance art, theatre, DJs, poetry and more. But did you know Sound and Fury’s next event is this Sunday 12 March—and it’s completely free?

This weekend, Sound and Fury will return to Fyshwick’s Dairy Road precinct as part of Enlighten Festival 2023, with guests guided through a variety of party locations as the night unfolds and yes, one of these will include a ball pit.

A strictly adults-only event (due to the bar and adult themes of some performances), this weekend’s Sound & Fury has the theme of “wear pants” and “gold” and is described as boasting a stage over an illuminated water sculpture that will flow through the night where audiences can come and go from repeating performances in a new theatre, a yoga studio, a public square, a brewery, a dystopian depot and a sexed-up play centre.

Shut up and take our money. Or rather don’t—after all, all of this is free.

The only thing you’ll be paying for on the evening will be food and drink, which you can purchase on the night at one of the many food outlets and bars around Dairy Road. Organisers note that you might also want to bring a jacket as, while there will be fire pits, it may get chilly later in the night.

First presented as the after party of Art, Not Apart festival, Sound and Fury has become a standalone event in recent years, with curator Chenoeh Miller of Little Dove Theatre Art promising a blockbuster evening from a colourful cast of dancers, actors, performers and musicians after a difficult few years for the arts.

“We have cancelled three events in the past two years, so the Sound and Fury ensemble and I are keen to squeeze in as many acts as humanly possible in as many places as possible at Dairy Road,” says Chenoeh. “Lots of dance, lots of drag, big music and brilliant guests from around the country.”

Describing the atmosphere as “sexy, sparkly and hilarious”, Chenoeh is cagey about revealing too much about the performances, wanting guests to experience everything in person on the night—especially Sound and Fury’s iconic ‘back room’ performances, which form part of the event.

“Some will be very surprising and others perhaps moderately surprising, depending how familiar you are with Sound and Fury surprises” she laughs. “There will also be surprises on the main stage.”

A re-emergence of sorts post-COVID restrictions, Chenoeh is excited to celebrate with artists, performers and guests alike on Sunday.

“In Canberra, the sense of comradery amongst local artists and audiences is fierce and strong and events like Sound and Fury create space for us to be together as a community, and to celebrate that.”

“This is highlighted at Sound and Fury events where audience ages range from 18-85 and representatives from all corners of Canberra come along to party hard and inhale great performance art.”

“As part of Enlighten for the first time, we look forward to expanding our travelling audiences and seeing what they bring to the event.”