His hunchbacked deformity masks his seething malevolence. His brutal mind breeds brutal times when not even children are safe.

Award-winning actor Kate Mulvany (The Literati and Tartuffe) will embody one of the most ambitious and gleefully amoral villains ever written. First performed around 1593, Richard 3 is the portrait of a Machiavellian psychopath, a cold-blooded and dastardly manipulator who slaughters his family, marries his victim’s widow and eventually betrays his allies, all in his quest to become king.

Artistic Director Peter Evans continues to daringly reimagine Shakespeare’s works with a boldness and unexpectedness that will leave audiences breathless. The blood-soaked and naked ambition of Richard 3, who leaves scores dead and only the ghosts to whisper the truth, will be a truly thrilling night at the theatre. This dark and visceral production is not to be missed.

Richard 3
25 February 2017 – 01 April 2017
Sydney Opera House
https://www.bellshakespeare.com.au/

Having first performed at the Opera House with his neon-explosion The Age of Adz, the 39-year-old artist has become a familiar face to Vivid LIVE – debuting the solar song cycle Planetarium in 2012 with long-term collaborators Bryce Dessner and Nico Muhly.

Now set to open proceedings with an Australian exclusive four-night stand before returning to overseas obligations, Sufjan Stevens will draw from one of the most successful modern songbooks to encompass Christmas classics, regional history, freeways, the rodeo… and the profound intimacies of everyday life.

One small thing. Sufjan likes to keep it in the family. His first band Marzuki was named after his brother, a nationally recognised marathon runner. His step-father and namesake of his new album – Lowell Brams – runs Sufjan’s record label Asthmatic Kitty. He’s also released his own album entitled Music for Insomnia. Sufjan contributes.

Sufjan Stevens
22 – 25 May 2015
Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall
www.music.sufjan.com

The Hoodoo Gurus will perform an exclusive one-off show at the Powerhouse Museum and a new line up of cutting edge, innovative performances will be held across the city at new venues Goodgod Small Club, Oxford Art Factory and Freda’s, with the Seymour Centre, The Basement, The Argyle and Barrio Cellar part of the line-up again in 2015.

Part of the Vivid Music program, Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House features a 10-night run of exclusive Sydney-only performances and for the first time will also include two large scale outdoor events, internal light projections and an event for kids and families. Features include four exclusive performances from Morrissey, Daniel Johns in his international solo debut, Sufjan Stevens in his only Australian performances and FCX – 10 Years of Future Classics featuring Flume and Flight Facilities.

With a line-up of heavy-hitting speakers, Vivid Ideas introduces The Game Changers, a new talk series this year headlined by three global influencers: multi Emmy-winning writer Matthew Weiner, series creator and executive producer of Mad Men and former executive producer and writer on The Sopranos; Grammy-winning designer Stefan Sagmeister, whose clients include the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed and the Guggenheim Museum; and entrepreneur and publisher Tyler Brûlé, founder of the world-famous magazines Wallpaper and Monocle.

Vivid Sydney – Light, Music and Ideas Festival
22 May – 8 June 2015
Various Venues around Sydney
www.vividsydney.com