Japanese Robot Stars in SAYONARA: ANDROID-HUMAN THEATRE at Arts Centre Melbourne, Aug 24-25

Featuring an extraordinarily life-like humanoid robot, Seinendan Theatre Company (Japan) brings their breathtaking and intimate performance Sayonara: Android-Human Theatre to Melbourne today, 24 and tomorrow, 25 August. Robot Geminoid F stars alongside Canadian actress Bryerly Long in a performance that asks the question, "What does life and death mean to humans and robots?"

Sayonarais an internationally acclaimed short play that tells a story of a young girl facing a terminal illness and her gentle caretaker robot who reads poetry to her. Written by award-winning playwright Oriza Hirata in collaboration with robotics specialist Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, Sayonarais a compelling fusion of arts and science.

Oriza Hirata is one of Japan's leading playwrights and directors, and his company Seinendan has toured throughout Japan and internationally, including North America, Europe and Asia. Hirata began collaborating with ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communications Laboratory and Professor Ishiguro, director of robotics at Osaka University, who is noted for his achievements in robotics, which include creating an android clone of himself called Geminoid. A female version of Geminoid, known as Geminoid F, will perform in Sayonara.

In this exclusive season, Melburnians will be the first to see the extended version of Hirata's play outside of Japan, which features an entirely new second act performed in English and Japanese.

Sayonara was recently awarded the top prize at ARS Electronica Festival in Austria, which celebrates experimentation and innovation across art, technology and society. Professor Ishiguro will also be a keynote speaker at the 5th International Biennial of Media Art at RMIT University 14 September – 17 November.

Following the performance, there will be a Q & A with Professor Ishiguro and director Oriza Hirata. It will be mediated by Marita Cheng, founder of RoboGirls and recipient of the Young Australian of the Year Award for her leadership and encouragement of women in robotics. Cheng was also the keynote speaker at Sydney's Vivid Festival.

Sayonara is made possible through the generous support of the Kenneth Myer Asian Theatre Series Endowment Fund. This endowment allows Arts Centre Melbourne to bring outstanding contemporary performances from across Asia to Australian shores, including Five Days in March (Japan), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Korea), and The Peony Pavilion (China).

Arts Centre Melbourne presents Sayonara: Android-Human Theatre (Japan), produced by Seinendan Theatre Company and Ishiguro Laboratory at Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio, 6.30pm, today, 24 August and 2pm and 5pm, Saturday 25 August. Duration 1 hour, including Q & A. Tickets $20 – 25

For bookings and information visit artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183.

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