Festival Director: Stephen Hall
In 1991, the Festival of Sydney broadened its focus to include the Western Sydney, with events taking place in performing arts centres in Parramatta, Penrith and Baulkham Hills, bringing curated entertainment to Western Sydney.
For the first time in Australia, computer controlled lasers beamed the State Transit Laser Art Project onto buildings overlooking Darling Harbour. Artists and cartoonists could manipulate the lasers by drawing ‘live’ every evening during the Festival. This was the first of many light projection projects to come.
It was a great year for Australian art and entertainment with the Sydney premiere of Jimmy Chi’s Bran Nu Dae, starring Ernie Dingo, John Moore, Robert Faggetter, Lynda Nutter, Alan Charlton, Michael Leslie, Rohanna Angus and Stephen Albert. While Barry Humphries performed The Life And Death Of Sandy Stone.
The Sydney Writers’ Festival had its first year under the Festival of Sydney umbrella, growing from its humble Writers’ Week beginnings.
THEATRE
Jimmy Chi's Bran Nue Dae
With music by Kuckles
Performing Lines
A Midsummer Night's Dream
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Glenn Elston
No One Writes To The Colonel
An adaptation of the short story by Gabriel García Márquez
Directed by Carlos Giménz
Rajatabla Company
Philippe Genty
Hedda Gabler
By Henrik Ibsen
Downstage Theatre
Femme Fatale and Punch And Judy: The Real Story
Snarling Beasties Theatre Company
Featuring Debbie Isitt and Mark Kilmurry
The Wooden Child
By Ken Harper
Handspan Theatre
Dylan Thomas: Return Journey
A one man show - based on the works of Dylan Thomas
Directed by Anthony Hopkins
Performed by Bob Kingdom
Pundulumura
Joe Dolce, Gnarnavarrahe Inmurry Waitairie
A Lone Woman/Alone Women
Written by Maree Walk
Directed by Kerry Dwyer
Performed by Janet Walk
The Life And Death Of Sandy Stone
Performed by Barry Humphries
Go Cat Go
Kinselas Productions
The Emperor's New Clothes
The Frog Prince
DANCE
Cumbre Flamenca
Cumbre Flamenca Company
MUSIC
Australia Ensemble
Australian Youth Orchestra
Jane Rutter in Concert
String Soloists of the Australian Youth Orchestra with Wolfram Christ, Principal Viola Player of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Sydney Philharmonia Choir & Nepean Choral Society
Conductor: Lyn Williams
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Diego Masson
Soloists: Jennifer Bates, Jennifer McGregor, Kerry Elizabeth Brown, Elizabeth Campbell, Kirsty Harms, Suzanne Johnston, Gerald English, Michael Leighton Jones, Grant Dickson
Choir: Members of the Sydney Chamber Choir and The Contemporary Singers
Chorus Master: Anthony Walker
The Australian Youth Orchestra
The Brandenburg Orchestra
Artistic Director: Paul Dyer
Concertmaster: Paul Wright
Twilight Chamber Music: Amadeus Wind Players
Artistic Director: Robert Johnson.
Twilight Chamber Music: Australia Ensemble
Twilight Chamber Music: Boccherini Quartet
Twilight Chamber Music: La Romanesca
Twilight Chamber Music: The Chamber Soloists Present An All Mozart Program
Conductor: Robert Johnson
Leader: Donald Hazelwood AO OBE
Soloists: Stephen Bennett (bass), Max McBride (double bass)
Twilight Chamber Music: Wolfram Christ, from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with soloist of the Australian Youth Orchestra
Valery Kuleshov
Youth Piano Festival of Penrith
Australia Day Concert
Guest star: Dame Edna Everage
Conductor: John Hopkins OBE
The Australian Youth Orchestra
Coca-Cola Bottlers Dance Hall
Ignatius Jones and the Dance Hall Orchestra
Bacardi Festival Club
The Fabulous Singlettes, Raging Waters, Kenny Lopez Sex Mambo, Margaret Ulrich, Ignatius Jones and his Sydney City Allstars, Tommy Emmanuel, Monica and The Moochers, Georgie Fame, The Aussie Blue Flames
Breaking Ground: A New Dimension In Australian Country Music
James Blundell, Anne Kirkpatrick, The Danglin' Bros, The Fargone Beauties, The Hapenning Thang, The Kanes, Keith Urban
Country Music Concert
James Blundell, Ann Kirkpatrick
Daytime Outdoor Music In The Streets
Friday Jazz: Tommy Emmanuel and His Band
Jazz - Don Burrows and His Band in Concert
Kathryn Selby Virtuoso Pianist and Friends performing Mozart classics
Kids Kushion Concerts
Lambada Dance Night
Midsummer Jazz
Crossfire, Grace Knight and Her Big Band, The Tommy Emmanuel Band, The Vince Jones Band, James Morrison and The Morrison Big Brothers Band
Morning Melodies
Jeanne Little and the Yellow Rolls Royce Band, Irish Drovers
Old Time Dance Night and Band
Penrith Festival Band
Songs and Stories of Australia
Warren Fahey and the Larrikins with Maggie Blinco and Danny Spooner
Twilight Concerts
The Café of the Gate of Salvation, Kenny Lopez Sez Mambo, The Castanet Club, The Fabulous Singlettes
Symphony Under The Stars
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Dobbs Franks
Compered by Andrew Denton
OPERA
ESSO Opera In The Park - The Magic Flute
The Australian Opera, The Australian Opera And Ballet Orchestra
Conductor: Myer Fredman
Stars of the Australian Opera
Amanda Thane, Ken Collins, John Pringle
Accompanied by Sharolyn Kimmorley
ART
A Portfolio of Australian Women Artists - 1990 Collection
Australia ‘Through Hungarian Eyes’
Robert Harling
The State Transit Laser Art Project
Laservision Australia
FILM
BHP Steel Outdoor Movie Season
CIRCUS
Circus Training Sessions
Nikki Ashton (Ashton's Circus/Legs On The Wall)
CELEBRATIONS
Australia Day Breakfast
Australia Day Damper Tea and Iced Lemonade
Australia Day Family Fireworks
Australia Day Flag Procession
Australian of the Year
Celebration of Masks
Citizenship Ceremony
Darling Harbour Entertainment
Juggle Crazy!
Opera House Ceremony
Streets Children's Carnival
The Music Laboratory
The Rocks' Painters Picnic
The Sydney Writers' Festival
SPORT
ANZ Australia Day 12m Challenge
Australia Day Fly Past
Australia Day Regatta
Australia Day Regatta Lord Mayor's 18ft Championship Heat
Coca-Cola Amatil Ferrython
NRMA Motorfest
OTC Schooner Race
Qantas Oz Day 10K
Surf Boat Marathon
Park To Park Helmet Ride