Concept and Direction by Daniel Reilly
Choreography by Daniel Reilly with Australian Dance
Theatre’s Company Artists
Composition and Sound Design by James Howard (Jaadwa)
Australian Dance Theatre
The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre to 1 August
Reviewed by Len Power 31 July 2025
“What if we all went home, to Country, unplugged from social media and took a break from the political news cycle for an extended period of time?” First Nations journalist, Stan Grant’s words were the inspiration for this bold new work by Daniel Reilly and the Australian Dance Theatre company.
Composer, James Howard, set the mood with a driving electronic soundscape, like the heartbeat of the nation, that you could feel as well as hear.
On a cavernous, dark setting, designed by Matthew Adey of House of Vnholy, the dancers swirled around the space, their individual lives caught up with the same pressures and emotions. With a return to Country, there was peace and time to heal, gather strength and contemplate the future. Moments of high emotion, deep discussions, feelings strongly expressed, and the influences of the past gave hope to moving forward with a renewed and shared optimism.
Australian Dance Theatre's company of dancers
Australian Dance Theatre's company of dancers
Australian Dance Theatre is Australia’s oldest continuing contemporary dance company. Founded in Adelaide in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, it was established with the aspiration of “expanding the boundaries of dance”. It was good to see Dalman in the audience at this performance of “Marrow”.
Daniel Reilly and the Australian Dance Theatre have produced a thoughtful, haunting and memorable work with a strong and appealing message.
Photos by Morgan Sette
Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.