Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse prepares to welcome back the uncontainable energy of Stephanie Lake’s explosive Manifesto from 25-28 October, following a successful national tour and the company’s inaugural international season.
“We’re beyond thrilled to bring Manifesto back to our home city and onto the magnificent Playhouse stage,” said choreographer Stephanie Lake. The show, which toured the country and recently concluded its first international season, promises to once again delight Melbourne audiences.
The work, dubbed as “pure genius” by The Australian, features nine dancers and an equal number of drummers on nine drum-kits, all staged before a colossal watermelon-pink velvet curtain. The exuberant choreography and rhythm meld into an irresistible whirl of human vigour.
With an immersive score by the acclaimed Robin Fox, best known for 2020’s Single Origin, Manifesto bursts into life with a cacophonous bang, captivating audiences over the course of an hour as the dancers twitch, glide and ricochet across the stage.
The partnership of dancers and drummers creates a sonic experience that reverberates around the theatre with overwhelming intensity. As the rhythms escalate in complexity, so too do the dancers’ movements, echoing the beat even in moments of silence.
Manifesto presents a perfect synergy of artistic forms, echoing the opulence of Busby Berkeley while rallying for solidarity with a thudding percussion. The company, having just wrapped up its first international tour in Germany, looks forward to engagements across Europe, the UK, New Zealand, North America, and Asia.
The project has received significant support, including from the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative, Creative Victoria, Australia Council for the Arts, City of Moreland, City of Melbourne and Creative Partnerships Australia through Plus 1, among others.
“Manifesto is a dance work unlike any other,” raves Arts Hub, while Limelight describes the performance as “seismic waves of motion and rhythm.” The Saturday Paper calls it a “full-blooded celebration of rhythm.”
About Stephanie Lake Company
Stephanie Lake Company, a multi-award-winning dance company based in Melbourne, is renowned for its daring, original choreography and striking visual aesthetic. Lake herself is a decorated choreographer, having received multiple Australian Dance Awards, a Helpmann Award, and the Green Room Award, among others. The company has made its mark both domestically and internationally, with performances in France, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Singapore, Taiwan, Scotland, and Ireland.
Early bird tickets are now available for a limited time only or until sold out.
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