A spectacular contemporary dance work about the cycle of life and the journey from birth to death, The Chronicles was presented as part of Brisbane Festival by the Melbourne-based Stephanie Lake Company, following its world premiere at Sydney Festival in January.
From the first uncurling fingers of a child in utero, bathed in shifting reddish light, to the energetic sprint of adulthood and return to a frail, small body requiring care, The Chronicles travelled through a lifetime and all the connections, fears, loves, and moments that make it meaningful.
Stephanie Lake’s choreography created the illusion of organic movement performed synchronously. The ensemble of twelve was well-matched, with strong technique and explosive energy as they executed inventive, acrobatic lifts and fast-paced sequences. Sharp isolations flowed into smoother, slower extensions and movements in canon were enthralling as they froze and evolved. Shifting, dynamic clusters of bodies volleyed audience attention across and around the stage. A rolling sequence of soloists, duets, and group choreography balanced aggressive speed and intensity with moments of stillness and restraint.
After breaking open parcels of shredded material and spreading them across the stage, the dancers dove in with childlike playfulness, rolling and tossing it into the air and towards each other. The black-clad bodies moving joyfully through the golden fibres was mesmerising, hiding and revealing the stage beneath before returning to a more structured composition.
The score of The Chronicles, composed by Robin Fox, included live choral accompaniment as well as an electronic score that shuddered through the seats in the Talbot Theatre. Between heavy percussion, gunfire, and sudden bursts of voice, the dancers’ coordinated breathing and screams echoed through the theatre.
For the Brisbane Festival season, the dancers were joined onstage by the Voices of Birralee children’s choir, conducted by Jenny Moon, and by solo vocalist Oliver Mann for an acapella version of Alphaville’s Forever Young. Initially positioned above the dancers, the singers descended to encircle them and conjured a new soundscape of clicking, whistling and cooing. This transformed into snippets of low, cheerful chatter as the artists congregated together under two warm spotlights before the choir left the stage.
Charles Davis’ set design divided the stage into the garden above, where the choir sang, and below, where the dancers wrestled with the messy, frantic, highly physical business of being alive. In addition to the soft pulse of the womb and the revelation of the garden, lighting design by Bosco Shaw used dramatic downlights to create shapes and boundaries for the dancers to move within. The choir held lanterns that cast a soothing glow across the scene from above and eventually lined the stage.
Costuming design by Harriet Oxley also changed over the course of the life, from street-style clothes in earthy colours to pleated, monochromatic skirts that swept and swirled bodies into new shapes and the simple black costumes of the later scenes.
The performance came full circle, returning to the reddish glow and a body curled into the foetal position in its final moments. A visually and choreographically exciting reflection on the cycle of life, from womb to tomb, The Chronicles was both a primal scream and a gentle hug.
The Chronicles was performed at the Talbot Theatre, West End, from 10 – 13 September 2025
For further information, visit the Brisbane Festival website
Backstreet Brisbane 
Leave a comment