The Farm dance company to premiere new production at Brisbane Festival

The Gold Coast-based dance company The Farm is set to premiere its new production, ‘No One Gets Out of Here Alive’, at the Brisbane Festival. The show aims to confront the topic of mortality, a subject co-artistic director Gavin Webber suggests Western culture often attempts to ignore or hide through an obsession with anti-ageing.

To develop the piece, dancers consulted individuals facing their own mortality, including those with terminal diagnoses. The production seeks to bring discussions about death into the open rather than sidelining the elderly. Despite the heavy subject matter, Webber describes the show as having a disco-like atmosphere, featuring a Grim Reaper with a mirror ball to incorporate humour and celebrate life.

In a departure for the company, the production involved an open audition process where some selected performers are in their mid-60s. The Farm, founded in 2013, has a history of touring internationally and maintains artistic ties to Dancenorth and choreographer Meryl Tankard.