Full cast confirmed for Australian premiere of sci-fi dance phenomenon Future Cargo
Future Cargo, the critically acclaimed sci-fi dance phenomenon from the team behind Darkfield, will make its Australian premiere at Adelaide Fringe in 2024.
Starring in the contemporary dance homage to alien contact will be award-winning dancer and choreographer Scott Elstermann and critically acclaimed dancer and choreographer Chimene Steele- Prior. Scott and Chimene will be joined by star of the UK production of Future Cargo Ruben Brown as Dance Captain, and Felicity Boyd as Swing.
Co-creator of Future Cargo, David Rosenberg, said, “We are thrilled to present this incredibly talented cast for the Australian premiere. Scott, Chimene, Ruben and Felicity are phenomenal dancers, each with their own unique styles, and we can’t wait to watch them bring our vision to life in the outdoor spectacle that is Future Cargo.”
Scott Elstermann is an award-winning dancer and choreographer based in Perth. He is the first Australian and youngest-ever international recipient of the prestigious Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance & Choreography. Having also received the Palisade Award for ‘Most Outstanding Graduate’ of the Bachelor of Arts (Dance) course at WAAPA, Scott has since performed for the likes of Merce Cunningham Trust (USA), Lucy Guerin Inc., Stephanie Lake Company, Shona Erskine and Brooke Leeder.
Chimene Steele-Prior is a critically acclaimed dancer and choreographer. Chimene has danced extensively with Opera Australia, performed in Project Animo’s inaugural season in works by Alice Topp, Cass Mortimer-Eipper and Izzac Thomas, and in solo work In Real Life by Kristina Chan. Chimene joined Australasian Dance Collective in 2023 for the developments and resulting seasons of Lucie in the Sky. Chimene’s choreographic work has been presented at the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Lawler Theatre, Dancehouse, Melbourne Fringe Festival Hub and the Winter in Banyule Festival. Her solo work IN FORMATION II was nominated for a Green Room Award for Concept and Realisation in 2015.
London-based Ruben Brown completed professional training at The London Contemporary Dance School, and his first professional job after graduating was with Requardt & Rosenberg in their production Dead Club. He has since worked in Brussels for Compagnie THOR before working on projects further afield in the United States and South Korea.
Felicity Boyd is a dancer, choreographer and physical theatre performer based on Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide, South Australia). Felicity’s roles as a performer have included working for Australian Dance Theatre as a replacement dancer on Garry Stewart’s South, touring with Lewis Major Projects on Losers, and touring ilYoung dance company’s Q&A.
Created by David Rosenberg, best known for the immersive shipping container series Darkfield, and Frauke Requardt, one of the UK’s most inventive choreographers, Future Cargo combines the spectacle of large-scale dance performances and the delicate integrity and intimacy of the audience experience through binaural sound.
Timed with twilight at Adelaide Fringe, audiences sit under the stars wearing headphones observing a mystery shipment from an unknown location. There are reports of power surges and electromagnetic waves in the area.
As the side rolls up on a 40ft haulage truck, an enigmatic machine will be revealed, and a strange and unstoppable process begins. A compelling invitation to make contact evolves and a seduction occurs between a human and an other-worldly force.
Future Cargo is an homage to a past and a future where contact seems all too possible.
Produced in Australia by Realscape Productions, the production team behind Darkfield, the show promises to introduce a unique format of contemporary dance to Australian audiences.
“David and Frauke have developed a show unlike anything that has ever played in Australia before. We know Australians have developed an appetite for multidimensional experiences, and Future Cargo brings something new to Adelaide Fringe, creating a spectacle through dance, lighting, binaural sound and science-fiction. We can’t wait to watch Adelaide fall in love with a new way to experience dance at the Garden of Unearthly Delights this month.” said Amy Johnson, producer at Realscape Productions.
Future Cargo will play at Adelaide Fringe Festival 2024 from 16 February to 17 March 2024, at the Garden of Unearthly Delights.
Tickets to Future Cargo can be purchased online via adelaidefringe.com.au, with prices ranging from $20 to $40 plus booking fees.
Future Cargo Cast Announced, Image credit Requardt & Rosenberg, presented by Realscape Productions