★★★★★
If you’re curious about whether to see Code of Conduct, stop reading and go book tickets. Now. I’m seriously not kidding.
The world premiere of Code of Conduct is the 2026 season opener from Australasian Dance Collective and takes place on Level 20 in one of the glittering crown jewels of Brisbane’s business hub at 300 George Street.
This departure from the same old performance spaces we’ve become used to visiting over and over is a welcome addition. As someone who has never seen anything by Australasian Dance Collective before, I was curious to attend on opening night. The work inside does not disappoint.
The 20th floor is a vacant, liminal space, evoking something a regular theatre cannot. As we marvelled at the views below, I couldn’t help but feel a bit like Neo in The Matrix. And like Neo, this show really is like taking the red pill.
A searing indictment of capitalism, director/choreographers Amy Hollingsworth and Jack Lister, in collaboration with the six ADC Company Artists, have printed an unmissable memo for all to see: the modern office culture is broken and aims to turn us into corporate lapdogs.
The work feels more physical theatre than traditional contemporary dance, easing fears for any patron who might think they’ll have no idea what’s going on because there’s no dialogue. Wrong. And Wrong again.
Unlike most dance works, the performers speak to enhance the storytelling, with Lilly King giving a standout performance in a featured role. Her Jekyll and Hyde ability to transform from the grey ‘sorry, but your sick leave has run out’ suit to animalistic, raw contortionist is remarkable. Special mention also goes to Taiga Kita-Leong for his grace, ease and presence.
The technical team here deserve a standing ovation. The space comprises all the building blocks of office life. Filing cabinets, ‘90s desktop computers, long white desks and expensive-looking leather swivel chairs sit atop strips of fake grass.
Surely office furniture has never been used like this before. Somewhere, Officeworks is nervously taking notes.
Performers move with, lie on, and dance around the set, itself a living character in the show. The remarkable lighting design, realised by Claire Browning in collaboration with Hollingsworth and Lister, strobes, flickers and pulses, speeding up time and slowing it down. Louis Frere-Harvey’s work with sound design and composition weaves seamlessly with Guest Artist Alex Raineri’s piano solos. It is simply perfect.
The human body is used to create images with such impact that it feels almost cinematic to watch. This work could easily jump to the screen. Immersive and intense, it’s hard to look at just one thing for fear of missing a minute detail elsewhere.
Human harvesting. Corporate lapdogs. There’s a great sequence with an extension cord. The absurd way we use screen time to pacify and endure even the most uncomfortable and dissident of realities. These things will remain long in my memory.
Australasian Dance Collective’s Code of Conduct is a work that cannot be missed. It is all-encompassing, poignant and will surely age like the finest of wine.
In a world where it seems the illusion of freedom and capitalism must be protected at all costs, you’ll incur a code of conduct violation from me if you think of something better to do with your time and money.
Code of Conduct is presented by Australasian Dance Collective and runs to 28 March. Level 20, 300 George Street Brisbane Qld 4000.
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/adc-code-of-conduct/tickets
Website: https://australasiandancecollective.com/performances/2026/code-of-conduct
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/australasiandancecollective/
Photo credits: David Kelly
