★★★★★
Acclaimed for its cross-cultural collaboration, The Other Side of Me premiered in 2023 at the Darwin Festival. In 2024, the production toured Western and Central Australia and in 2025, it premiered at DanceX Festival in Naarm.
The Other Side of Me is choreographed by renowned dance industry leader, Larrakia man, Gary Lang and is based on actual events. An Aboriginal man born in the Northern Territory is adopted by a white English family and is raised in the remote English countryside.
This profound story of the Stolen Generations is told through a bold dance production, expertly executed by two multi-talented male dancers, Alexander Abbott and Blake Escott (Dhuriti, Worimi).
Two stark grey boxes sit forlornly in the spotlight as two men, Abbott and Escott, shuffle haltingly across the sparsely decorated set. Clad in ochre-coloured overalls, and judging from their cowered body language, including the position of their hands, it is obvious that they are prisoners.
Employing deftly executed movements, Abbott and Escott inhabit the adoptee – his white alter ego clashing with his Blak identity while yearning interminably for his lost mob.
Raw emotion and brute strength underpin their remarkable performances as they effortlessly spin, balance, duck, weave and sometimes lock heads aggressively.
An intricate range and variety of strongly executed contemporary dance moves, accentuated by Indigenous dance practices, underpins Abbott and Escott’s versatility and fluidity as dancers extraordinaire.
Sound Designer Arian Pearson’s (Yolŋu) intricate, staccato sound design is underscored by the classical music arrangements composed by his musical counterpart, Samuel Pankhurst. In combination, the soundscape is a dramatic, heaving, visceral subsistence to the adopted man’s unfolding memories.
Yolŋu Songman, Banula Marika’s haunting vocals contribute to the atmospheric mood, sanctifying the importance of spiritual connection to country.
Samuel James’s projection design – gurgling water, lush landscapes, generic rotating objects – is spread across a towering backdrop. It is, without a doubt, a visual testament to the intense yearning of the man in the unfolding narrative.
Lighting Designer, Joseph Mercurio’s apt choice of contrasting lighting changes enhances the overall emotional ebbs and flows reflected in the movements so adroitly executed by Abbott and Escott.
Jennifer Irwin is renowned for her prestigious contributions as Costume Designer for Bangarra Dance Theatre. In The Other Side of Me, her simple yet effective choice of basic overalls drenched in rich ochre pays homage to First Nations cultural practices.
Josephine Crawshaw (Gurindji) and Jesse Norris (Torres Strait Island descendant) define the contextual understanding of First Nations cultural practices through their combined input as Cultural Consultants.
After debuting here in Queensland with just a mere three performances, Magandjin held sacred space for the very first stop of The Other Side of Me’s inaugural 2026 East Coast tour.
The Other Side of Me does not flinch from the enormity, destruction and harm done by white Australia to its original Blak inhabitants. Gary Lang’s redemptive production gracefully addresses this divisive history through the lens of a man stripped of his identity and who remains ‘stuck in purgatory.’
The Other Side Of Me is created by Gary Lang NT Dance Company and produced by Blakdance. It runs to 28 February 2026 at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC as part of an East Coast tour.
See full tour dates below.
Tickets: https://qpac.n.qtix.com.au/tickets/series/fntheothersideofme26
Website: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2026/the-other-side-of-me
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/garylang_ntdancecompany/ and https://www.instagram.com/blakdance/
Photo credits: Paz Tassone
2026 Australian Tour Dates:
Brisbane 27 – 28 February, Cremorne Theatre QPAC
Goulburn 4 March, Goulburn Performing Arts Centre
Taree 12 March, Manning Entertainment Centre
Wollongong 22 – 23 April, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
Burnie 29 April, Burnie Arts Centre
Hobart 1 – 2 May, Theatre Royal
Sydney 6 – 9 May, Sydney Opera House
