A Smoking Ceremony for the Here and Now: ADT’s Marrow Embarks on National Tour

27 May 2025

After a critically acclaimed world premiere season at the 2024 Adelaide Festival, Daniel Riley’s Marrow is embarking on an ambitious 12-week national tour. This marks Australian Dance Theatre’s (ADT) most extensive national touring program in recent memory, bringing a "choreographic course correction" to audiences across the country.

Marrow sees ADT’s ensemble of six Company Artists engage with layers of smoke in a muscular and relentlessly powerful work. It was created in the wake of the 2023 National Voice to Parliament Referendum, serving as a response to the national conversation. ADT’s Artistic Director, Daniel Riley, explains, “I like to think of Marrow as a choreographic course correction for a nation searching for a new direction. It’s about how we have the power to come together, listen and see through the untruths littered throughout our shared history. The work is a smoking ceremony in a lot of ways, an opportunity to clean the slate and step forward collectively.”

Supported by Playing Australia Investment through Creative Australia, the tour will see the company perform at regional and major arts centres all over the country. Key dates include seasons at Empire Theatre (Toowoomba), HOTA, Home of the Arts (Gold Coast), Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, Wollondilly Performing Arts Centre, The Art House (Wyong), Araluen Performing Arts Centre, Carriageworks, Albury Entertainment Centre, Canberra Theatre Centre, and Monash Performing Arts Centre as part of their inaugural Blakout program.

ADT’s Executive Director Nick Hays expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s a thrill to continue our 60th birthday celebrations across the country with such an extensive tour. Marrow is an incredibly powerful and timely work – connecting directly to conversations so many of us are having about our future. We can’t wait to get on the road.”

Marrow was directed and choreographed by Daniel Riley (Wiradjuri). The production features striking visuals with production and lighting design by Matthew Adey of House of Vnholy, and costume design by Ailsa Paterson. Cultural Eldership for the work is provided by Major ‘Moogy’ Sumner AM (Ngarrindjeri). An original score by Jaadwa composer James Howard underpins the work, with a limited-edition vinyl pressing of the soundscape to be released to coincide with the tour.

The powerful work is performed by dancers Yilin Kong, Zachary Lopez, Karra Nam (Kaurna/Narungga), Patrick O’Luanaigh, Zoe Wozniak, and Joshua Doctor (Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay). Doctor makes his debut with the company following his recent graduation from NAISDA Dance College. Riley commended the collaborative effort, saying, “The team that has created Marrow are all exceptional artists at the top of their respective forms, and it’s been wonderful to welcome Josh to the company to help us build this new iteration of the work. Underpinned by James’ powerful score, Marrow is designed to be urgent, explosive, and visceral. It’s a powerful, deeply thoughtful and intentional work for the dancers, for audiences and for artists. I’m so excited to start conversations all over Australia with this work.”

Existing part-way between rave and ritual, Marrow sees Australian Dance Theatre "tear up the falsehoods of the past in a clear-eyed exploration of the smoky forms of Australian identity." Marrow promises to be a vital artistic contribution to Australia's ongoing dialogue about its identity and future.

TOUR DATES:

Thursday 29 May / Empire Theatre, Toowoomba
Friday 6 June / Alexander Theatre, Monash PAC
Friday 13 June / Theatre 1, HOTA
Saturday 28 June / Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre
Thursday 3 July / Wollondilly Performing Arts Centre
Thursday 10 July - Saturday 12 July / Carriageworks
Thursday 17 July/ The Art House (Wyong)
Thursday 24 July / Albury Entertainment Centre
31 July - 1 August / Canberra Theatre Centre
23 August / Araluen Arts Centre