VISTA to Make World Premiere at Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre

Next month, choreographer Stephanie Lake and her eponymous Stephanie Lake Company will premiere VISTA, an exhilarating new dance work exploring the fragility of human perception. Playing at Malthouse's Merlyn Theatre from 22 July–1 August, this highly anticipated production will later tour to Sydney's Carriageworks and Brisbane Powerhouse.

Representing an exciting chapter in Lake's illustrious career, VISTA features costuming by iconic Melbourne fashion label Alpha60, the result of a first-time creative collaboration between Lake and designer Georgie Cleary. 

Presented in two halves, VISTA examines how one event can fracture into entirely different readings depending on the viewer's lens, showing the same choreographic sections with changes to the dancers, tempo, and mood.

Lake said: “VISTA grew from my fascination with perspective and the many versions of reality we each inhabit. It's pure dance, music and design; a return to my roots. I'm so excited to finally share it with Melbourne audiences, and I hope they leave the show exhilarated and with minds and bodies buzzing."

Act One unfolds in monochrome precision, a razor-edged world of pulsing choreography, music, and light. Act Two detonates into colour, refracting the same reality through a new lens. Structures repeat, motifs re-emerge, but they are transformed. Duets are re-cast, groups become solitary figures. What was crisp becomes wild, what was abstract becomes emotional. 

With an original score by audio-visual artist and Lake's long-term collaborator Robin Fox, and striking lighting design by Bosco Shaw, six world-class dancers including Rachel Coulson, Tyrel Dulvarie, Marni Green, Hugo Poulet, Robert Tinning, and Georgia van Gils propel this shape-shifting world forward, where discipline collides with joyful release.

Executive Producer and co-CEO Vivia Hickman said: “Few artists have shaped contemporary dance in Australia quite like Stephanie Lake. Her bold imagination, creative vision and unmistakable choreographic voice have made her one of the country's finest choreographers. Malthouse is thrilled to be working with Stephanie again to present her new work VISTA as a part of our 2026 season.”

As artistic director of Stephanie Lake Company, Lake has toured her acclaimed works including Manifesto, Colossus, Pile of Bones, The Chronicles, Double Blind and A Small Prometheus to more than 20 countries, with seasons at Théâtre National de Chaillot (Paris), Hong Kong Arts Festival, Southbank Centre London, and Complejo Teatral de Buenos Aires. Appointed Resident Choreographer of The Australian Ballet in 2024 and Artist in Residence of Semperoper Ballet (Dresden) in 2025, she is the recipient of a Helpmann Award, two Australian Dance Awards, two Green Room Awards, the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship and the Australia Council Fellowship for Dance.

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