Imago is likely one of the most beautiful shows you’ll see at Adelaide Fringe 2026

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Conceived and choreographed by former Cirque du Soleil artists turned choreographers Gabrielle Martin and Jeremiah Hughes, Imago is a hauntingly beautiful aerial dance about holding on and letting go.

Step into the Ukiyo tent within Gluttony, where Imago offers a 40‑minute retreat from the surrounding buzz. Low lighting and the soft soundscape of a distant storm set the tone, deepening the intimacy of the small performance space.

The metaphors are present right from the start. In an opening duet, performer Brianne Chan drags a rope behind her—attached to it is Hughes, their movements bound together by both rope and emotion. When they transition into their aerial work, each suspended on separate lines, the connection remains: one spins the other, or—in a breathtaking moment— Chan hangs inverted, suspended solely by her own hand—a moment of raw strength and trust.

When the duet ends, the connection doesn’t vanish; it lingers like a presence in the air. In his solo, Hughes shoulders the ropes they had shared moments before, their weight now transformed into something almost tangible, a metaphor for absence, for the heaviness of missing her. Then Maddy Flapper takes to the air in a mesmerising display of strength and flexibility. She backbends, drops from the rope, spins upside down, and at one point holds herself aloft by a single hand. We couldn’t help but wonder if this solo embodied the freedom that comes with being let go.

While Imago includes impressive physical feats familiar to circus and aerial acts, what sets it apart is its staging. The choice of subdued lighting and the soundscape of distant thunder instead of a driving soundtrack transforms the performance into a meditative experience that invites you closer, every detail encouraging you to lean in rather than look away.

Special mention must go to Brianne Chan and Maddy Flapper, who stepped in at the last minute after an injury forced a cast change just days before the delayed opening night. Astonishingly, both learned and integrated the entire piece within two or three days, performing with a seamlessness that suggested they had lived the choreography for years.

Imago has only one more show left, tomorrow Sunday 1 March, and it’s a show not to be missed: an intimate, moving reflection on connection, trust, and release.