Restless Dance Theatre’s London Premiere at Greenwich + Docklands International Festival

In September 2025, Restless Dance Theatre made its London premiere with Through Another Lens at the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF). Across two daytime performances, more than 800 people gathered—filling the steps at Waterfront Square and spilling further back as the audience kept growing.

About Through Another Lens

Directed by Michelle Ryan, Through Another Lens is the outdoor adaptation of her acclaimed work Seeing Through Darkness, inspired by the expressionist paintings of Georges Rouault. His depictions of imperfect bodies and troubled souls mirror the lived experiences of people with disability—how they feel, and how they are often perceived.

The work first premiered at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2020 to a sold-out season, though COVID restrictions limited audiences. Since then, Ryan and the company have deepened the movement vocabulary, ensuring the piece holds power both in galleries with full lighting design and outdoors in the open air.

A Festival of Global Creativity

This year, GDIF celebrated 30 years as London’s leading festival of free outdoor performance. The 2025 theme Above and Beyond brought together artists from across the world. Restless was honoured to perform alongside companies such as Lézards Bleus (France) and Panama Pictures (Netherlands).

A Moment to Remember

Our dancers gave a fabulous performance, captivating audiences who gathered in ever-growing numbers. To be part of this renowned festival was an incredible honour — a chance to share our unique Restless voice in disability-led dance on a global stage. Performing in unexpected places is what we do best, and this premiere will remain a defining moment for the company.

What’s Next

After these unforgettable performances, Restless returns home to prepare for DanceX in Melbourne this October. We are honoured to have been personally invited by David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, to perform. We’ll share the stage with some of the most exciting Australian and New Zealand companies, further extending the reach of disability-led performance.

Explore our photo gallery below for highlights from our London premiere.