FREE FALL: An immersive theatre experience

Prepare for a night out like no other…

Step through the door and let the night seduce you – flash your ID at the bouncer and be swept into a realm where neon dreams merge with pulsing beats, inviting you to leave the mundane behind and surrender to a symphony of light, sound, and unbridled possibility. Welcome to FREE FALL, where the lines between clubbing and immersive dance-theatre vanish, setting the stage for a transformative journey that defies expectations and blurs the boundaries of reality.

As the evening unfolds, the intoxicating energy of the club draws you into a twisted narrative that deepens with each breath, each hair whip. Meet Cassidy (Bethany Mclachlan-Evans), Olivia (Claudia House), and Luc (Nkosinathi Mazwai), whose electrifying performances, alongside a dynamic ensemble of dancers, ignite the atmosphere and propel you into an unforgettable night of discovery.

FREE FALL is an important story for all audiences as it dives into the intoxicating allure of nightlife, the pressures of social validation, and the myths of modern romance, while exposing the insidious grip of peer pressure and toxic masculinity. It unpacks the ways we seek escape – through substances, relationships, or performance – while offering a deeply personal exploration of mental health and grief. Challenging outdated narratives and celebrating self-discovery, this experience is a raw, urgent reflection of contemporary life – one that Cape Town’s stages have yet to see.

FREE FALL seamlessly integrates cutting-edge interactive installations by artist Emma Strong with the visionary immersive theatre direction of Kimberly Buckle and Liam Gillespie of The Outlore. Conceived by choreographer and theatre-maker Lee van der Merwe, this production is a daring fusion of immersive theatre, contemporary dance, and installation art.

Director, producer and choreographer, Lee van der Merwe, is a multidisciplinary performer, creator and teacher. She graduated from the Cape Academy of Performing Arts in 2016 with the “Top Student” award, earning the highest overall average of her class.

Lee was a member of the Cape Dance Company from 2013 – 2017, while creating her debut choreographic works for the company, Sun -The Rite of Passage (2017) at the Artscape Theatre and A Portrait of Us (2018) at the Baxter Dance Festival. She introduced herself to the professional theatre world by writing, producing, and performing in the two-hander physical theatre play, Laced (2017) which premiered at the Alexander Bar theatre and went on to have a successful run at the National Arts Festival. Lee choreographed and performed a work in Japan, as part of the Awaji Art Circus International Arts Festival (2017) and has performed in a number of productions such as The Fugard Theatre’s West Side Story (2018) at Artscape, Kinky Boots (2019) at the Fugard Theatre, New World Dance Theatre’s Minerva (2023) at the Baxter theatre, and Alice Viskat’s psychological thriller play, Flughafen (2023) at the Outlore Base. Lee also featured in the short film, The Date (2023) as Bella.

In 2023, Lee produced, wrote and choreographed the Dance Short Films Scroll Back Up, The Secret and The Artist (2023) and founded the ‘ChoreoLab’- a weekly workshop for performers and choreographers to learn from each other. In 2024, Lee was commissioned by Anderson Carvalho Dance & Choreography for ACDC’s Dance Intersect 2024 at the Baxter theatre, creating the work, AFTER DARK (2024).

FREE FALL is also decorated with a star-studded ensemble of Cape Town’s top dancers, including Zoë Aldridge, Kiera Bryan, Shante Solomons, Caefus Tladi, Amy van Harte and Alice Viskat.

FREE FALL’s creative and production team includes:

Lee van der Merwe – Director & Choreographer
Emma Strong – Installation Artist & Set Designer
Kimberley Buckle & Liam Gillespie (The Outlore) – Immersive Directors
Alice Maybin – Rehearsal Director
Tahira Keyser – Stage Manager
Palesa Raba & Tamryn Grobler – Stagehands
Juliette Rose Innes – Social Media Manager
Robert van der Merwe – Poster & Logo Design

Age Restriction: 18+ (Language, representations of alcohol and substance abuse)

It is encouraged that attendees refrain from arriving under the influence, as the visuals and sensory experience are highly immersive and stimulating.

Venue: The Outlore Base

Performances:

Opening Date: 27th March 2025
Show Dates: 27th, 28th March; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th April
Doors Open: 19:00
Show Starts: 20:00

Immerse yourself in FREE FALL, a night where the conventional gives way to the extraordinary, and every moment is an invitation to let go and fall into the unexpected.

Tickets are R150 on Quicket

Book your tickets here: quicket.co.za/events/299159-free-fall/
FREE FALL on Instagram: instagram.com/lee_van_der_merwe