IN THE cold, damp, darkness - we tell stories to make sense of a world that never did make much sense…

Strangers in the dark, isolated by headphones -
Following instructions to find one another…

Recipient of the Judge’s Award for pushing theatrical boundaries at the 2022 Matilda Awards. Catch the return season of this intimate contemporary gem for Cairns Festival this August, and again with Brisbane Festival for three weeks this September!

Upcoming seasons

Set in an infinite ocean, our participants float in the unknowable spaces between each other. Following instructions in an immersive sound design, they are guided to find each other across tabletop miniatures.

Together they co-create detailed worlds by manipulating objects and filling in the blanks in each others’ narratives. Tiny architecture reveals itself. Lights turn on, water emerges, and mechanical discoveries are made. Here, we share a series of fantastical true stories - of infatuated dolphins, lonely whales, and remote lighthouses.

ADRIFT explores feelings of isolation and our fraught relationship with nature in the face of a potential mass extinction event. Our real feelings of loneliness are evoked in the context of disconnected communities and the threat of irreparable change. We feel alone in a world that crumbles beneath us. Our relationship with nature is just as fraught as our relationships with each other.

“It awakened the senses, created meaning, encouraged individual creativity, and demanded audience collaboration in real time and space.”

- Matilda Awards

“A compelling, intricate, and technological piece; a mechanically-immense and impressive work…witty, clever and at times surprisingly moving.”

- Theatre Haus

“There are times you may feel joy and others sadness. But you’re always safe, supported, while emotionally thrilled.”

- Theatre Travels

Created by Counterpilot
Co-Devised by Nathan Sibthorpe, Christine Felmingham, Mike Willmett, Toby Martin, Sarah Winter
Directed by Nathan Sibthorpe
Written by Nathan Sibthorpe & Toby Martin
Composition & Sound Design by Mike Willmett
Lighting Design by Christine Felmingham
Technical Design by Christine Felmingham, John Felmingham & Sam Black
Production Design by John Felmingham, Sarah Winter & Aimeé Pouzet
Software Design by Sam Black

Design Assistance by Ebony Webb, Damian Tatum & The Team
Dramaturgy by Ben Knapton
Performances by Toby Martin, Kate Wilson, Lucas Stibbard, Paige Poulier, Kate O’Sullivan 

Associate Producer & Stage Manager - Milly Walker
Technical Coordination - Teegan Kranenburg
Assistant Director - Damian Tatum

Produced by Counterpilot & Metro Arts
For Metro Arts - Jo Thomas, Danielle Carney, Meg Hamilton, Nicholas Southey

Development 1
Bundanon Residency, November 2020

Development 2
Supported by Metro Arts & Arts QLD, 2021

Photos from Creative Development 1
All photos taken by Mike Willmett during our 2020 Bundanon Residency, supported by the Bundanon Trust.

World Premiere
8 - 19 NOV, 2022
New Benner Theatre, Metro Arts Brisbane

Cairns, QLD
28 - 1 AUG/SEP, 2024
Cairns Festival

Brisbane, QLD
11 - 28 SEP, 2024
Brisbane Festival

The Judges Award
Matilda Awards 2022

Matilda Award 2022 Nomination: Best Design - Set
John Felmingham, Sarah Winter, Aimée Pouzet, and the Counterpilot Team

Matilda Award 2022 Nomination: Best Design - Sound or Composition
Mike Willmett

Matilda Award 2022 Nomination: Best Design - Lighting
Christine Felmingham

Counterpilot is seeking national touring opportunities for Adrift from 2025 onwards.
Suitable for modular blackbox spaces. A ticketed experience for intimate audiences.

See Our Presenter Pack

Contact mischief@counterpilot.com.au to discuss taking the plunge.

ADRIFT is supported by Metro Arts, Arts Queensland, Creative Australia, Brisbane City Council and the Bundanon Trust.