Plagiary

upcoming Project

Plagiary is contemporary performance with a jolt of full-throttle futurism—fast-paced, funny, touching, and genuinely one-of-a-kind.

Created by
Alisdair Macindoe

In an age where artificial intelligence diagnoses our illnesses, creates fake news, and dreams up pop hits, Plagiary dares to ask: can a machine invent unforgettable dance in real time? Each show is wildly different, as ten talented local performers are fed instructions live through earpieces. Sometimes the AI delivers awkward or wildly surreal commands. At other moments, it uncovers surprising poetry or laugh-out-loud absurdity, pushing the dancers to connect, clash, and surprise us at every turn.

The result? A living, breathing experiment—part game, part spectacle—that grabs audiences with its originality and charisma. Helmed by award-winning Australian choreographer Alisdair Macindoe, Plagiary brings a fresh, playful edge to the global conversation about humans, machines, and creativity. Working with acclaimed media artist Sam McgilpPlagiary explores entire visual worlds made with AI that are bespoke to each performance.

Despite high-tech wizardry, it’s the human touch that shines brightest. The magic comes when dancers improvise in real time: bending, breaking, and riffing on the AI’s wild suggestions. Each night, the audience witnesses something that’s never happened before and will never happen again.

Joyful, thought-provoking, and constantly surprising, Plagiary isn’t just a show—it’s a rush of possibility. Where will the dancers go next? Who’s writing the script? Surrender to the adventure and find out. This is AI performance as you’ve never seen it—alive, unpredictable, and absolutely unforgettable.

Plagiary is daring, witty, and endlessly surprising—a celebration of what can happen when human ingenuity and artificial intelligence collide, sparking thrilling new possibilities with every performance.

Performance History

  • 2026
  • 2025
  • 2024

Media

“a must-see for anyone interested in the intersection of technology and the arts. It’s a clever and thought-provoking exploration of how AI can expand the boundaries of creative expression while also highlighting the irreplaceable nature of human artistry.”

Dance Life Australia

“(a) frenetic, self-referential, self-consciously wanky and very uncanny valley. It's also delightfully nonsensical.”

The Stage Show, ABC

Credits

Concept, Direction, Choreography, Text, Coding, Sound Design and Set Design
Alisdair Macindoe
Video Design, Image Design and Coding
Sam Mcgilp
Software Development, Head Coder
Chris Chua
Costume Design, Prop Design
Andrew Treloar
Lighting Design and Production Assistant
Amelia Lever-Davidson
Production & Stage Manager
Zsuzsa Gaynor Mihaly
Performers & Choreographers
NOORDERZON FESTIVAL 2025
GRAND THEATRE, GRONINGEN NL
Courtney May Robertson, Lena Niessen, Manuel Kiros Paolini, Nik Rajšek, Ray Lemmens, Ser Sebico, Tatiana Śpiewak, Yoko Haveman, Żaneta Kęsik,
with Arno Verbruggen and Olympia Kotopoulos.
(also spoken text)
Performers & Choreographers
UNWRAPPED 2024
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Allie Graham, Frances Orlina, Franky Drouisoti, Grace Lewis, Josh Freedman, Sam Beazley, Sam Osborn & Tara Hodge,
with Joel Fenton and Siobhan Lynch.
(also spoken text)
Performers & Choreographers
NOW OR NEVER 2024
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
Amber McCartney, Carly Sheppard, Enzo Emiliano, Raina Peterson, Georgia Rudd, Harrison Ritchie-Jones, Jayden Wall, Jazmyn Carter,
with Geoffrey Watson and Rachel Coulson.
(also spoken text)
Performers & Choreographers
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT & SHOWING 2023
LGI / WXYZ: CHLOE MUNRO STUDIO
Carly Sheppard, Enzo Emiliano, Raina Peterson, Tamara Bouman, Geoffrey Watson, Rachel Coulson, Mason Kelly, Lilian Steiner, Josie Weise, Harrison Ritchie-Jones, Jayden Wall and Georgia Rudd.
Images
Now or Never
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
Will Hamilton-Coates
UnWrapped
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Yael Stempler

Supporters

Contact

Producer
Penelope Leishman → Email