Who doesn’t love a story of thriving against the odds? That is what the multi-award-winning Restless Dance Theatre represents across three decades, fostering the ability in disability – to express, communicate and connect with the broader community. Its brand, established in 1991 well before the development of widespread awareness and policy adoption, celebrates diversity and inclusivity.

Charlie Wilkins and Alexis Luke in Guttered, Restless Dance Theatre. Photo © Fiona Cullen

This small Adelaide-based company embraces performers with and without a disability, functioning as a supportive ensemble, making equal contributions in Restless’s works. Four long-term members have Down Syndrome, of whom several have tertiary performance training backgrounds; another has what acclaimed Artistic Director Michelle Ryan terms an “invisible disability”. That observation lends extra gravity and extended application to the adage that one shouldn’t make assumptions based on appearances. Not surprisingly, this is tackled in the show, but in a surprisingly funny way.

Guttered, which premiered at the Adelaide Festival earlier this year, reassembles the entire creative team behind the acclaimed Intimate Space, which marked the company’s last Queensland appearance four years ago.

This brings me back to my initial point about adversity spawning...