Composer Chloé Charody brings TALE OF THE FIREBIRD to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a bold new production performed at Assembly Roxy. Blending live classical music with contemporary circus and physical theatre, the show offers a visually striking, high-energy experience.
Created for The Freestyle Orchestra, this ambitious interdisciplinary work reimagines a violin concerto through movement, acrobatics and fire performance. Inspired by the myth of the Phoenix, it explores themes of resilience, renewal and hope in a rapidly changing world.
TALE OF THE FIREBIRD runs from 6–30 August 2026 (not 17 or 24 August) at 18:15 at Assembly Roxy. Tickets are available here.
You are the composer of TALE OF THE FIREBIRD at Assembly Roxy, what can you tell us about the show?
TALE OF THE FIREBIRD is still probably one of the wildest things I’ve ever composed. It’s a concerto for violin, fire and acrobatic orchestra that completely blurs the lines between contemporary classical music, circus and physical theatre, which I wrote specifically for the incredible acrobatic violinist Sonja Schebeck and The Freestyle Orchestra, whose performers are not only phenomenal musicians but also aerialists, acrobats and fire artists.
What makes the show special is that the music isn’t something that sits underneath the action. When I composed the work, I was conceiving the music, movement and fire simultaneously as one language, where fire almost becomes another instrument in the orchestra.
The performers are playing, flying through the air, manipulating flames and telling a story through their physicality all at the same time. It creates a really visceral experience where the audience feels completely immersed in the world of the Firebird.
As a composer, I’m always interested in breaking down barriers between art forms and finding new ways to tell stories. A lot of my work is driven by human connection and the idea that art should make us feel something deeply.
TALE OF THE FIREBIRD is very much about transformation, resilience and the power of overcoming evil, fighting oppression and celebrating the freedom of all people, creatures and cultures — themes that feel especially relevant in the world we’re living in right now.
The work was originally commissioned by Creative Australia in 2017 and premiered at City Recital Hall during Sydney’s Vivid Sydney in 2019. Now we’re incredibly excited to be bringing a brand-new production created by the phenomenal Freestyle Orchestra to audiences at Assembly Roxy. It’s bigger, bolder and more theatrical than ever, and I’m pretty sure audiences can expect something they’ve probably never seen before.
This production brings together classical music, contemporary circus and physical theatre. How did you approach integrating these forms into a single piece?
An exciting yet challenging part of conceiving TALE OF THE FIREBIRD was that I never wanted the music to exist in isolation. I wanted it to be deeply connected to the language of circus and the nature of fire so that the storytelling could be taken to new heights.
I spent a huge amount of time workshopping ideas with Sonja Schebeck, who is not only a virtuoso violinist but also an acrobat and fire performer. Together, we experimented with all sorts of ways to heighten the drama of the narrative.
Sometimes a musical phrase would inspire a physical movement, and other times a circus trick, a moment of fire manipulation or a particular movement would inspire the music.
What fascinated me was finding ways for the different art forms to intertwine to tell the story in ways never told before. Rather than having music accompany circus, or circus illustrate the music, we worked towards creating moments where the violin, the body, the fire and the theatrical action all became part of the same expressive gesture.
Through our experimentation, the piece evolved into something that sits somewhere between a concerto, a circus spectacle and a piece of physical theatre. Ultimately, the goal was always to create an experience where the audience feels completely immersed in the world of the Firebird, with every artistic element working together to tell the story.
The work draws on the myth of the Phoenix and themes of resilience and renewal. What inspired this narrative direction?
As a composer and show creator, I’ve always wanted to use my platform to tell stories about resisting oppression and about people finding the strength to rebuild after adversity.
Through my work in human rights and social justice, I’ve made friends with many people and communities who have faced the cruellest injustices, yet somehow continue to find hope and, for the lucky ones, the strength to rebuild their lives and move on.
What I love about the Phoenix myth is that it’s a story that exists across cultures and generations. It’s not actually about a magical bird, it’s about transformation. It’s about what happens after everything falls apart and how, somewhere deep inside us, there is a courage that enables us to rebuild and move on.
When creating TALE OF THE FIREBIRD, I wanted to explore those ideas through a spectacle that audiences could feel rather than simply observe. Fire became a powerful symbol, not just of destruction, but of creativity, passion and renewal.
The Firebird’s journey mirrors something I think is deeply human: the ability to rise again, often stronger than before.
At a time when so many people are facing uncertainty, I think stories of resilience are more important than ever. The piece celebrates the extraordinary capacity we all have to adapt, survive and create new beginnings, even when the odds seem stacked against us.
That’s ultimately what inspired the narrative direction, and as the world continues to plummet further into darkness, it’s a message that could not feel more relevant to humanity today.
You composed the concerto specifically for The Freestyle Orchestra. How did their unique blend of musical and acrobatic skills shape the score?
I started conceiving this piece around the same time that Sonja was building The Freestyle Orchestra in Vienna, and seeing the development of their new skillset and their commitment to achieving the impossible, I was chomping at the bit to create a piece for them.
Most composers are used to writing for musicians who stay more or less in one place while they perform. With The Freestyle Orchestra, I was writing for world-class classical musicians who could play while hanging upside down, balance on apparatus as well as each other, tumble across the stage or interact with fire.
Suddenly, the possibilities became much bigger, and their developing acrobatic skills allowed me to think about the phrasing of the music and the overall development of the compositional arc of a traditional violin concerto in a completely different way.
Working closely with the performers, particularly Sonja Schebeck, helped me understand what was physically possible and where the most exciting creative opportunities lay.
We’d spend hours experimenting in the rehearsal room, discovering moments where music and movement could amplify each other in unexpected ways. Sometimes I’d rewrite sections of the score after seeing a new acrobatic idea, and sometimes the performers would develop movement inspired by a musical passage.
As someone who is passionate about breaking down barriers and creating new ways for people to engage with classical music, collaborating with an orchestra made up of exceptionally talented performers who challenge the traditional image of what an orchestra can be made perfect sense.
They can be quite intimidating for a lot of establishments, and I find this exciting. They are forging a future in classical orchestral performance that has never been attempted before.
Many people either don’t believe what they can do is possible, or are resistant to the idea that there is a troupe of world-class classical musicians trained in acrobatics and fire who are reshaping classical music for future generations.
And, let’s be honest, if there aren’t people out there shaking things up, classical music concerts that don’t engage future audiences might as well continue on a path to extinction.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of developing such an ambitious interdisciplinary production for the stage?
I think probably the most rewarding aspect of creating TALE OF THE FIREBIRD has been seeing artists from all around the world, from different disciplines, cultures and backgrounds, come together to create something that none of us could have achieved on our own.
Seeing audiences experience classical music in a new way, and hopefully be inspired by the Firebird’s journey of renewal, is when I believe art is at its most powerful.
It brings people together, sparks empathy and reminds us of our shared capacity to overcome challenges and create something beautiful from adversity.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see TALE OF THE FIREBIRD?
I’d say come prepared to experience something you probably haven’t seen before. TALE OF THE FIREBIRD brings together live classical music, contemporary circus, fire, physical theatre and storytelling in a way that is both visually spectacular and emotionally engaging.
At its heart, it’s a story about resilience, transformation and hope — things that feel incredibly relevant in the world we live in today.
Whether you’re a classical music lover, a circus fan, or someone who doesn’t think either of those worlds is for you, there’s something in the show that can connect with you.
We’ve created it to be accessible, exciting and full of wonder, while also exploring some deeply human themes.
Most of all, I hope audiences leave feeling inspired by the Firebird’s journey and reminded of their own capacity to adapt, grow and rise again, no matter what challenges they face.
