Stories that Must be Heard: Truth in the Cage and Limbo review

Presented by Nightingale Performing Arts Australia, Stories That Must Be Heard brings refugee stories to the forefront and gives a voice to those that are too often ignored. The musical double bill of works composed by Chloé Charody shifted seamlessly between emotional intensity and breathtaking physicality, producing performances that are compelling and sobering.

Truth in the Cage is a movingly intimate song cycle tracing Mohammad Ali Maleki’s seven years in detention on Manus Island. Charody uses his poems to create music that is raw, unflinching, and resilient. Through themes of loss, identity, and optimism, the songs provide a searing insight into life under confinement, conveying the anguish and the enduring human spirit of someone who survived years of unjust incarceration.

Soprano Livia Brash delivers a highly expressive and arresting performance, paced with careful precision, particularly striking when she sings, “We begged you all for sanctuary, but you put us in a cage.” Jerry Wong captivates on the piano, playing with sensitivity and nuance, weaving textures that heighten the drama and support Brash’s voice with equal measure.



Limbo, a violin sonata, is the second work of the program. Written for Sonja Schebeck’s rare mix of musical virtuosity and acrobatic skill, and joined by acrobat Josh Frazer, this is a duet that fuses circus and classical music with dramatic originality. Set against Melbourne Park Hotel in 2021, where refugees were detained for up to nine years, the piece follows the character of 'Amin', represented by Schebeck, through shifting states of mind, moving between anger, despair, fantasy and fleeting escape.

Schebeck astonishes, performing acrobatics and circus stunts without ever faltering on the violin. She spins, whirls, is hoisted skyward, and at one point, perches on Frazer’s shoulders as he pedals a unicycle, bow racing across the strings as if nothing could unsettle her. Frazer’s own strength, balance and dexterity are extraordinary, navigating complex tricks while staying perfectly attuned to both the music and Schebeck’s movements. Their connection is electric, a testament to instinctive communication, mutual awareness and trust, making each risky manoeuvre feel precise and alive.



The clash of physical daring and musical finesse gives the performance its visceral charge, as though the music itself is being wrestled into existence. Allie Wang’s piano punctuates the piece, adding texture and depth to Schebeck and Frazer’s feats. Each note and movement echoes Amin’s turmoil, capturing fear, fragility, and sparks of hope on a life balanced on the edge.



What makes Stories That Must Be Heard so powerful is the way classical music becomes a vessel for these urgent, human realities. Both works resonate profoundly, but Limbo stands out for its bold innovation, blending acrobatics, circus and violin into a performance that is as thrilling as it is emotionally charged. Seeing music stretched to these extremes - physically and artistically - leaves an indelible mark, resulting in an unforgettable evening in heart, mind, and spectacle.

Stories that Must be Heard: Truth in the Cage and Limbo was performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday 17 August 2025.