There is something comforting about a grandfather clock on stage. It promises structure. Rhythm. Time behaving itself. In Time Goes By, that promise lasts all of five minutes.

The show opens in a smoky Chicago music hall of the Jazz Age. Costumes shimmer. Shoulders roll. The music swings. A large grandfather clock stands to the left of the stage, ticking quietly as dancers glide through a world of flappers and brass.

Then Tyler War, the sole male dancer in the ensemble, steps forward. He removes the clock face. And just like that, time collapses.

The dancers are sucked into a vortex that propels them across more than 80 years of music, fashion and movement in a brisk 60-minute sprint. It is an ambitious concept. It is also an exhausting one, for both the cast and the costume rack.

From World War II-era ballrooms and Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, through Elvis hip swivels and Beatles mania, into disco, pop princesses and boy band glory, the decades blur past in rapid succession. Irene Cara gives way to Michael Jackson. Shania Twain swings into Britney Spears. N’SYNC slides into Lewis Capaldi.

That is a lot of costume changes.It is also a testament to the discipline of this young cast that the quick shifts never feel chaotic. Audio segments are cleverly produced to define each era. Short live vocal moments, delivered by dancer Mia, give the rest of the ensemble precious seconds to change. It is a smart structural choice. It keeps the energy high while solving a practical problem.

By the time the cast reaches the COVID years, dancing in pyjamas and face masks to Lewis Capaldi, sweat is visible. Breath is heavy. And the audience is with them.

Tara Beyne, the Adelaide-born independent creator behind the production, is clearly a choreographer with vision. Trained through Global Dance Pro, Transit Dance and The Platform UK, she understands stage pictures. She understands momentum. Most importantly, she understands nostalgia.

The audience sings along. They clap on cue. They lean forward when the next era is teased. This is a feel-good dance concert with a narrative spine. It does not linger long in any one decade, but that is part of the appeal. It is a sampler platter of pop culture memory.

The cast is uniformly strong. Mia Ferraretto’s vocal interludes add texture. Each dancer commits fully to the character of the decade they inhabit. There is no ironic distance. Only enthusiasm.

There is, however, room to grow. With a larger budget or expanded cast, the time-travel motif could be pushed further. Screens and projection could enhance the vortex effect. More dynamic lighting shifts might heighten the sense of eras colliding.

An additional male dancer would particularly strengthen boy band numbers like N’SYNC, where symmetry matters. These are not flaws. They are growth opportunities.

The show succeeds because it understands its audience. It understands that memory is movement. That a chorus from your teenage years can transport you faster than any special effect. That watching dancers collapse joyfully into a ‘90s pop routine will always feel communal.

Time Goes By is polished. It is energetic. It is nostalgic without being saccharine. And when that clock face comes off, you are more than happy to let time unravel.

Time Goes By runs to 8 March at the Murree Smith Hall at Woodville Town Hall as part of the 2026 Adelaide Fringe. 74/76 Woodville Road Woodville South SA 5011.

The Sunday 1 March performance is sold out with tickets on Sunday 8 March selling fast.