Four shadows of the same young woman expressing heightened emotional states: anticipation, amusement, mild disgust and awe, they are in shades of yellow and orange only on a yellow backdrop.

A dancer performs a virtuosic high kicking movement, behind her a screen shows live video of her performing the move again and again into infinity, below which are the words "no further context will be given"

a young woman makes an expression of uncertainty in front of a screen that bears the words "we are all born confused"

Eliza Sanders' Manage Your Expectations

She starts with a simple task: tell you everything that will happen in the show, so you can decide if you would like to see it. But nothing is ever that simple.

As caveats, contexts, claimers and disclaimers pile up, bits of personal history spill across the stage (her history and yours) and it begins to feel like nothing will ever be explainable again. But just as it’s about to shatter, performance maverick Eliza Sanders scoops up and transforms what seemed like a mess of muddled moments, into a series of movements and images so bursting with meaning they hum in your bones.

Runner-up Best In Fringe, Most Innovative, WINNER Outstanding Solo Performance, NZ Fringe 24. WINNER Best Performer, Whangārei Fringe '24.

A funny, deeply personal journey through history, heartbreak and selfhood.

Theatre and Physical Theatre • Dance

New Zealand • SA Premiere

: Fringe Fund Recipient

: Tue, 11 Mar - Sun, 16 Mar
: 75 min
: PG (5 Warnings)
: $27 to $32
: All transactions incur a $4.80 Transaction fee.

More show, venue & access details

Reviews

Aesthetically gorgeous, consummately crafted and choreographed - a joyful interpretation of our struggle to be the best that we can be. - David Cronin, The Clothesline
likely the most visually and verbally innovative show you’ll see all Fringe - James Murphy, Scenestr
Eliza contorts comedy, contemporary dance and theatre into a genre bending performance...which leaves you spellbound and ruminating - Mal Hamenth, Mindshare

See more on the Fringe Feed

Reviews & Fringe Feed Reacts

Aesthetically gorgeous, consummately crafted and choreographed - a joyful interpretation of our struggle to be the best that we can be. - David Cronin, The Clothesline
likely the most visually and verbally innovative show you’ll see all Fringe - James Murphy, Scenestr
Eliza contorts comedy, contemporary dance and theatre into a genre bending performance...which leaves you spellbound and ruminating - Mal Hamenth, Mindshare

See more on the Fringe Feed

Presented by: House of Sand

House of Sand is the brainchild of sibling creative partnership Charley Sanders and Eliza Sanders. We playfully blend art forms to create embodied experiences for audiences and artists, experiences that are care based and trauma informed. We turn ten in 2025! We’re so thankful to be celebrating a decade of independent, care-based, performance, movement, dance theatre event creation and the many funding bodies, donors, presenting partners, festivals, artists and audiences around Australia and Aotearoa who are our sustenance and our extended artistic family.

You may remember shows including Pedal & Castles (Ad Fringe 18), REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN. (Holden St 18), Welcome The Bright World (STCSA, Queens Theatre 18), all h0urs (Syd Fringe Commission 19), That Was Friday (Belco Arts 22)

Suitability & Warnings

Content Rating: PG

Target Audience: High School (15-17) | 18+

Family Friendly: No

Coarse Language : Occasional, Mild

Sexual References : Occasional, Mild

Nudity Level : Occasional, Mild

Other Warnings: Loud Noises, Mental Health

Accessibility

: Audio Description: Saturday 15th March at 9pm
: Auslan Interpretation: Friday 14th March at 9pm
: Relaxed Performance: Friday 14th March at 9pm

Eliza Sanders' Manage Your Expectations

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