The sprawling Sunset Heritage Precinct, established on the banks of Perth’s Swan River in 1904, has been many things, including a care facility for elderly and destitute men, and a general hospital. But for more than two decades, the site has lain vacant; its abandoned buildings gradually decaying under the blistering West Australian sun and succumbing to the encroaching flora.

It’s a site that oozes with character, and that’s precisely what UK director and choreographer, Maxine Doyle, has harnessed in her new site-specific production, Sunset. Co-commissioned by Perth Festival and produced by local outfits STRUT Dance and Tura New Music, the immersive dance-theatre work invites audiences to experience a dramatic reimagining of Sunset’s colourful and complex history and the many stories it holds.

Sunset. Photographs © Simon Pynt

The show begins outside in the grounds of the heritage precinct, where a violinist (Brian Kruger) dressed in black tie plays a delicate and melancholic tune. We are encouraged to follow him as he meanders towards a large building in the distance. We do, curiously. A dimly lit entrance leads us through a warren of derelict rooms – an office with upturned and broken furniture; a kitchen...