Review: FARAWAY at Odeon Theatre

FARAWAY - AUSTRALIAN DANCE THEATRE - ADELAIDE FESTIVAL 2026
Odeon Theatre

Reviewed by Ray Smith, Wednesday 25th February 2026.

It was with a heightened sense of anticipation that my guest and I entered the foyer of the Odeon Theatre to witness the world premiere of Faraway, a new work by Jenni Large. Although I was not familiar with her work, her reputation alone was enough to warrant my piqued interest, and that, coupled with the prestige of performing in the Adelaide Festival with Australian Dance Theatre, Australia's oldest and most reputable contemporary dance company, made this a must see performance.

Jamie Goldsmith welcomed us to Kaurna country as only Jamie can, his yidaki playing reverberating through the theatre before his gentle voice, like water rippling over stones, led us into some of the etymology of Australian place names. Jamie, like his father before him, offers a wealth of knowledge into the history of this country, and delivers it with humour and palpable good will.

The stage was all but bare when the house lights dimmed and the stage lighting began to rise, to the sound of a harp and discordant chanting, to reveal an approaching figure with strangely hairy legs holding an instrument. “Pan has arrived”, I thought, and my mind flew back to my childhood and to the books filled with elves, goblins, and fairies that I consumed with an endless hunger that I still try to sate through the works of Tolkien and such ancient texts as the Mabinogion.

Then all Hell broke loose.

The gentle sound of a harp and the eerie chant gave way to an ear-shattering barrage of percussive beats as the dancers exploded onto the stage, sound designer Anna Whitaker's soundscape merciless and insistent, Alex Berlage's lighting, no longer subtle and subdued, flashed as urgently as lightning, silhouetting cavorting figures in skin tone body suits and what appeared to be garter belts.

Meg Wilson's set and costume design transforming the dancers into strange creatures and naughty children dancing drunkenly, all but naked and unashamed in a secluded woodland where mortals rarely go. We were in the Land of Fey, and we had better beware, for all bets were off.

I have often marvelled at the deceptive simplicity of Australian Dance Theatre sets, and this one was no exception. Simple ropes hanging down like vines, knotted into loops like the rungs of a ladder allowed the dancers to swing, climb and hang over the stage adding another dimension to their movements. A square net held at each corner by four dancers was flipped up and down as one might toss a child in a blanket, until the actions became more aggressive, more violent, and the net started to hit the stage floor with a bang, over and over in the slow beat of a war drum.

Two diagonal corners were released and the net was quickly twisted into a rope and the dancers began to skip over it just as children would, and then just as children definitely would not. The rope then became a whip, whistling through the air before cracking loudly onto the stage floor, as the dancer wielding it strode menacingly toward the audience. This was Beatrice Potter meets BDSM and it was absolutely brilliant.

This was a stunning introduction to me of Jenni Large's work and it was obvious why Daniel Riley had been so keen to see her work with Australian Dance Theatre. Daniel introduced me to her at the after party and she is a joyful person to talk to. She spoke with all the anxiety and relief that every artist feels after an opening night, but with an underlying integrity and utter belief in the work, the venue, the crew, and the extraordinary seven dancers that manifested her vision for us tonight.

Another member of the audience that I spoke to, told me that she was motivated to go home and rip off her shell, to rediscover her true inner self and discard everything that was not true to her very essence.

The power of dance is real, and the unshackled, uninhibited, brutal beauty of this performance is power made flesh.

I urge you to see it dear reader, but beware for should a mortal enter the Land of Fay they may never return.

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