Jenni Large Brings FARAWAY to Australian Dance Theatre
Faraway draws parallels between fairytales and fetish - two methods for escapism and liberation.
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 10, 2026
Australian Dance Theatre will kick off 2026 with Faraway by Jenni Large. Scintillating, spine-chilling and brutally original, the work blooms onto The Odeon stage as part of the 2026 Adelaide Festival.
Exploring the form and function of fantasy, Faraway draws parallels between fairytales and fetish - two methods for escapism and liberation which help us process the world around us. Blending Large's distinct choreographic vocabulary and ironic sense of humour, the work sees the ADT dancers transform into creatures borne from our collective dreams and nightmares.
“While researching the tropes of fables and kink, I was curious about the similarities between the two forms. Both realms work to transport us and can assist in the expression of potentially otherwise repressed parts of us,” says choreographer Jenni Large, “I'm interested in disassembling the pathology that surrounds these things, especially kink. I want the work, and the power of the dancers, to change the way that we think about fantasy, fear and frivolity.”
The choreography in Faraway tests the ADT dancers to embody slow-motion movement, tangle with props, and shift between human and in-human shapes as they reinterpret notions of power, and massage the viewers' visceral and imaginative capacity.
“Jenni Large is one of Australia's most distinctive choreographic voices,” says ADT's Artistic Director Daniel Riley, “and it's a total thrill to bring her aesthetic and artistry to the company. I've been blown away by the work happening in the studio – the dancers are embodying a whole new choreographic language, shape shifting and rising to the full breadth of their power at Jenni's guidance. It's going to be a great adventure for the audience and a powerful way for us to begin 2026.”
Faraway will be performed by an ensemble of seven and marks the ADT debut of Macon Escobal Riley, the company's newest member. It will feature original set and costume design by Meg Wilson, sound by Anna Whitaker and lighting by Alex Berlage. The work will transform the theatre, as the dancers plunge audiences into a strange world that promises to intoxicate.
“A commission like this is a huge deal. I'm so incredibly grateful for the opportunity and for the support of everyone at ADT. I hope that Faraway can offer audiences a multiplicity of experiences, that it might depict the deeply contradicting layers of fear and excitement that weave us together, push us forward and keep us testing our reality,” says Large, “I can't wait for audiences to step into the realm of Faraway and to share everyone's remarkable work.”
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