Chloe Keating is the choreographer of upcoming Adelaide Fringe show Labyrinth, a dance piece following two lonely booksellers who find themselves standing on the edge of eternity hurtling towards the end of all things. We wanted to find out more about the connection between books and dance, and what inspired the story. We caught up with Chloe for a pixelated pint to dive into the show.

You can catch Labyrinth at the Reading Room at Barr Smith Library as part of Adelaide Fringe between the 25th February and the 1st of March at 7pm (55 mins). Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Online Box Office.

Jake: Hi Chloe! The piece you’ve choreographed, Labyrinth, follows two booksellers ‘standing on the edge of eternity’. Tell us a little bit about the setting, and the relationship you’ve found between books and dance.

Chloe: Labyrinth stemmed from a love for the historic bookstores and libraries that exist within little pockets of the world. I find it magical that these quiet tranquil spaces are brimming with life but often left dormant with the remnants of forgotten history. Our show is set within the majestic Barr Smith Library of the University of Adelaide, allowing the audience to settle within the slumbering books and resplendent library walls at night. These environments that are slowly becoming a reality of the past, offer an everlasting opportunity to remember and revive past stories. We are connected through these quiet reflective spaces that are so full of human consciousness through the souls of each book.

The story follows two booksellers who have found themselves the last remaining humans on this earth, suddenly looking toward a future without humanity. With eternity stretched in front of them, they fight to preserve the story of who we are through the preservation of books. Although books and dance don’t often come together in the same sentence I have always found a deep connection between them. The first provides endless possibilities to our imagination with movement allowing a way to connect within the physical world.

Jake: The show looks to tap into our universal sense of collective remembering. Tell us about how you’ve translated that to the stage and what the audience can expect to see.

Chloe: The show is told within three separate chapters of time exploring the natural grief and reconciliation that must come within a post-apocalyptic world. What is the point of preservation if there is no one left to come next? It’s a big question and one that I’ve considered often. The two characters are tasked with this question. It is their consumption of books that provide our collective consciousness and all that brings with it, love, hate, greed, and particularly our optimistic nature. Every element of Labyrinth is working to wrap the audience within this otherworldly space to provide a still moment in time separate from our continuing existence.  

Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?

Chloe: Of course every audience member will take their own thoughts and musings from the experience which is the wonder of live theatre. My own hope is that they are given a moment of rest and respite to consider the gentle and vulnerable nature of who we are. Libraries are filled with stories of people who have spent their lives attempting to find an answer. We don’t have to answer these questions tonight but it may be beautifully powerful to look back while considering our future.

Jake: Now we’re in the throes of Adelaide Fringe, what are you most excited for?

Chloe: One of the wonderful things about Adelaide Fringe is the unexpected nature of the festival. I love heading out without a plan and exploring the city depending on the next show I have on my list or that’s been recommended to me. Some of the best shows I’ve seen have been spur of the moment!

Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?

Chloe: When I think about a drink that perfectly encapsulates Labyrinth it would have to be the Negroni. I see old scholars drinking this beverage within the historic halls of these libraries, with a mix of timeless beauty and a bitter foreboding for the end of the world.

You can catch Labyrinth at the Reading Room at Barr Smith Library as part of Adelaide Fringe between the 25th February and the 1st of March at 7pm (55 mins). Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Online Box Office.