2026 Fringe Review: ‘The Last 1.5 Librarians North of Lethbridge’

As we all watch climate change take its toll on our lives and public libraries seem under threat, The Last 1.5 Librarians North of Lethbridge takes us to a time when everything has fallen apart. Except for one little library in the middle of nowhere.

Written by Anna Leslie and Michael Long and directed by Allie Van Stone, the play centres on one small collection of books that almost resembles a library. In this post-apocalyptic world where rain is rare and people are in survival mode, Frankie (Karalee Adams) is determined to keep a library alive. When Jean (Courtney Swan) stumbles across Frankie’s collection, she gets sucked into helping the young optimist improve her library.

Despite the state of the world, Frankie is endlessly cheerful and upbeat. Jean is the complete opposite, angsty and unfriendly towards her unlikely companion. As the two spend more time together, they begin to unravel bits and pieces of each other’s lives.

The premise of the play is rather simple and easy to follow, but the characters and both Adams and Swan’s performances add a level of depth to the production. Adams plays Frankie’s cheery persona well, showing the barest glimpses of something sadder hiding underneath. They command the stage and draw the audience in with each scene. Swan plays the disgruntled older librarian to a tee. Together, the two actors form a dynamic that builds into something really amusing and touching.

The story is somewhat predictable, but it doesn’t suffer for it. The play is a relatively light, feel-good musical that makes the impending apocalypse seem a little less dreadful. And the slow unravelling of both Frankie and Jean’s backstories is beautifully executed in the script and performances.

The songs were used sparingly, but they were simple and effective. They emphasized important or emotional moments throughout the story, and added a little fun to it too. Adams showed off their pipes and range, which sometimes meant Swan’s softer singing was overpowered.

Unfortunately, the play did suffer slightly from the venue. Tucked away in the basement of the Mill Creek Cafe, the theatre was a little noisy at times and had horrible sight-lines for the audience. I kept up with the story, but couldn’t see anything that happened from the waist down of the actors.

If you can get past a less-than-ideal venue and need a little pick-me-up play, The Last 1.5 Librarians North of Lethbridge is a play to catch at this year’s Fringe. It brings some light to dark times and delivers on the premise of a lighthearted post-apocalyptic musical.

The Last 1.5 Librarians North of Lethbridge is playing at the Edmonton Fringe Festival until August 23.