Transit, devised by the Halfpace Theatre Company (founded by Director Megan Brewer and Actor Mikko Juan), explores the many journeys of life that co-exist without ever really crossing paths. Formed by a number of individual stories that connect and complete each other, the show becomes a puzzle, with the slow realisation being made as the show progresses. It's a beautiful weaving of a multitude of stories about humanity, and really captures how it feels to be looking for connections in a new world.
Directed by Megan Brewer, the show has a distinctively unique style of theatre, that uses poetry, movement, video and music to shine a light on the smaller moments of distress in life that are often overlooked. Courageous and innovative in artistic choices, the story is presented in a series of standalone scenes. Dialogue is used sparingly, making each line count. The implications and unspoken pain behind the long silences of the scenes are almost poetic, allowing the audience to interpret and connect to it in their own way. There is a powerful storytelling through the meticulous choreography (Monica Nicolaides), which is often accompanied by thoughtful poetry or music.
The cast do a commendable job, each bringing a new perspective and voice to the show. Ting-Ning Wen steals the show with her creative entrance and her playful antics. Bethany Monk- Lane delivers a subtle and grounded performance that is quietly powerful. Mikko Juan is the show's stand out performer, between his effortlessly charming and dynamic stage presence and his ability to belt and sustain long notes, he's an absolutely joy to watch.
After a string of misfortunes for the cast, the performance had been quickly reworked for three actors instead of five, yet you would never know this to be the case. Cleverly looping in the shared experiences of lockdown, the entire cast are able to participate through the use of pre-recorded Zoom and Facetime calls. Interestingly, the show does not have specific characters yet portrays each role clearly and we can understand and get to know them through their struggles.
The light design was incredible (Cheng Keng), with the use of a multitude of light sources. Each scene is washed with a different light design, with significant attention drawn to this during the transitions. The sound design (Jamie Lu) was also stunning, carrying the show and the stories. With small moments of the scene occasionally, the sound becomes another character in the show. Voice overs and projections are often used, inviting the external world a place in the bubble of the character's lives. A particularly clever scene of celebrating a birthday over zoom, with the realistic buffering and attempt for connection stands out as one of the show's most touching moments. The show also has subtitles for these scenes.
Transit is a phenomenal piece of theatre, perfectly encapsulating humanity and connection.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
AD | gifted tickets in return for an honest review