Review - Passenger

The Arts Centre Melbourne and Footscray Community Arts Centre Present

PASSENGER

A Production by Jessica Wilson

Devised by Jessica Wilson, Ian Pidd and Nicola Gunn

Text by Nicola Gunn

Directed by Ian Pidd and Jessica Wilson

Composition by Tom Fitzgerald

Conceptual and Devising Contributions by Bec Reid Jeff Blake and the performers

Performers

Woman on bus – Beth Buchanan

Man on bus – Jim Russel

Cowboy – Neil Thomas

Horse rider – Jamie Crichton

March 23 to 26 – 2017 - several journeys a day leaving from Footscray Arts Centre

Marvelously Melbourne Arts Centre has teamed up with the Footscray Arts Centre to get passenger realized.  It is unique and intriguing endeavor.

It is usually almost impossible to get to see mobile work like this presented in a bus - as seats are limited.  I was delighted to be able to catch this immersive performance.

As a bus journey that started at dusk it was designed to be a filmic experience, with a great sound track (Tom Fitzgerald), as such it is quite magic.   Created, written and designed by several of our most prolific community based/community responsive theatre makers.  Passenger looks at some of our social inequities through the interaction of characters on the bus in the relation to the environment we are passing through.

When the man on the bus (Jim Russel) starts talking to seemingly sympathetic female character (Beth Buchanan) about the tricky family situation he is in - it is very moving.  This suggests that throughout  the journey he will tap into and open out his emotional world to us.  But then is rhetoric becomes less and less personal and we sense he is just a cog in a wheel, making strong political points.  However I was left thinking a string of lost opportunities for the audience to be moved and feel empathetic towards this character who is really powerlessly caught in a destructive cycle.  

As a challenging revelation of selfishness, greed and disempowerment this work that has the potential to enlighten through pathos.  I don’t understand why Passenger doesn’t attempt to do that.

Although what is intentionally staged for the audience is quirky and strong it is perhaps a little thin.  The way ‘the tables turn between the characters, is unexpected and surprising.’ 

Over all for me despite the very strong acting by Russel and Buchanan - in this instance less is just not more. 

Finally at the risk of sounding contradictory despite my disappointed response I did enjoy the evening and am very glad that I was able to catch Passenger.

Note:  I was sent as a reviewer by Stage Whispers.  On this occasion I didn’t send this material on to the magazine to be published.   I felt that I had to work pretty hard as audience and would have liked more links with the world outside the bus that I was observing throughout.