Fringe review: Transit

AS TRAGEDIES go, Transit is a lively one. After the death of their mother, sisters Diana and Samantha Appleby head down two very different paths: one embarking on an adventure around Europe, the other staying home to become increasingly agoraphobic and talk to the kettle.

Transit

C Venues (venue 34)

* * *

Each step of their respective journeys is acted out by an energetic seven-strong cast, who animate every moment with dynamic movement, and use a plethora of interesting physical theatre devices to create sound and motion. Characters we meet along the way – elderly sweet shop owners reminiscing about their youth, two brothers facing the harsh reality of the battlefield – all add to Transit’s flavour. Live accordion playing, and two all too brief moments of a cappella singing, show that the young performers in A Point Theatre Company have much to offer – given the right material. This, however, isn’t quite it.

Despite handing the audience four deaths in the space of an hour, there is little opportunity for genuine emotional engagement. The places Diana and Samantha visit are interesting geographically, but psychologically we’re really no closer to knowing them at the end than we were at the start.

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Despite the palpable energy level on stage, the longer it goes on, the less engaging Transit becomes, almost dragging during the final ten minutes – largely because the techniques and talent used to tell this story are considerably more interesting than the story itself.

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