Transit, C Venues – C, 31 July to 26 August 6:15pm, £10.50 (£8.50 concessions)
New Swiss-based theatre company À Point is set to make its Edinburgh Fringe debut with TRANSIT, the ensemble’s first show. The company is comprised of seven East 15 Physical Theatre graduates that come from England, Norway and Switzerland. À Point’s style draws upon live music, puppetry, clown and movement to create dynamic story-telling that is routed in sensitivity and universality.
TRANSIT is inspired by a true-life story told to À Point by one of the company members about her family. The other members were so moved by the story that they decided to base the first project upon it. TRANSIT is performed with no set and minimal props, different spaces created using mostly the performers’ bodies and suitcases; some of these spaces created from virtually nothing include houses, train carriages and the Eiffel Tower. The show is enhanced by the use of multiple languages, live music and song.
Samantha Applebee is a young girl who has fallen victim to her own imagination. The outside world looms in on Samantha, and monsters frighten her from the window, threatening to get her family whenever they leave the house! Samantha decides it would be safer to stay permanently indoors.
When Diana, Samantha’s sister and only friend, leaves home to travel Europe, Samantha is left with nobody to talk to. She makes tea, writes stories and creates new friendships with her characterful furniture. For a long time she lives like this, confined in her house, living only through postcards and letters that she receives from Diana.
One day there is a knock at the door and Samantha receives a letter of condolence with Diana’s suitcase and diary. She realises all at once that her safe surroundings were not able to protect her from the greatest tragedy of all. Abruptly stepping out of her comfort zone to leave her claustrophobic world behind, Samantha departs with Diana’s diary in hand to trace her footsteps around Europe. What comes next is a journey of self-discovery, risk-taking, and first time contact with other people.
À Point invites the audience to join Samantha in facing the fears that have, up until now, separated her from the rest of the world. In her acceptance of the linguistic, cultural, national and psychological barriers that she encounters on her travels, Samantha learns the importance of daring to take risks and being truly herself.
