Tram 3: A Review in Pictures

Mudfest Meets August Performance Targets

As befits a festival of Melbourne, my opening night experience of Mudfest 2011 was dictated by the vagaries of public transport. As sometimes occurs, I got on the wrong tram. Waiting for the first Mudfest performance tram from VCA to Parkville, we were instructed to look for "the number 63 tram, route 67" or perhaps "the number 67 tram, route 63". In any case, instead of the short play we were expecting, we found ourselves amongst a wayward game of Bingo. I have often wondered how best to endure the city tram route. Now, thanks to Mudfest, I know. While the rowdy Mudfest patrons took to the game like ladies in a nursing home, the regular passengers generously looked on with bemused expressions. Thankfully they didn't have us expelled.

On our arrival at Parkville we were received by Grolsch bicycles, whimsically decorated in fairy lights and those lovely bottles of beer. We were guided along the boulevard by creations of light, a very late rabbit, a delightful jazz band, and two homeless guys having an existential debate on the subject of death. Finally we arrived at the elusive Mudclub (Second floor, Union House), a tasteful indoor venue complete with beer garden. We were served Muddy Pots of punch in gumboots, with a Re-boot available if desired. With the delights of opening night behind me, I can't wait to dive head first into the muddy potpourri of Mudfest 2011!

Tram Number Four!

"Welcome to the Poetry Tram!"

The voice is welcoming, hearty and a great introduction to our shared journey as part of the Mudfest adventure Party to open the festival. Connecting the VCA to the Parkville Campus via the tramway was inspired and to have not one tram but five of them - each with different performers was ambitions and ultimately very, very successful. Everyone was buzzing with their different experiences in the Mudclub afterwards.

Bronwyn Lovell and Darren Parker have a wonderful rhythm to their words, self-described beat poets they performed admirably on the tram and indeed used it as both their inspiration and as part of their performance. There poem was epic, whimsical, poignant, hilarious and transformative - much like the emotions one can experience all on the one tram ride. Their spirited performance was accompanied by a improvisational guitarist weaving notes through their words.

This work was about performance, it was a show - but it was so fabulously integrated into the tram that it actually worked to its advantage as a work. As we were passing the Town Hall - the poet describes her first encounter with love on Collins St - by the time we reach Lincoln Square the tears are ready to fall as the final goodbye is uttered. This narrative was interspersed with asides and observations and a wonderful reoccurring motif of the DingDingDingDing of the tram bell.

Especially lovely was the reaction of the public to this pieces - one lady shushed her friends and didn't get off the tram because she wanted to hear the poetry. So that says it all really, this performance captured the tram itself and all of the characters real and imagined that were aboard. A captivating joy.

These poets will be performing at the Poetry Double Bill in the Mudclub 19th Aug and 24th Aug.

Who would want to exit from this opening night?

Mudfest, it begins!!!

Tonight marked the start of the first ever totally student-led Melbourne University Mudfest, and boy what a start it was! Ever wanted to saunter down a boulevard of light, surrounded by men on bikes bearing beer, colourful ladies wailing from tree trunks, and giant metal skeletons walking amongst you, to a secret cave of colour, light, and drinks in gumboots! Sounds like something out of Alice in Wonderland doesn’t it? Well it’s not! It’s Mudfest!

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending the official Mudfest opening at the VCA cafeteria, complete with speeches, champagne, nibbles, and music. We were all then guided, in four groups, out to St Kilda Pde and on to public trams running up Swanston St to The University of Melbourne. But these were no ordinary trams!! Or I should say, were not carrying ordinary passengers!! Well… they were carrying quite a few ordinary passengers (many of whome were rather shocked at the spectacle that begun to unfold around them), but some of their passengers were not ordinary!!!.... This is what I’m trying to get at.

My tram was occupied by four very talented actors, who, over the course of the journey to Melbourne Uni, performed a tasting of their show “No Exit”. 3 colourful characters sent to purgatory for unknown sins and to face unknown tortures, plus one rather shady looking ticket inspector, right here amongst us on the tram. It was a captivating performance, one that had me sitting on the edge of me seat (possibly because the actor was occupying most of it), and delighting in the drama I saw before me. The performance was excellently written, subtly incorporating messages about the anti-social nature of public transport on to the lives and deaths of these 3 drastically different characters. Their diction was perfect, their composure steely… not an easy feat on a rocking and swaying tram with perfectly innocent bystanders pushing past you to get off and on…. and their emotions palpable. If I was to have one criticism it would be that they did not quite pass as tram passengers, except for the factors of initial shock, I doubt anyone was fooled at all. They were quite obviously putting on some kind of show. But so what! Maybe that’s how it should be! Maybe it is we, as we sit silently on public transport, taking up out allocated room on the seat and plugged into our white mind-numbing headphone, who are being insincere. Either way, whether setting an example of acceptable use of public transport, or just making our night a bit more interesting, this performance was a winner!

Mudfest is running until and 28^th of August, and I advise anyone, everyone, all people, the collective majority, and anyone I haven’t already mentioned to get involved! This is the next generation of performers and artists, and in 10 years you might be looking back and saying “I remember seeing [insert famous name here] as they were just starting out, performing to a packed tram on commuters”. The Mudclub, which is located on the 2^nd floor of Union House is a beautiful haven of art and carpet, well worth a visit. “Awesome” commented one patron, “incredible” commented another. “The feeling of moving as part of a performance, being an integral part of it, I’ve never felt that before” said one passenger after disembarking from the tram. There will be shows, music and events in the Mudclub all next week.

The full performance of “No Exit” will be running on Monday evening, on the route 8 tram running north and leaving from Melbourne University at 8:30. It will then run again on the tram when it turns around and heads south. Go and check it out!!! Seeing a play in a tram is something everybody’s gotta do at least once.

Have a great Mudfest!!!