waiting for a train at the bus stop

Theatre (poetry, dark comedy)

  • Summerhall - TechCube 0
  • 14:50
  • Aug 27
  • 1 hour
  • Suitability: 14+ (Guideline)
  • Country: United Kingdom - England
  • Group: Mwansa Phiri
  • Warnings and additional info: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Scenes of a sexual nature, Scenes of sexual violence, Strong language/swearing
  • Accessibility: May not apply to all performances. You'll find more information about accessibile performances and how to book tickets in the accessibility tab below.
  • Babes in arms policy: Babies do not require a ticket
  • Policy applies to: Children under 2 years

Description

'17 minutes. That's how long it takes to die by train. I looked it up once'. Chilufya – you can call her Chili – doesn't know whether she is coming or going. Which makes perfect sense since her name literally means 'the lost one' and lost is exactly how she's felt most of her life. Struggling with low self-esteem and a waning sense of self, she finds herself being drawn into a dangerously controlling relationship. Interweaving spoken-word theatre with Zambian oral traditions this dark comedy is a solo show exploring coercive control.

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General venue access

  • Accessible entry: Once in the courtyard, take the access ramp into the main reception, take a right down the corridor, past the cafe, through a corridor with neon strip lights in the walls(slightly inclined), past the red lecture and through the double doors into the ground floor of tech cube.
  • Wheelchair access type: Wheelchair accessible (please contact the venue for more information)

  • Stairs: Information not supplied

Each venue can contain several space with different accessibly information. Visit the venue page for full venue accessibility info


How and when to make an access booking

Our access tickets service is available to anyone who:

  • Would like to book specific accessibility services, e.g. a hearing loop, audio description headsets, captioning units, seating in relation to the location of the BSL interpreter
  • Requires extra assistance when at a venue
  • Has specific seating requirements
  • Is a wheelchair user
  • Requires a complimentary personal assistant ticket to attend a performance

Angela Caulder 40 days ago

5 STARS. Great stage presence. Use of body and voice portraying different characters excellent. Strong script. The media visuals were a clever addition. Some scenes harrowing. Explores very important and current themes.

Nilanthi Sangarabalan 46 days ago

An absolutely stunning piece. I loved the use of poetry and projected graphics but it was the actor who deserves so much credit for their storytelling and keeping us captivated the whole time. You could tell part way into the show that things were going to get dark and couldn't help but feel for them as they progressed through their relationship with an abuser. Highly recommend.

Louis 46 days ago

A funny, engaging play that gradually draws you in before turning sinister and heartbreaking. Atmospheric staging and an absolutely stunning performance. Some of the best acting you'll see all fringe!

David Robertson 51 days ago

Nic relaxing hour to.pass a couple of days back ( just getting round to reviews). One woman show but the girl was very good and kept the audience captivated.

Stephen Leach 54 days ago

A slow-moving but beautifully staged piece about trying to get your act together. We're introduced to protagonist Chilufya, her name literally meaning lost one: apt as she's adrift in life, continually telling herself that she needs to focus on herself and her goals and stop wasting her time on disappointing men but buffeted by unending parential, social, and cultural pressure to do the exact opposite.

The performance space is simple and bare, with only a basket full of clothes from which various clothes are drawn during the course of the play illustrating the journey. Abandoned clothes get dropped every few feet, which gives the action an enjoyable sense of progression and feeds into Chilufya's constant refrain that she "really needs to clean her room", while a bar of strip lighting at the front serves as an effective stand-in for the titular train. Titles for each segment of the play get projected onto the back wall as things progress, which often serve to provoke an ironic moment of laughter from the audience but also signpost where things are going.

The script is clever and laced with good moments of wit, and feels current and self-aware. It's brought to life by a performer who is bouncy, bubbly, appealing and engaging. You want to be her friend and yet you know there's something not quite right with her: she communicates effectively the anguish and moments of anger prompted by her longing for meaning and connection. It's incredibly relatable and tinged with pain, and by the end her pain is yours too. Really well-written and brought to life so capably - top stuff.


Participants - for further details on our audience and published review policies, including how to add or opt out of reviews, please click here.

Theatre, Films, and Art Reviews (4/5 stars) 39 days ago

One of the Fringe must-see shows for 2023.

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ThreeWeeks (4/5 stars) 45 days ago

Powerful, raw and goose-bump inducing performance.

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Binge Fringe (4/5 stars) 56 days ago

A fantastically authentic piece of theatre that is captivating, dark and heart-breaking.

Read the full review


Participants - for further details on our audience and published review policies, including how to add or opt out of reviews, please click here.

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Participants - for further details on our audience and published review policies, including how to add or opt out of reviews, please click here.