Performance Art

Well it’s fair to say that I don’t see all that much live theatre these days of the formal, on a stage kind, but I do experience a hell of a lot of the theatre of life. On the train, daily. Here is a snapshot of recent performances that made me giggle, gasp, cringe, despair and smile:
- Right now, a long haired couple – him dark haired, straight locks neatly cascading down past his angular profile, she blonde with giant hoop earrings – sitting at the front of the carriage, perched up on their seats, kissing so we can see it in profile, sitting so that we can not help but see them, as they are, right at the end of our line of sight. Smooching noises.
- Earlier in the week, teenager, pregnant, older boyfriend in jail – but hoping to get out early on drug rehab – she only 14, not able to put his name on the birth certificate or he’d be arrested. The fight he got put away for involved bashing a guy at the station – he lost his eyeball, but they could pop it back in you know? Because they didn’t damage the socket. Anyway he didn’t pop the eyeball out but he did bash the other guy, and there was a camera at the station… She wanted to bash Tanya with a chair leg, because she is such a slag, and she’s wanted to bash her for a while, but you know, she’s pregnant, so couldn’t.
- Boys, school. Do you know how often I have to put wax in just so these dredlocks stay in? Every few weeks. No it’s not dandruff, it’s wax! It’s wax. Yeah I think I’ll just grow them down to my shoulders.
- Woman, sitting at the very front of our carriage, up the few steps, near the doors. Saying forcefully into her mobile: ‘No, this isn’t histrionics, you are just a callous, cold bastard.’ And ‘would you let your sister, your mother walk home from the station? All the years I ferried you around. Eight years you bastard.’
- This morning: ‘This is the most fucked book that I have ever read! 15 pages from the end and it turns out the lawyer did it. The laywer couldn’t have done it! There was all these things he said – it couldn’t have been him. Aaw seriously this is fucked – 7 hours I spent reading this book. I mean if it was good you should know, there would be clues… I might need to read this again. This is fucked.’

Sometimes these vignettes are short pieces said out loud, monologues, soliloquies, other times they are unfolding dramas between people. Sometimes I can’t help but eavesdrop for nigh on an hour, try not to giggle in the funny bits. Engaging characters, dodgy characters, people you like and are like and people you don’t.