Next time you’re on the MRT, get ready to create poetic moves and grooves

For many, taking the train may be mundane and habitual. So, why not jazz up your ride with an interactive audiovisual journey?

Orang Orang Drum Theatre’s new public performance art piece titled In Transit-ion: A Poetic MRT Journey (In Transit-ion) introduces a cultural adventure for MRT commuters.

In Transit-ion, a collaborative effort with 20 artists from various disciplines, started in March and will continue until the end of the year to brighten up the mood of urban commuters.

“The MRT is a mass rapid transit service in a space where people move very quickly in cities. Not many would pause to contemplate the people and things that they pass.

“Everyone bows their heads and pokes at their phones. With the pandemic, fear and anxiety between people have been aggravated, making public spaces cold and depressing, ” offers Zyee Leow, one of the curators of the project.

In keeping things simple, all you need to do is register online for free, show up at the designated MRT station, maintain physical distance, put on your headphones, follow the audio tracks and embark on your audiovisual poetic adventure with fellow commuters. There will be a guide with a sign board to indicate to the audiences on what to do next.

For phase one of the project, In-Transit-ion will take place along the Bandar Tun Hussein Onn - Pasar Seni line in KL. The 75-minute long performance will take place at the MRT stations and in the train carriages.

During the commute, the participating artists will share with people a piece of music or a chance to move and dance as they please.

Leow hopes this would break down the barriers between people in the train carriages, inject some liveliness and warmth into the daily commute, enrich the otherwise mundane scenery, and add positive energy to this difficult post-pandemic era.

'In Transit-ion: A Poetic MRT Journey' aims to create a cultural adventure for MRT commuters. Photo: Orang Orang Drum Theatre

The performances will use the "urban space" as their creative backdrop and adopt the MRT and surrounding areas as their stage, inviting audiences to re-imagine the scenes of life in Kuala Lumpur along the Klang River through performance art.

Last month, performers performed in silence, with their masks on, while the audience listened to a monologue through the audio track.

In Transit-ion continues on April 10 and April 24 at 5.30pm. Each performance is limited to 25 persons. Strict SOPs will be in place. The performance is open for audiences between six and 60.

This project is supported by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana), Program Penjana Malaysia, MyCreative Ventures and MRT Corp.

This month also marks the eighth anniversary of Orang Orang Drum Theater. With a contemporary and experimental outlook, it continues to explore the relationships between performing arts and people.

More details: Orang Orang Drum Theatre