Elevator culture is no longer a mystery. We are all consciously aware that we stand facing away from each other, and create appropriate space based on how many people are in the lift because… Well, why?  It’s weird, and yet we still engage in these supposed societal norms, which add very little value to our day. This performance exposes our lesser-acknowledged ‘Bus Culture’.

Five girls stand and attend to their appearance. They don’t notice the audience as we amble in and all of a sudden feel as if we have invaded something personal.  

The seating on stage resembles a bus and each girl eventually takes her seat. They sit appropriately away from one another, of course. The girls begin to reveal tidbits of personal thought as the bus journey continues and distinct characters start to emerge. The tone is comical as they share their bus observations and experiences without inhibition.  Each character has her own story to tell, and this leaks out and is developed throughout the bus ride.  

While one girl talks, the others act as if they are actually sitting on public transport. They keep to themselves and text. They pick at their nails and look out the windows. They avoid making eye contact and busy themselves with external stimuli.

The tone changes from light to dark. The characters begin to confess their personal limitations as a human, and translate these through their bus experiences, which aren’t always pleasant. Behind their nonchalant exterior is an entire story, a purpose and a whole lot of brain activity.

And this, in essence is what the performance teaches us. We, ourselves, are limited because we refuse to learn the complexities and the intricacies of people. On a bus, we are surrounded by similarities, beauty, and possibilities, yet the only thing we care to know is that we all adhere to societal norms in a public transport setting.

I have one gripe, and that is the projector display, which screens throughout the performance. It distracts from the commitment that these actors have and insults their ability to hold an audience for a full hour on their own.   

If you want a lesson in how ridiculous and laughable societal constraints are, and a lesson in how we should ride a bus this is the show for you. These girls could take a lecture specifying in the anthropology of the bus catcher. 

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