‘What if the City was a Theatre?’ is bringing live performances to the most fascinating spaces around Wellington. The Central Railway Station is often used for live performances, making use of its grand stature and flow of people as a potential audience.  

Not having seen the film Brief Encounter, the inspiration for Thursday, I arrived as an empty canvas ready for anything. The choreographer and cast are what interest me; despite not having previously seen choreographer Lucy Marinkovich’s work I have heard great things. Dancer Hannah Tasker-Poland is a strong, sensual creature with technique to slice onions and someone I would happily watch do her tax returns.

Sneaking off work early on a Friday isn’t too much of a challenge and I arrive just on the cusp of 4pm, noticing a few punters who have placed themselves around the performance space in anticipation of the upcoming event.

The dancers emerge and if not for their posture and bare feet could easily walk straight past us and onto a train. Simply dressed in trench coats and black clothes they stop, notice each other for the first time and then begin an intricate entwinement and separation that tantalises and teases.  

They move through their encounter at times connected for long periods with circular, flowing, arcing movements that leads to a crescendo. 

Will they, or won’t they?  

At one point the dancers touch each other’s faces and in this socially distancing, mask wearing age I find myself incredibly moved. Touching a face has so much more meaning in this COVID world; it’s almost taboo to do it in public. How many of these commuters did not see or touch another person over the last lockdown? What chance they might meet their brief encounter in the train station today?

The echoing strains of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto Number 2 (also the soundtrack in the film) carry and lift the dancers through their brief encounter; they swing and soar with ever increasing complexity and energy. At one point I feel like it’s going to break into ‘All By Myself’ by Eric Carmen – and research reveals a number of mash-ups exist.  

A delightful piece that you won’t want to end, Thursday is just the right length to stop many commuters in their tracks as a large crowd gathers to enjoy the intimate moment. Beautiful choreography from Marinkovich portrayed movingly by Emmanuel Reynaud and Hannah Tasker-Poland. Only one criticism – the dancers never re-appeared after their tortured, separate departure, to let the audience reward them face to face. It might break the spell, but it celebrates the unique experience.  

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You’ve reached the Wellington Railway Station. In 15 mins your train is due to leave for Waikanae, so there’s time, no great hurry. It’s a fine day, just a bit draughty across the foyer, probably as well to keep your coat on. You stroll around a little and admire the warm pinkish-brown of carrara marble walls, the high vaulted ceiling panels painted in bright lightness. It’s all quite beautiful, must be the finest railway station in the world. The speakers are piping familiar Rachmaninoff, which is somehow comforting in such a transitory space.

Damn, something is caught in your eye and it stings, A man passing tries to help you. Whoa! Who is this? All the longing you’ve always kept inside but never voiced out loud, your secret that you could love someone till the end of time, even if there…

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The Performance Arcade has a pink line running from its home site behind Te Papa to the Railway Station. All roads should lead to Thursday – a short superb dance work by Lucy Marinkovich that surprises as you enter the station forecourt. Two dancers meet, dance, long to be together, and in a sweeping, soaring, lyrical dance duet, this relationship is allowed to find a passion – only to be relinquished as the dancers  move on. The venue is perfect and feels like a step back into a European yet universal film genre (Third Man) and Hannah Tasker-Poland and Manu Reynaud are outstanding.

Passers-by paused, stopped, and missed their trains on Thursday, caught in the magic of a mastery of movement that is rarely seen on stage let alone in a railway station! Left to dream of passing encounters that may have been or may be promised in our lives, we stepped back into reality touched by a choreography that took us on a physical and emotional journey – and back to catch a train or walk into the sunshine – beautifully crafted and realised by Lucy and her cast.

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I wish Thursday was longer. Not something I would typically say but in the case of Thursday by the Boarderline Arts Ensemble, Friday can wait.

A small audience is already gathered in the foyer of the Wellington Railway Station. Gentle piano music begins to play as the two dancers, Emmanuel Reynaud and Hannah Tasker-Poland, emerge through the crowd to take their place on the tiled floor.  

They begin their pas de deux, their movements fluid and graceful as they move singularly and together around the floor, their simple brown trench coats flowing, an extension of their movements. 

As described on the Performance Arcade website Thursday, inspired by the 1945 classic Brief Encounter, creates a brief encounter – 12 minutes to be exact – with the arts for Wellington’s unsuspecting public.

More of a crowd starts to form as those unsuspecting commuters become aware of the show, expertly choreographed Borderline’s Artistic Director Lucy Marinkovich.

A couple of young girls whisper behind me; ‘they are so strong, so beautiful.” And that they are, especially when together moving as one, both taking turns lifting and spinning each other.

The railway station is a stunning venue. There is no flashy set or lighting but the dancers are so mesmerising you don’t even notice the mundane ordinariness around (like people sneaking in and out of the key and luggage store).  The regular loudspeaker announcements enhance the soundscape and add to the narrative of the lovers’ time together running short, eventually having to go their separate ways. 

And just like that, Thursday is over. The dancers walk off into the masses, one through the front doors and the other with the commuters to the train platform.

The crowd disperses. The train to Johnsonville departs.

Brief but beautiful, Thursday is one for the diaries.  

[Thursday repeats on 1 MAR, 4PM/7PM, 2 – 3 MAR, 12PM/2PM]

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