Transmission – into the dark is a real gem of an event being held as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, created by “one step at a time like this”. This is a radio-based live performance where you journey on your own through the suburban streets of Newport at night time. I made it to the preview event on Monday night (30 September) for a dark and mysterious hour and a half.
A few hours prior to the event starting I (along with everyone else) am assigned my own specific starting point – outside a typical house on a street in the residential area of Newport. The start time is 7:30. But I got there a little early. It is quiet with most people indoors. After a busy day with others, I get to savour the solitude of the street to myself, with just the very occasional car. Right on cue a message arrives on my phone with instructions and the journey begins.
The first part of the performance is done by oneself with headphones connected to a radio receiver. The radio signal my device received was a little patchy. Was this a bug or a feature? I couldn’t quite work it out, but it did add to the whole atmosphere where I was connected to someone else but only in a tenuous sense. The radio host is a woman’s voice guiding me through the night. Always calm. I am the night walker, an outsider wandering through suburbia and wondering what is transpiring behind the curtains of the houses.
The second part of the event engages with deep reds against darkness and an industrial cacophony help this mysterious phase. After this, I am given a new headset and the audio is guiding me to contemplate on the infinite possibilities of the universe and beyond.
Given the nature of the event, this will not be for everyone. You need to be comfortable walking around at night by yourself (though you do have the option of going with a partner). If you struggle with vision in the dark or don’t feel safe being alone on the streets you might want to opt out. Also this is more about experiencing a state of being and imagining what is going on behind closed doors. This is not a typical storyline done in 3 acts. There is no story arc for the heroes and villains. But if you are comfortable with all that and want a different experience then you will love this. I certainly did.
Bookings: https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/transmission-into-the-dark/
Dates and Times:
Monday, 30 September 2024 – 7:30pm
Tuesday, 01 October 2024 – 8:00pm
Wednesday, 02 October 2024 – 8:00pm
Thursday, 03 October 2024 – 8:00pm
Friday, 04 October 2024 – 7:30pm
Saturday, 05 October 2024 – 7:30pm
