French-owned public transport provider, Connex has shunned homage to the work of author, Gaston Leroux in a move that has angered local theatre lovers and student lobby groups alike. A freelance theatre group known as 'Théâtre de Chagny' expressed its dismay at the issuance of a cease-and-desist order by Connex to prevent them from performing on Connex-owned trains. The duo - Lirsten Kaw of Richmond and Fdrian Aernand of no fixed address - interpret modern-day and classic plays and musicals for the enjoyment of fellow commuters on Melbourne's public transport network.
Kaw and Aernand's abridged version of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular Broadway musical, The Phantom of the Opera (in four-and-a-half minutes) has attracted critical acclaim. "I thought they were Melbourne University arts students on a dare for 'O Week' when I first saw them," says Tanya Holdsworth, a 33 year-old mother and nail technician from Bayswater. "But then I saw them on the 4.15 [service] on the way to Red Rooster to pick up dinner for kids."
Armed with a red, white and blue-striped canvas netball bag, the two aspiring writers/actors portray the many and varied characters of the Lloyd Webber musical, assisted by costumes donated by the costume department of popular late-nineties Channel Nine drama, Halifax FP.
Unlike the twenty-year run of the Broadway production of Phantom, Théâtre de Chagny were only able to perform four times on Wednesday morning and twice in the afternoon before being ushered off the train by Connex ticket inspectors. "They said that we would have to buy an extra ticket for our bag of costumes, otherwise we couldn't travel on the train," said an upset Kaw. "They said the same rules applied to surfboards and bicycles, but I believe it was clearly persecution of the dramatic arts."
"We have the support of the community to thank during this difficult time," said Aernand who is currently writing a stage version of popular 1980s sitcom, Dougie Howser, M.D. "I mean, everyone seemed to like what we were doing. Admittedly some were using iPods and others were reading the paper, but I think we really made a difference to people's lives by bringing the theatre to them."
Connex refused to comment but is rumoured to be discussing the matter with Yarra Trams and bus service providers Ventura and Invicta in order to propose a state-wide ban to Transport Minister, Lynne Kosky. "The ban represents the decline in acceptance of performance art in an already cultureless society by major corporations," says Kaw. "Wake up, Connex."
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