"Where's the Train?" Trains Not Tolls Troupe at Doncaster Mall

Getting the message out there

This morning a group of Public Transport enthusiasts met briefly under the Fitzroy grandstand for our final (only) full dress rehearsal, before heading out in convoy to wow shoppers at the Doncaster mall. We chose Victorian costumes to make the point that a train to Doncaster was first promised in the 1870s. And we are still waiting.

Queuing for the train?

Under the able tutelage of Roderick Poole we had learned strategies to attract attention in a busy mall. We queued in a variety of spots, mingled, walked about decorously as befits Victorian ladies and gentlemen, rode up and down the escalators and read our newspapers. Our aim was to intrigue onlookers and hopefully make them more aware of the need for Doncaster rail and other public transport options. We didn't talk directly with viewers ourselves, but instead directed queries to our main support person, Anne Mullins, who I also have to thank for the great pictures in this post. I couldn't take them myself because I was one of the performers and the camera didn't fit down my bra.

I loved my dress

We all looked fabulous and of course it was the costumes that attracted so much attention. I was bowled over by how ingenious everyone was in acessorizing, one of the men (I think it was Roderick) even locating in an op shop Victorian spectacles, whose prescription suited him fine.  And of course we also have to thank the famous Rose Chong, of Gertrude Street, who generously outfitted us all as her contribution to the East-West Link protest.

Rose and Bella - thank you so much!

While I think of it, there were others to thank, especially Douglas, who organised us all, and Andrew who made the marvellous newspapers, which were a crucial way to get our message across, especially as it is illegal to hand out flyers in a mall.
It was great to see how many people stopped what they were doing to watch us. And several commented that in such a busy noisy atmosphere the sheer silence of our performance made a big impact.

Enjoying the performance

Some of the heartening things Anne reported were that people really appreciated what we were doing and many expressed great enthusiasm for Doncaster rail. I just hope news of our bewildered search for the train in the Doncaster mall gets out there, and those who haven't given the situation much thought to date start thinking.
This was my first experience of street (or rather, mall) theatre and I must say I enjoyed it a lot. And it was such fun dressing up!