Stories from the 428

Overview

The 428 is an omnibus of mystery. It goes where it wants, it arrives when it wants. Deciphering its movements is about as easy as predicting a hurricane from the flap of a butterfly's wing. The route is curvy, crowded and distracting, following the bends of the old Canterbury tram line through Newtown and Marrickville from Circular Quay. The sheer diversity of people and places touched on by the 428 makes for a surprising and bumpy ride.

A team of writers, directors and actors will observe and distil the action on this bus into play form for the restaging of Stories from the 428. The play is being performed again at the Sidetrack Theatre for the Sydney Fringe Festival after a successful April season. Its set fetishises all the everyday things about modern Sydney buses: skinny yellow poles and handrails, unmysterious safety signs and the near intimacy with wordless strangers. Ordinary chachkas of everyday public transport — so familiar; so loathed on a bad day, so overlooked on a good day — are what the play tries to bring up closer into the light. It's not back for long, so catch it while you can.