Stepping into “The Travellers and The Listeners” is akin to being teleported into an eerie, alien world. The Hong Kong-based theatre, Freespace, nestled in the heart of the West Kowloon Cultural District’s art park, has morphed into a gloomy, dreamlike landscape for this multimedia presentation. The floor, soft and padded, the air filled with an eerie soundtrack, and an abundance of sheet-covered chairs scattered throughout, conjure images of ghosts as seen through a child’s eyes.
A performer wanders slowly through this shadowy expanse, reaching out, seemingly trying to touch an unseen presence. He knocks on an invisible door, but the presumed occupants of the chairs remain silent, not answering his calls. The hour-long performance unfolds across nine scenes, inviting the audience to navigate through a unique blend of theatre and art installation, deeply inspired by the 1912 poem ‘The Listeners’ by English author Walter de la Mare.
The poem paints a haunting picture of a traveller standing at the door of a deserted house inhabited by phantoms. They remain silent as he knocks and repeatedly inquires if anyone is home, leaving him alone and bewildered. The poem’s ambiguity, inviting a plethora of interpretations—whether about human existential loneliness or our inability to communicate with nature—is mirrored in this multisensory experience curated by artistic director Samson Young, fostering an environment ripe for individual interpretations and imaginations.
“From the very beginning,” curator Bobo Lee notes, “you have to prepare to go into another world.” The venue seeks to evoke the “unseen” elements of the poem, particularly the spectral listeners beyond the door.
Young has collaborated with a team of artists, lighting designers, sound designers, musicians, and performers to craft the atmospheric mise-en-scene. What sets this visually impactful project apart is the musical score Young composed, which serves as the foundation for “The Travellers and The Listeners”. The clarinet and violin, intermittently played live within the space, enhance the musical composition while a piano draped in silk fabric plays autonomously.
The entire performance is imbued with a theme of ‘doubling’, where live music merges with pre-recorded tracks and actors perform alongside video projections displaying parallel narratives. Some peculiar elements, such as characters donning pigeon and horse masks, are restricted to the videos, subtly alluding to de la Mare’s poem.
While incorporating modern technology like sound spatialisation for creating 3D acoustic environments, Lee refutes the label of “art tech”. Instead, she views the multimedia components as tools to weave an integrated narrative and establish a unique artistic language.
Each rendition lasts for about an hour and is looped over three hours, allowing audiences the freedom to enter and exit the theatre at will. Reading de la Mare’s short poem beforehand is highly recommended to fully appreciate the immersive experience.
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