Transit at Arches Lane Theatre

“How do you pack a life into 23 kilograms? One item at a time.”

Transit, the award-winning, genre-bending theatre piece, exploring migration and how we live ‘in between’ homes, is transferring to Arches Lane this September after a successful run at The Cockpit in July. A multidisciplinary experience, Transit is told through a series of vignettes utilising physical theatre, multilingual poetry, dance, and multimedia.

In a country where migrants are scapegoated and conversations around borders dominate our conversations, the environment is more hostile than ever. Transit is an evocative, genre-bending exploration of migration and what it means to find a place to call home. Told through a series of interdisciplinary vignettes, drawing on the lived experience of the performers, Transit delicately navigates the feeling of being ‘too foreign for here, too foreign for home’ and how we build hope within our communities.

Transit showcases the multifaceted experience of navigating the logistical, emotional, and financial pressures of the immigration system while maintaining a sense of hope and humanity. Transit looks at migration not as a positive or a negative, but rather a magnification of the human experience, a complex and never-ending journey of self-discovery and resilience.

In collaboration with community partners, including the British Red Cross, New Diorama, Chisenhale Dance Space, University of East London and more, Transit and its associated engagement activities provide a space for migrant and refugee communities to share their experiences, heal, and be heard. All performances of Transit will be captioned for increased accessibility. Support for Transit contributes towards Halfpace’s ongoing development and engagement programmes for migrant and refugee artists. Recent programmes include a ‘Making It Work’ migrant takeover week in association with New Diorama Theatre and Ensemble Not Found which ran in May 2026; a series of workshops for the British Red Cross youth refugee groups; an ensemble building workshop for migrants with Projekt Europa in June; and additional panels, networking events and workshops during the run at Arches Lane. Upcoming activity will be announced across our social media pages and website.

The 2023 production won a 2023 OffComm Award and was a 2025 Untapped Award Shortlist. Reviews hail Transit as ‘extremely moving and mesmerising to watch’ (London Theatre1), ‘engaging and heartfelt’ (Richard Lambert), ‘a timely and imaginative exploration of migration’ (Theatre Weekly) and ‘will have you laughing and crying and all stages of emotion in between’ (Fairy Powered Productions).

Cast and Creative Team

Original Devising Company: Mikko Juan, Ting-Ning Wen, Bethany Monk-Lane, Aijamal Nasirdinova, Niamh Smith, Danlu Peng

Performed for Arches Lane: Ting-Ning Wen, Bethany Monk-Lane, Mikko Juan, Niamh Smith, Danlu Peng

Director: Megan Brewer

Producer: Lydia Idakula

Set and Costume Designer: Daria Vasko

Lighting Designer: Cheng Keng

Sound Designer: Jamie Lu

Video Designer: He Zhang

Movement Director: Monica Nicolades

Composer & Stage Manager: Austin Yang

All photos credited to Danny Kaan