Transe Express: ADN - A Vertical Odyssey
Warm-up | About 45 minutes before the show, Transe Express artists were getting into costume and warming up. Their backstage spread across several tents: dressing rooms, a green room, and warm-up spaces. Outside, the audience was already filling the venue.
I reached out to Transe Express about a week before their performance at the Milton Keynes International Festival. Just a day before the show, when I thought I wouldn’t hear back, Lucie from their team got in touch and gave me the green light to photograph the artists before and during the performance. It was a last-minute approval, but I was so excited that it didn’t take me more than two seconds to say yes.
Just before 'Lift-off’ | About 15 minutes before showtime, the artists, dressed in their luminous orange costumes, marched toward the main stage, ready to be lifted into the air. The sky was magnificent, adding even more atmosphere to the venue — almost neo-punk in vibe.
Opportunities like this really make me want to invest in a telephoto lens. I couldn’t get too close to the ADN-inspired structure/machine while the artists prepared, each in their own “bubble” for safety. But that small limitation didn’t stop me from being creative and making the most of what I had to capture the moment.
Showtime | At the center of a luminous, towering structure in this electro opera, characters face trials that challenge their strength, connections, and determination. Blending aerial climbing, dance, and circus, the performance turns into a vertical choreography that celebrates the power of the collective.
I never imagined an outdoor circus show could look like this. A 44-metre-tall structure, lifted by a 200-ton crane, comes alive with an electrifying mix of live vocals and percussion. So vibrant, so immersive — a truly break-free aesthetic. I photographed the show on both nights in Milton Keynes. The low light made shooting tough, but the experience was absolutely worth it.
