When Julia Roberts portrayed the prostitute with the heart of gold and the happy ending in Pretty Woman the world fell in love with the lowly-girl-makes-good story. But the romantic romp couldn’t have been further from the truth. All over the world thousands of women forced into prostitution for whatever reason have no Richard Gere, no fairytale finale, and for many no life or self-worth. It’s the thriving business of prostitution and human trafficking from Eastern Europe into the streets and brothels of the West that Bodies in Transit seeks to expose.

Marija (Iben Hendel Philipsen) is in a Copenhagen prison cell arrested for being drunk and disorderly. It is here that she tells of how she came to be so far from her home in Lithuania. She only hoped to escape her futile and limited home life to become a beautician, but instead signed on for more than she could handle, being trafficked abroad and forced into a brothel to pay off her debt. An illegal immigrant with money owed what can her future hold?

This one-woman show is the product of writer Nina Larissa Bassett spending two years researching the subject of trafficked women, reading reports, case-studies and talking to people. As a result the play is a culmination of these facts told through the words and physicality of Philipsen’s Marija. A well paced production the story affects the audience on many levels, from a disgust at the acts that take place, to hatred towards the traffickers, and an overwhelming sympathy for the young woman. For Philipsen playing 19 different roles including Marija is a testament to her strength as an actress, but the various smaller roles, indicated by stylised movements, become confused and difficult to follow. The high energy within the show can also become tiring to watch and the running time overlong for a solo performance. However, the strength of the story holds these elements together and its thematic relevance cannot be argued. You can see Bodies in Transit and view the real world, or stick with the sugar-coated Pretty Woman in Hollywood-world. You decide.

Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street (0131 228 1404)
Running Time: 1hr30mins

Preview Aug 2: 13:30 £8 (£4.50U)

Aug 3, 8, 12, 17: 15:30, Aug 4, 9, 13, 18: 18:00,
Aug 5, 10, 15, 19: 20:30, Aug 6, 11, 16, 20: 13:30,
Aug 22, 26: 14:30, Aug 23, 27: 17:00,
Aug 24: 20:00, Aug 25: 12:30

Tickets: £12.50 (£9) (£4.50U)