Bunker
Bunker is a funny, original, pop-culture filled theatre production by SAYarts (South Australian Youth Arts) senior ensemble, that will take you on a wild ride through their violent, capitalistic apocalypse.
Set in a world where the surface has become an apocalyptic wasteland, everyone has been driven underground into various bunkers. Forced to hop from bunker to bunker to survive worsening natural disasters and cannibalism, everyone is on the lookout for the mythical ‘Bunker #1’, the ultimate utopia to ride out humanity’s final days.
Bunker is a brand-new work written and directed by Alby T Grace and developed by the senior ensemble. It’s full of interesting twists and turns, with ironic and subversive uses of theatrical literary techniques, such as the Shakespearean aside, to humorous degrees. With too many film and TV references to mention, and a few decent impressions, the entire cast brings Bunker’s absurd and satirical story to life with great enthusiasm.
The play follows Lilly (Marianna De Tullio) and Tim (Charlie Storer) after being kidnapped during their search for their thirteenth bunker.
The two are quickly joined by movie obsessed Johnny (Kynan Hartley), glam rocker Osbourne (Alby Grace), and the bunkers AI, Bunny (Nate Johnson). The group, while stuck together in a small room, share their life’s stories and squabble amongst themselves.
The performance did feel a bit like improv at times, with its eclectic range of ideas and sub-plots. However, given the script was created around the ensembles ideas and developed by the whole group, this does make sense, and everything came together in the end.
De Tullio was a highlight with her strong performance throughout Bunker, with a particular skill in continuing a scene with improvised props.
However, the cast did feel like they lost their momentum a few times, with a forgotten line or two. Despite this, the group seemed to be able to bounce off one another well enough to keep the story flowing.
Bunker also features original music by Henry Allen, and the score starts strong within the first moments of the play. Bringing an upbeat and action-packed feel to the stage, right out of a block buster movie.
There was a small problem with the volume being too loud at certain times, as the actors did not have microphones, but this evened out by the performance’s conclusion.
The small stage was set up in a simple yet elaborate scene to depict a bunker of a film fanatic. With VCR and DVD cases littering the floor, scattered bottles, chairs and a few other bits and bobs, it transformed the stage into organised chaos.
With a short run of five shows total, Bunker is solely being performed at Prompt Creative Centre. It is a smaller venue, though it does have a bar and amenities. This does mean that while waiting for the stage to be set up, majority of the audience will have to wait outside of the venue.
There is a great deal of modern slang mixed into the play as well. So, if you’re not overly familiar with Gen Z slang, it might be worth bringing one along with you to translate a couple of the lines.
Bunker is overall an interesting play that needed a touch more rehearsal time. It is however, a must watch if you want to support the emerging South Australian talent in our local theatre industry.