Bush Chook is a haunting story that sprinkles in just enough familiar notes to prevent you from endlessly writhing on the inside. Set in a roadhouse in the Nullarbor, where two strangers travelling in opposite directions meet, this location provides a blank yet recognisable canvas for what is to come.
We meet Mary (played by Lea Šimić), a sheltered young woman travelling across the Nullarbor, and 26-year-old Angus (played by Matthew J Young), who is travelling in the opposite direction. As their conversations unravel, the audience is confronted with questions of what it means to connect with someone in a display of abrasive heteronormativity.
The nonlinear narrative is unsettling, leaving me trying to piece together what is happening in a way that made me relate to Mary. You know how this story is probably going to go, but its disjointed nature really leaves you on edge. Writer Hayley Perrin makes this age-old tale of boy meets girl unpredictable. This multidimensional play exposes a dark undercurrent that mainstream stories daren’t tell.
The unnerving tone drives deeper in the surreal sequences where Angus shapeshifts into a dog, embodying a metaphor of predation. These moments, in particular, showcase Talia Zipper’s lighting and sound design.
Bush Chook is a disruptive story that lingers after you leave the theatre. This lean four-person production team has done well to shine a light on such dark truths.
Bush Chook is on at The Blue Room Theatre from Feb 3-7.