The Bush is a solo theatre show by ‘born storyteller’ Alice Mary Cooper, that recalls the inspiring true story of thirteen, 1970’s ‘housewives’ who battled for 10 years to save bushland in Alice’s native Sydney. This kickstarted a nationwide movement of Green Bans, protecting land and the natural environment from destruction in Australia.
The Bush is a ‘highly accessible’ (The List), ‘affectionate, informative and funny’ (Wee Review) one-woman performance, that speaks to the current climate crisis, whilst joyfully celebrating a pivotal moment in the history of global environmental and feminist movements. In this solo yet epic story, Cooper plays multiple characters in a way that’s part drama, part storytelling, and part fourth-wall breaking stand-up.
A timely celebration of community environmental action that promises to entertain, encourage and empower.
A highly flexible show for outdoors or indoors- previously toured by bike and train!
Part of Made in Scotland at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023
The Bush, follows on from the success of her previous solo work, and The Touring Network Supported Tour, Waves, described by The Observer as ‘a miniaturist gem.’
The tour
There are two presenttion options for this show – indoors or outdoors- and Alice has successfully toured both.
Alice toured the show in 2022 accross Scotland, ‘practicing what it preaches’ in its environmental message, by touring by e-bike and train. The show was performed outdoors, in community run spaces, green spaces and venue grounds across Scotland.
Alice is also happy doing a more traditional style tour, performing indoors and touring with a small car. An indoor run of the show was part of the Made in Scotland Showcase at the Edinburgh Fringe, 2022 at Summerhall.
Audiences
This is a show for activists and would-be activists. It’s a show to change people’s minds about who can be an activist and how. It is a show to inspire people and not be discouraged by their actions not seeming big enough or making enough of a difference. This work is about the butterfly effect of our actions. In this play we witness how thirteen women, wishing to save a small piece of land from development, played a pivotal role in ushering in Australia’s environmental and conservation movement. It’s a show to remind people that what is local matters. It is a show that celebrates thinking outside the box and coming together with unlikely allies for the greater good. Alice and her team are interested in attempting to engage people who might not see going to live performance as ‘a thing for them’, which again thematically links to the idea that women’s activism was seen as something not done by ‘middle-class housewives’. Alice is particularly keen to work with the venues to engage women as this story is so much about how a group of women changed things in a ‘man’s world’. Alice would also like to make it particularly inclusive for people who have traditionally been outside the dominant power holding groups in Scotland.
Why now?
The show speaks to the current climate crisis and campaign for climate justice while also joyfully celebrating a pivotal moment in the history of global environmental and feminist movements.
Praise for Alice Mary Cooper
The Bush
KAREN MARQUIS, The Wee Review, 25 August 2022
Vibrant eco-comedy set in Sydney
‘frequently show-stopping’
The Bush is an affectionate, informative and funny solo show about the ‘Battlers of Kelly’s Bush’, a small group of Australian housewives in the 1970s whose fight to save a patch of bush ground in their Sydney suburb inspired much of the modern ecology movement, including ‘green bans’ where workers refused to work on environmentally unfriendly projects, and the founding of the German Green Party.
The Bush, August 19, 2022 | By Hugh Simpson ★★★★☆ Inviting
The Bush, Alice Mary Cooper’s one-hander at Summerhall, tells of domestic and political life in 1970s Australia, detailing the accidental birth of the environmental movement in a way that is diverting and informative.
Waves
“Something truly beautiful” ★★★★ Broadway Baby
“Fifty glorious minutes… imperceptibly crafted, cleverly told tale with its feel-good twists” ★★★★ Tom Dibdin, AllEdinburghTheatre.com
“A beautiful example of how storytelling can grip an audience from start to finish. Alice Mary Cooper entrances us in a fantastic tale about the hidden strengths we all possess.” Tony Reekie, Former Festival Director, Imaginate
