Bucket’s List is a gorgeous and heartbreaking story about love, buckets, possums and weddings.
Buckets (performed by Justin Kennedy and voiced by Felix Nobis) is a simple man with simple pleasures. With a love of dried apricots, he lives alone and, with little connection to his neighbours, his only confidante is an uninterested and horny possum (Rhys Auteri). One day off hitting 20 years at the bucket factory where he works, Buckets is suddenly out of a job when the factory shuts down. With a whole new world in front of him, Buckets decides that the life of a wedding DJ is for him. And it is here where Buckets decides that he wants to get married. Without a woman in his life, Buckets sets about creating his ‘dream girl’ and it is here that the story, while taking a turn for the absurd, really hits its stride.
Kennedy, who is mostly silent for the show, is spectacular as Buckets. With a Mr. Bean-esque quality to his performance, Kennedy brings a delightful and sweet awkwardness to the character and draws the audience into his world – when he’s happy, the audience is happy and, when he’s sad, the audience is sad. Auteri performs the live score, and the role of the possum, with a hilarious cynicism, while Bucket’s ‘dream girl’ (designed by Jason Lehane of Barking Spider Visual Theatre and operated by Jem Nicholas) feels magically lifelike.
Yvonne Virsik clearly directs this show with a love and fondness for Buckets and his story, while Sarah Collins has written yet another quirky, hilarious and heartwarming show. Bucket’s List is a true gem of a show and should not be missed.
BY MYF CLARK
