Bunny

5
Reviewer's Rating

Catherine Lamb (Katie) moves in perfect synchrony with the light and sound cues. It is breath taking how well the minimalist use of props, sound and light creates the right atmosphere, giving the audience everything they need to perfectly imagine the scene in real life. The choice of music helps with that, as it works incredibly well with the scenes and well-known songs communicate the mood of a situation without being too little or too much.

The story revolves around a young teenage girl, with little confidence but a big ego. None of her (at times questionable) actions are explained or evaluated. Jack Thorne (National Treasure, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, etc.) wrote a relatable tale about what it is like to be in-between childhood and adulthood. Even as the plot starts to take a dark turn, that only becomes darker as the story goes on, it is at no point exaggerated or artificial.

The whole show is like a movie in your head. The story telling and the lyrics bring the streets of Luton and the characters to life. One has an exact image of what the people appearing look like, even though it is a one-women show and the only character we actually see is Katie herself. This is down to the beautifully well written lyrics, that bring words to life.

While the play finishes with an open ending, it is by no means unsatisfying or leaves the viewer wondering about too much. In fact, it fits the whole style of storytelling. Katie’s accounts of her behaviour and actions in school and at home are purely told from her point of view. There is no evaluation as to why or what the thoughts behind them might be. And that is a positive aspect, as BUNNY is not a tale about judgement, but about the need for confirmation and appreciation, especially if it comes from the “toughest” members of a group.

This is definitely a show to see and it will leave the viewer stunned through its humane and relatable aspects, even though most actions described are far from humane.