23 August 2013

Mini review: Delectable Shelter

Delectable Shelter
Critical Stages and The Hayloft Project
22 August 2013
Northcote Town Hall
to 22 August 2013
or it's on at Moonee Ponds 23 and 24 August
clocktowercentre.com.au



The Hayloft Project's Delectable Shelter has been touring the country and finishes back home in Melbourne with a two-night visit to Northcote and its final shows tonight and tomorrow at the Clocktower Centre in Moonee Ponds.

Five, rather white and privileged, folk have an underground bunker to themselves, which isn't as bad as it seems because the human race has been destroyed; they'd got beyond the point of help. In 350 years, the air will be safe and their descendants can join the descendants of the other bunkers. Except they find out that there are no other bunkers. Lucky they are punny (Scott of the arced octet!), fertile and have ergonomic chairs, an 80s love song sheet music and some Bach to keep them on track to the new world that will be full of "nice things".

Benedict Hardie wrote and directs this bitterly delicious post-apocalyptic trip (and I mean trip in the psychadelic way).  From its eye-hurting design to a note-perfect cast, it's hilarious and the only thing stopping me laughing was fear of missing something and the deep-down terror that it was too true to be fiction.

Photo by Pia Johnson