THE BUSH / Alice Mary Cooper

The Bush is a ‘frequently show-stopping’ (The Wee review) solo theatre show by ‘born storyteller’ Alice Mary Cooper that brings to life the inspiring true story of 13, 1970s “housewives” who fought for a decade to save a bushland in Sydney—kickstarting Australia’s Green Ban movement and influencing environmental action worldwide.

Told with humour, heart and physical flair, this one-woman, multi-character performance celebrates a pivotal feminist and environmental triumph. Audiences meet union leaders, politicians, suburban battlers and unlikely allies in a show that is comedic, highly accessible (The List), and profoundly relevant in today’s climate crisis.

Part of the Made in Scotland Showcase at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe, The Bush offers a vital, uplifting message: we don’t have to be perfect—we just have to try, and do it together.

The show’s message of environmental optimism is especially pertinent for contemporary audiences who are bombarded by messages of global environmental catastrophe and decline but rarely empowered with the tools and vocabulary to combat it.

The show practices what it preaches, utilising the Theatre Green book standards for production and touring. Its inaugural tour was by e-bike and train, to community run gardens and green spaces across rural and regional Scotland, before an indoor run at Summerhall, Edinburgh for the fringe.