buckets

by Adam Barnard

How to fill what’s left of your day. How to fill the rest of your days. Sick buckets, bucket rattling, bucket lists, buckets of love.

Wry, emotive, funny and heartfelt, buckets is a play with a unique perspective on a universal dilemma: how do you deal with the fact that time always runs out?

Across thirty-three interconnected scenes – some just a few lines, others mini-plays in their own right – buckets swings through a kaleidoscopic world of sadness and happiness, illness and health, youth and experience, kissing and crying, singing and dying.

Adam Barnard's open-ended text can be performed by any number and composition of actors.

buckets premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, in May 2015.

Genres: Plays

72 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2015

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genius ... or just ingenious?

This, Barnard's first, and so far, only play (aside from some unpublished one-acts), is comprised of 33 short scenes, mostly monologues and duologues, all of which somewhat circle around the topic of mortality. I am amazed at his ability to capture so much in so few brief lines. His dialogue always sounds so naturalistic, but at the same time is often both profound and witty. Ample material here for those seeking unusual audition material. I'd love to see this performed, or ideally, should I ever direct again, mount my own production one day. And as a lovely surprise, you can email the playwright and he will send you a personally selected 'b-side' bonus scene - what a lovely gesture.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

While quarantine/isolation may not be the most fun of experiences, a plus side is that it's, at least, given me the opportunity to read plays that I've been meaning to check out but not been able to get round to. This Adam Barnard offering is an excellent read, featuring thirty-three interconnected scenes; some short, some almost like mini-plays in themselves, all entertaining. These scenes are slices of life that tend to mediate on our relationship with mortality and death, told through various lenses - funny, sad, thought-provoking... The list goes on, but it has buckets and buckets of charm. Also! Didn't even realise but turns out I've worked with a girl who was in the original production of this!

[Chambers Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this play!

[Nathan Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually hate plays like this. However the writing is very good. I quite like the ambiguity of deciding if it’s all connected or not. It felt like a playlist of moments. And, although some of them did feel pointless or just for a joke, the writing is entertaining enough.

I think, like most plays, seeing it live would be much more enjoyable. I can see with a good director this could very imaginative and playful. I think the text requires a playful direction style to contrast from the rawness of the text and themes.

I actually enjoyed this which is bizarre.

[MaeReadABook (Mae Walker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
This one's a heavy one. I have a scene from the train station scene at the end, playing Sam, who funnily enough is the only named character in the play. Should be fun.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars