No Flirting in the Bunker Please at Hen and Chickens Theatre Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
No Flirting in the Bunker Please follows the love story of Denzel and Lily (Benjamin Bortone Page and Becca Carmichael), two young people who have been living in the bunker for their entire lives. Now assumed dead, their mothers gave them up after ‘the incident’ which left the ‘above’ unhabitable. This is no ordinary love story; expect rendezvous in the chest freezer, devastating losses and catchy songs, one of which even manages to squeeze the word ‘gorgonzola’ in. We enter the Hen and Chickens Theatre, with only a keyboard and guitar on the stage. No fancy props, no projections and no big surprises; all we need are these instruments and the two leads to make a successful show.
We meet Denzel and Lily, who have been incredibly interested in one another since they were young and are keen to take their relationship to the next level. The catch? They are not allowed to flirt until they are 18, as per bunker rules. A fumble in the stationary cupboard is interrupted, and so they’re lost on how they can show their feelings for one another, until they hear that two other occupants are expecting a baby and are allowed special privileges. Next thing we know, Lily is pregnant. After a traumatic experience at her wedding, she decides that she wants to go ‘above ground much to the despair of Denzel who doesn’t understand why she would want to leave the bunker.
For a show with a run time of 60 minutes, a lot is packed in. We are treated to many musical numbers, anything from a jaunty musical theatre type song to heartfelt ballads. Both leads have lovely voices, really bringing emotion to the lyrics. A lot of storytelling was done through song which was a delight, especially as I didn’t initially realise that I was going to see a musical, however, I did feel like one or two songs were quite long and repetitive.
Throughout, there are tidbits that make you realise just how disconnected the bunker is to the rest of the world. Some words are jumbled up and, albeit easy for audiences to recognise and understand, do show the disconnect and make it very apparent that these young people haven’t really had much access to life beyond the bunker. Towards the end we do wonder if there is actually any need for this disconnect. A passing comment from Denzel will leave you wondering well after you leave the theatre whether there is even a need for the bunker at all. There is surprisingly a lot of depth for a short show, and extremely well done.
There were a few stumbles on the script from both cast members, however, as this was their first show, this can be forgiven. The leaflet given out by the box office also states that there were only six days of rehearsals, which is a testament to the cast and creatives who have pulled together an impressive, snappy show. This is a show at the beginning of its very exciting journey, with potential to go further.
At Hen and Chickens Theatre until 6th December 2025
★ ★ ★ ★
