Love Story With Bush Fires
A show taking on a serious issues for Australians - bush fires - and creating a hilarious drama
Writer/director/actor Marcus Doherty utilises an array of theatrical styles to create a unique and entertaining experience, including theatre, slapstick comedy, witty dialogue, interpretive dance and multimedia elements. It’s quite the handful.
The show is set in the country town of Shepparton and tells the story of awkward 20-something-year-old Dennis, who falls in love with oddball Zoe. Dennis later discovers Zoe is actually a pyromaniac. Combine that with a troublesome ex-lover, a psychotic father and the law, and you’ve got a busy storyline.
“The original idea that I wanted to explore was the concept of someone extremely cynical and narrow-minded crossing paths with someone very open-minded. It wasn’t until I was trying to work out a way for them to meet that I thought of the pyromania theme,” explains Doherty. “Bushfires and their impact on rural Australia are such a huge part of our country’s identity but they rarely get explored in the arts, let alone in a romantic comedy!”
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What Doherty wants to push is that rom-coms are for everyone; he goes as far as guaranteeing that a single bloke will enjoy Highly Flammable Lovers as much as a love-sick couple. “I think the best love stories are ones that anyone can relate to regardless of gender or relationship status.”
When asked what makes a good Fringe show, Doherty explains that he loves leaving a show and “feeling on top of the world for a moment”, and aims to pass on that feeling to every attendee at his show.
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