Darker Side of Bowden

‘Has anyone seen my bicycle?’ shouts Beatrice, making her appearance on foot at the street corner where a dozen or so of us await. Dressed for work at the nearby Beehive Shirt Factory in the late nineteenth century, we’re treated to history, gossip, and stories of a few gruesome deaths.

It’s a pleasant evening’s walk through the streets of Bowden, an inner suburb of Adelaide first established in 1839. Previously heavy with industry, its lime kilns are long gone, the many tanneries and laundries converted to luxurious living – or dormant, waiting for their time.

Beatrice (Shannon Norfolk) is informative, convivial, and humorous, as we learn about men and women, fair and not so fair. We’re told how a grieving woman fought off a robber trying to deprive her of her recent inheritance, strange marriage proposals involving a revolver, and a few accidental ways to die a hundred years ago.

Norfolk’s charisma and clear enthusiasm for the area keeps our attention and her clear diction makes it easy to follow her storytelling amongst the sounds of roosting birds and accelerating cars.

The walking is on the flat, and along the way there are plenty of stops – and seats, if you feel like resting whilst you hear about workers’ strikes and women’s rights. It’s interesting to discover the connections from major world events to a small part of Adelaide’s backyard – and important that we know them.

Presented by Oily Rag Theatre, this is a follow-up to the sold-out Kreepy Kensington that was a part of the 2019 Adelaide Fringe. Norfolk’s stories and the striking buildings will ensure this is just as popular.

Mark Wickett

Click here to read more Adelaide Fringe 2022 reviews