Junkyard Theatre Phuket: Where trash becomes treasure and young Thai stars shine

This theater showcases recycled props and costumes, featuring talented young Thai performers in a unique cultural experience.

Junk: noun: old or discarded articles that are considered useless or of little value

Recycling: noun: the action or process of converting waste into reusable material

This is the wonderful tale of how the Underwood family, originally from Australia, lived these two nouns to the fullest and turned junk they found around the beaches, back street shops, waste facilities, and markets of their adopted island paradise into an entertainment extravaganza while rescuing young Thais from the ravages of COVID-19 so they can perform, delight and amuse audiences at the family’s Junkyard Theatre, now one of Phuket’s premier entertainment venues.

It’s a saga of how old boots, smelly socks, rusting metal, discarded wood, clothes hanging gathering dust on the rack that would be used as rags, and other pieces of unwanted junk contribute to saving Planet Earth through the Underwood family’s commitment using recycling and sustainability to bring colorful and original joy to thousands of expats, Thais and visitors every week at their Junkyard Theatre.

And yet, in the eyes of owner John Underwood, Junkyard Theatre “is a theatre that does not exist.” It is simply an extension of the working factory on the floor below, where Underwood Art Factory designs and creates exquisite handmade artisan products to grace some of the world’s most beautiful resorts and hotels.

But back to that junk that is “another man’s treasure.”

Smelly Boots Art

A case in point is those old boots and smelly socks.

“Smelly feet, Smelly feet

Wash your super stinky feet

It’s time to walk away from smelly feet…”

What does this verse from a song sung at Junkyard Theatre every week have to do with recycling? You may well ask.

… “Hey, humans, listen up

It’s time you knew

Your feet are smelly

They really poo…”‘

Sheilah and the Boot Boys are no ordinary rack of old boots singing about smelly socks.

They are a kinetic sculpture created by Junkyard Theatre’s founder, John Underwood made from old boots, socks, aged wood and rusty metal—with Elton John spectacles.

Sheilah and the Boot Boys are (almost) living proof of how the old adage, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, is practiced by all who contribute to the roaring success of Junkyard Theatre.

“Stinky Human Feet.”

Sheilah and her boots warble away in perfect timing to the rhythm of a song called “Stinky Human Feet.” (go figure!)

The budding Paul McCartney behind the song is Englishman Mango Yordbear, whose behind-the-scenes night job is working the sound and light magic that makes every Saturday night Junkyard Theatre performance at Underwood Art Factory a unique entertainment, artistic and cultural experience on Phuket’s Bypass Road.

… “We’re tired of the odor

We need to retreat

No more hiding the stink of your feet…”

Boots In A Bucket

Sheilah and the Boot Boys were born of John’s recycling philosophy to never throw anything away that can be turned into art and now, props for one of the best entertainment venues in Phuket.

So, the dozens of slippers, sneakers, black and brown brogues, and other footwear he owned from Australia, Bangkok, and Phuket over the last thirty years became “Sheilah” and her boots.

As John says, “I pulled those old boots from a bucket.” You won’t find anything else to match those “old boots” anywhere else in the Junkyard Theatre show.

Socks (presumably washed) are slipped over the boots, the remnants of frazzled wigs lying around are glued on top, and outsized bizarre Elton John-type party glasses of all shapes from a shop in Phuket Town are attached.

Two bicycle wheels at each end to a frame of old metal turn Sheilah and the Boot Boys into a singing, dancing bunch of kinetic showoffs in the best tradition of Junkyard Theatre.

Mango’s Epiphany

Like many acts at Junkyard Theatre, the song “Stinky Human Feet” by Sheilah and the Boot Boys had an unusual beginning—a “mystical moment” in a tropical downpour outside a Phuket 7/11.

As Mango tells the story, he is dolefully munching on a spotted banana, waiting for raindrops as big as golf balls to stop, when he hears his frayed, well-worn trainers (apparently) talking to him.

Angry Rant

“A booming voice bellowed from the newly formed shoe-mouth (his big toe had emerged from within the trainer) ‘Mannnnggoooo, your feet smell. It’s dank in here. I coiled in disbelief. The shoe continued its angry rant about proper foot hygiene. Its fabric lips flapped wildly with each snarky insult.”

“But, just as quickly as the magic moment began, it ended. The shoe mouth zipped shut, and my unruly toe retreated back into the safety of the tattered canvas.”

“At that moment, “Stinky Human Feet” by Phuket’s best-known puppet pop group, Sheilah and the Boot Boys,” became a recycling phenomenon.

The Junkyard Theatre story does not stop with smelly boots and socks.

Yes! John’s The Great Hoarder

John Underwood has always been a hoarder—and recycler.

He often says: “We are one part of saving the planet. We are trying to be pro-Earth by not wasting resources, not just a money-making venture.”

This philosophy translates into a wider view: “People are sick of perfection. They are looking for a bit of chaos. We offer them a bit of good fun chaos at Junkyard Theatre.”

From his childhood growing up on a remote Queensland farm to his iconic art factory in Phuket, he has stored what most people call “junk” in a dark corner, but he sees it as a piece of potential art for a kinetic sculpture or something to hang on the wall.

The Covid-19-enforced birth of Junkyard Theatre, his eponymous show at his Underwood Art Factory in Phuket, reawakened John’s deep hoarder instincts—and with it, a lifelong love of recycling old materials.

His imprimatur is on the homes of billionaires and some of the world’s great resorts and hotels—old and recycled materials recrafted into stunning designs.

Iconic Bill Heinecke Is A Fan

One big fan who owns many great resorts and hotels around the world is William “Bill” Heinecke, founder and chairman of the giant Minor International and one of Thailand’s most respected businessmen.

Bill says of John and Zac Underwood’s dedication to recycling: “I have worked closely with John for thirty years. We have always admired how he and Zac are committed to recycling. They have done an incredible job creating Junkyard Theatre, which is one of the ‘must-see’ attractions on Phuket. (Bill has seen the show several times.)

“We have found class in everything they do.”

Dovetails with Minor’s Philosophy

Bill emphasizes how the Underwood philosophy of recycling dovetails with Minor International’s approach to sustainability, recycling and contributing to the community.

Minor Hotels manages more than 500 hotels, resorts, and branded residences across six continents, including Bangkok, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia in Southeast Asia, to the Maldives, China, Oman, Mauritius, The Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, and many other countries.

Word’s Largest House

Building on Bill Heinecke’s theme, John Underwood points to the theater just happening to be “within a factory in a tourism location.” He poses the question of whether the Junkyard Theatre is a theatre of a factory. His answer: a factory.

Underwood Art Factory’s track record over thirty years in Thailand underscores the factory theme. Work on Antilla, the 27-story world’s biggest house in Mumbai; a high-end project in London’s swanky Mayfair;  the understated luxury of Nai Yang’s The Slate resort on Phuket, and luxury villas on stilts on a Thai tropical island are just some examples of compelling Underwood Art Factory story.

“We’ve always had a passion for recycling and building things from objects that people don’t perceive any value in.” – Zac Underwood, Junkyard Theatre website

Put It On a Shelf

John can be somewhat indiscriminate in his collecting. “If it’s old and I don’t know what it is, I just put it on a shelf. I have shelves groaning with stuff.”

“It’s just bizarre sometimes. Something will pop up in the system that looks valuable. But the value is not the reason I collect so much junk. It’s fun. I like getting stuff that’s really cheap.”

John scours Phuket, particularly Thai-owned shops, for bargains. He even buys from a shop that imports Japanese products and sells them for a fraction of the price in Japan. Two bright copper drums from the shop flank the stage at Junkyard Theatre.

Underwood Art Factory is humming nicely post-COVID-19, with Junkyard Theatre now an integral part of the business. However, John and Judy Underwood’s journey has not always been easy.

A Fantasy World

From the heights of producing award-winning designs for the Brisbane Expo ’88 and expos in South Korea and Spain, John came to Bangkok for a job at the Four Seasons hotel—then the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit.

Underwoods virtually went under. The business bought a disused timber factory on Phuket and has been there ever since.

To enter Underwood Art Factory is like entering a fantasy world. Kinetic art, original Underwood art, sculptures, and artifacts, most of them made from recycled materials from the Underwood hoard scattered around the vast factory, carry the visitor to a virtual wonderland of recycling.

No piece of one man’s junk is sacrificed by John and Zac on the high altar of sustainability.

Behind the boys keeping the show running is the gracious and ever-efficient Judy Underwood, who has been beside John on his recycling journey since they married in Brisbane decades ago.

Hail To Art Fabrication  

In its modest and highly creative way, Junkyard Theatre is a beacon of environmental responsibility. It strives to contribute to the preservation of our planet, showcasing the potential of recycling and upcycling in a unique and engaging manner.

To John, a long-time Phuket resident, a discarded piece of old wood washed up on the beach, a galvanized pole rusting away in a rubbish dump, a frayed length of redundant rope from a marina, or a dented tin pot abandoned on the roadside is not “junk” to be cast aside.

They are art awaiting the Underwood’s art fabrication talents. With their resourcefulness and creativity, John and Zac reshape, reform, and remodel these discarded items into vibrant, imaginative stage props, a testament to their ingenuity.

Born of Necessity

Zac, reflecting on the impact COVID-19 had on creating Junkyard Theatre, admits: “It was a necessity, a creative solution to garner interest and contribute to saving the planet. Every prop and costume is a testament to our commitment to recycling and repurposing.”

John proudly shares their achievement: “We didn’t let anyone go during COVID-19. In fact, we expanded our team by fifteen because of the Junkyard Theatre. We provided a platform for young Thais in need to showcase their talents, and they have truly shone for us.”

Phuket is rich in recycled metals such as copper, aluminum, and glass. Zac points to the case of an old termite-infected cabinet. Most people would throw it away. At Underwoods, it finds a place at the back of the factory to be refurbished one day.

Make Them Laugh

“We don’t care about being too perfect. We want to use humor to connect with people. We are making something of value to the community by getting rid of all the trash,” says Zac.

John and Zac knew they had to do something to save the business and, most importantly, to keep their Thai workers employed during such a difficult time. They set about scouring the aforementioned roads, beaches, rubbish dumps, and second (and third?) hand shops for recyclable materials to build Junkyard Theatre, which would become a place of not only entertainment but employment for young Thais.

The father and son had confidence in their innate artistic talents in bespoke interior design and art fabrication to create a quirky, funny, and unconventional show primarily from recycled materials. It was not hard. John’s long career in art fabrication in Australia, at expos around the world and in Bangkok and Phuket has been marked by an early commitment to using recycled materials in a sustainable way.

Jobs For Young Thais

The Underwoods were recycling long before COVID-19 hit their business in 2022, but John and Zac saw creating Junkyard Theatre as an alternative way of keeping their Thai workforce employed. They proudly point to the 15 extra Thais hired as performers, some literally, off the streets of Phuket during COVID-19. Today, they are a tight-knit band of dedicated performers.

John called on his 30 years of experience in Phuket, creating recycled designs from many of the island’s most luxurious hotels, such as Indigo Pearl (now Slate) at Nai Yang Beach. He perfected the art of inlaying recycled timber for the resort, his restaurant on Kalim Beach and Underwood Art Factory.

Zac, a London’s prestigious Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design graduate, brought a younger perspective to the project in areas such as costume design.

So, how do the Underwoods connect with people at Junkyard Theatre? Through eccentric, some would say freakish, props unique to the Underwood brand.

Extravagant Junk

Every Saturday night, young Thais showcase their break-dancing skills, belt out popular songs with gusto, share quirky (sometimes bawdy) humor, and perform graceful, choreographed dances. International, expat, and local patrons enjoy a New York-style dining and wining experience.

The customers would have no idea the outlandish stage props and vibrant backstage-sewn costumes in the glitzy, colorful, and noisy two-hour extravaganza are sourced from the beaches, back streets, rubbish dumps, roadsides, and obliging second (or third?) hand shops of Phuket.

Kinetic Puppets

There’s the Sheilah and the Boot Boys kinetic puppet show made from dozens of Johns’s shoes “pulled in a bucket,” (smelly) old socks, wisps of frazzled wig hair, and oddball Elton John-type glasses no one would wear in public. There are the two giant, pink fiberglass legs clad in mesh and a pink tutu sewn from rolls of fabric John bought for Baht 50 a meter (normal price B300) from a shop in Phuket Town.

Few pieces of junk lying around or bargains in shops go unnoticed.

A boxing ring features fake kickboxing made of recycled wood canvas from found goodness knows where. Frayed heavy ropes that have seen better days and sturdy galvanized steel supports with a prominently rusty tinge holding up the four corners.

Harley Davidsons and “Thaitanic”

There’s a rickshaw with a Harley Davidson tank, a cardboard cutout giant skull, a pink “Just Married” wedding arch lined with beer bottles, gutted black and white television sets, a toilet converted to a bicycle seat, pots and pans forming a drum kit Ringo Star would struggle to pound out a beat on, an aluminum space age circle, an expertly crafted rowboat called “Thaitanic” made of old wood, a bright copper lantern from a second-hand Japanese shop in Phuket Town, and dining tables for customers beautifully crafted from recycled wood.

Overall, it’s an enlarged family experience, with young Thai performers, plus a few farangs (foreigners) in a series of skits over two hours while customers wine and dine in air-conditioned comfort.

Finding New Ideas

Backstage, people like Mango Yordbear make the light and sound work like magic, and Khun Apple ensures everything is in place before and during the show.

Acts like Sheilah and the Boot Boys typify John and Zac’s continuous search for new ideas—although it must be said some of the more outlandish ones don’t quite make the cut, sometimes after fierce debate.

Father and son attend every performance in a dynamic search to constantly keep the show fresh. The idiosyncrasies of Phuket life are an unending smorgasbord of inspiration and a source for the often-bawdy satire on stage.

During the daytime, they maintain their continuous search for recyclable material.

In the words of Zac Underwood, when asked about his philosophy on the fine profession of being a designer and art fabricator of recycled materials: “It’s to make cool stuff.”

All photos by Alastair Carthew