Food

Live performance’s inherent adventure becomes perceptibly more immediate when the performance draws in a member or two of the audience.  This production draws in the entire audience, making it nearly the most audience-interactive I’ve attended, and unusually adventurous theatre.

Elma and her formerly runaway sister, Nancy, run a roadside café whose staples, from chips to chiko rolls, do little to evoke Elma’s natural culinary creativity.  With persuasion by Nancy, Elma agrees to take on Turkish newcomer Hakan and risk a more exotic menu. When Hakan’s knowledge of Turkish cuisine, kitchen competence, and gentle nature start thawing Elma grimness, the trio risks losing the café’s clientele in a brave experiment in culinary glory.

The play itself, though not faultless -- internal narration of what it should instead show is a minor weakness, and its ending lacks complete resolution -- builds very well on its characters.  And these characters elicit one revelation after another by emerging very believably, as dutiful and tense (Elma), remorseful and thoughtful (Nancy), and charmingly honest (Hakan).  The acting is superb.  Hakan’s seemingly genuine accent pushed the odd rushed word beyond comprehension, but pace was otherwise perfect; lighting was very interesting indeed; and sound and costumes were, as they should be, inconspicuous by their appropriateness.  All in all, it’s a fun and satisfying production, handled beautifully by all concerned.

John P. Harvey

Image: [L–R] Emma Jackson, Fayssal Bazzi, and Mel King, in Food.