Both foodies and Cirque du Soleil fans are apt to get a kick out of a production coming to Vancouver this month. Both circus antics and food, along with avant-garde dance and personal narrative, come together in Cuisine & Confessions, which runs at the Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St.) Jan 25-29.
Renowned Montreal-based theatre company The 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts) is behind the show, which takes real-life stories from each cast member and weaves personal narrative with the company’s trademark acrobatic and choreographic prowess.
Meanwhile, the performers – sometimes with an audience assist – prepare actual food before and during the show. Whether it’s an omelet, vegetable pasta, or banana bread, something is always cooking.
That must be some good banana bread!
To add to the theme of the show, and its verisimilitude, the cast’s home kitchens were used as inspiration to create the set. The scenic designer had each artist share photos of their childhood kitchens, their current kitchens, and their “dream kitchens”, and asked each performer to bring a personal item to help create this intimate kitchen space. The set continues to tour with these personal items.
The refrigerator postcards are real, too. Cuisine & Confessions has travelled the globe and been performed in seven languages. The cast has collected postcards from every city they’ve toured and placed them on the set’s refrigerator, making it an ever-evolving set piece.
Théâtre la Seizième with Tom Lightburn is presenting Cuisine & Confessions in Vancouver. The 7 Fingers cast for the show includes Sidney Iking Bateman, Melvin Diggs, Mishannock Ferrero, Anna Kachalova, Anna Kichtchenko, Nella Niva, Matias Plaul, and Pablo Pramparo.
Tickets are $45/60 at ticketstonight.com.
