THE KITCHEN
CAN & ABEL THEATRE COMPANY
(INDIA)
CO-PRODUCED BY AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL, SYDNEY FESTIVAL AND HOLLAND FESTIVAL
14 March - 18 March 2015
SKYCITY Theatre
Drama, drums and dessert take centre stage at Auckland Arts Festival 2015 with the New Zealand premiere of South Indian director Roysten Abel's intoxicating The Kitchen, from Saturday 14 - Wednesday 18 March at SKYCITY Theatre.
The Kitchen tells the story of a husband and wife, who enact a drama without words whilst stirring huge steaming vats of payasam, a traditional Indian dessert. Behind them, under coppery light, twelve drummers beat out a surging rhythm on their sacred mizhavu drums, while the fragrance of aromatic rice wafts through the theatre.
The surging sounds from the drums, the beautifully lit spectacle on stage and the scents of the spices soon combine to reach a boiling point, delighting all the senses, including taste, as the audience is invited to share the payasam afterwards.
It's a reality cooking show unlike any other, a multi-sensory explosion of taste, sight, smell and sound that involves 100 kilos of rice, sugar, almonds, milk, raisins, cardamom and ghee!
Director Roysten Abel describes The Kitchen as a metaphor for human evolution, juxtaposing the act of cooking with cosmic truths about the universe.
"As the couple cook on stage, they are cooking their souls too. It's about the journey of life," he says.
The inspiration for the play came during a visit to the shrine of the 13th century Sufi poet Rumi in Turkey.
Taken to Rumi's kitchen, Abel says was struck by the scene that used to be enacted there, where the poet, surrounded on a platform by his swirling dervishes, would pray and meditate.
Alongside him, two pots of food were being cooked. Novices, seated on a lower level would not be allowed to eat or drink until their souls had "cooked", or were spiritually ready.
"The novices were (figuratively) being cooked, while Rumi and his dervishes were cooking on a cosmic level," says Abel. "It was the ultimate kitchen!"
Roysten Abel is known globally for his larger-than-life, grand scale productions. Founder of the Indian Shakespeare Company, he gained international recognition with The Manganiyar Seduction , a production featuring 45 Rajasthan musicians and a set inspired by the Hawa Mahal palace, which was a hit at Auckland Arts Festival 2011.
"Breaking the conventional norms of the theatre the perfect cocktail, tingling the senses" - The New Indian Express
SEASON DETAILS
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Show |
The Kitchen |
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Where |
SKYCITY Theatre |
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When |
Saturday 14 March - Sunday 15 March, 8.00pm Monday 16 March - Wednesday 18 March, 7.00pm |
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Duration |
1hr 15mins no interval |
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Price |
Premium $75.00 Premium Friend/Conc/Group $69.00 A Res $65.00 A Res Friend/Conc/Group $59.00 B Res $45.00 B Res Friend/Conc/Group $40.00 |
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Bookings |
Book at Ticketmaster outlets: www.ticketmaster.co.nz/ P: 09 970 9700 or 0800 111 999 |
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Information |
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Social Media |
Facebook: facebook.com/Aklfestival Twitter: @Aklfestival |
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Video |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uznsHHg6m14 |
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Media enquiries |
Meredith McGrath, Publicist P: +64 (0)9 3740317 M:+64 (0)27 4473247 E: Meredith.mcgrath@aaf.co.nz |
Sponsored by Sky City Auckland with support from Asia New Zealand Foundation.