Have you ever turned down birthday cake? Did you get away with it?
Improvised theatre company ImproMafia are aiming to serve up a feast of audience-inspired songs, comedy and games about our dysfunctional relationship with food. "We'll be using audience stories and our own bizarre food experiences to inspire the show on the night," Director Amy Driscoll says.
The inspiration for the show came out of her own experiences. "I turned down cake at an office birthday party and ended up having the world's most polite fight with the lady offering it to me. She just could not take no for an answer. When I told a friend about it later, she'd had almost the exact same experience just that day. It started me thinking about all the weird little shared stories that pop up around food and eating."
"We bond and break up over coffee, we hide our guilty snack pleasures from other people, or need to have them hidden from us. I think nearly everyone I know has a story about someone's first taste of wasabi, or has had a bizarre craving or can tell you in terrible detail about their most uncomfortable family dinner. And you always know a close friend's favorite comfort food for emergencies – it's one of the signs that you really know them."
It's not a serious show though. "Ultimately, I want the audience to laugh and have a fun night out, but I also want them to see something in the show that makes them say, "oh my God, that's so me! I do that too!"
The show is being performed as part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival in a heritage listed sub-station in Woolloongabba. "It's the perfect location", Amy says. "I love that it's surrounded by some of the best eateries in Brisbane. How perfect would it be if everyone ended up talking about their own true food confessions with friends over a great meal afterwards?"
