Edinburgh 2022: Review: HUNGRY, Roundabout, Summerhall

Chris Bush's latest two-hander, Hungry, debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2021. Having now enjoyed critically-acclaimed runs at the Soho Theatre, the show about food and identity directed by Katie Posner returns to the Scottish capital as part of the Summerhall programme.

Hungry tells us the story of Lori, a chef, and Bex, a member of the hospitality staff. After an initially awkward introduction, the piece charts their romance, and how their upbringing and identities affect their relationship with food, and each other.

In the centre of the Roundabout tent sit two stainless-steel catering tables on wheels. The in-the-round setting suits the intimate fly-on-the-wall spectacle of the dialogue between our two characters. Lori longs for Bex to broaden her horizons, while Bex is torn between staying true to her guns, and pleasing Lori.

At the lack of a cast list, clumsy and bashful Lori is the polar opposite of a seemingly hard and tough Bex, whose vulnerability and anger at the systems working against her come to the fore as the show progresses.

Bush's script cuts back and forth in time as we sit in on conversations between the pair, covering everything from class warfare, to queerness, to gentrification, to cultural appropriation.

An electric show with plenty of food for thought; if you're craving a good show, Hungry should not be missed.

Hungry at Roundabout, Summerhall until

Photo credit: Rebecca Need-Menear and Conor Jatter