Review: ROLE PLAY GOURMET, VAULT Festival

Mixing theatre and food has become a bit of a craze in the past couple of years, so it was only a matter of time before shows involving eating were introduced in festivals too. Paul Flannery - who's spent a decade going in and out of the profession between creative jobs - and his assistant serve a delectable evening whether you enjoy being near a stove or not.

Half cooking lesson and half kitchen confidential, Role Play Gourmet turns out to be as informative as it is entertaining. Flannery's strong personality and charisma give him an inviting stage presence. They alternate between a grandiose retelling of a young lad's culinary adventure and a present-day run-trough of myths and oddities of the food industry. The project is jovial and convivial, and the chef's (although he says he's never defined himself as such) passion for cooking shines beyond the stage lights.

Questions from the audience keep the conversation going while they prepare the meal, and kitchen jokes come pouring with an unmistakable reverence for produce, meat, and their preparation. From not refrigerating eggs and ketchup to comparing chilli to heroin in terms of its addictive powers, the 60 minutes juggle real advice from professionals delivered with a no-nonsense attitude to pure, undistilled comedy.

The blunt opinions and anecdotal (seemingly) off-the-cuff parts of the production definitely top the scripted scenes, although these add to the general curious vibe of the whole experience. Role Play Gourmet defies any genre and it's a struggle to even put it under the theatrical umbrella, but what's important is that Flannery supplies an amusing and creative event with a side of genuine humour.

Role Play Gourmet runs at VAULT Festival until 16 February.

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