“Why don’t I just cook you something?” It’s the kind of line women like me dream about, especially conveyed by a chef with a knife tattoo running the length of their forearm. Unsurprisingly, when Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) delivers it – alongside an artfully twirled dish of late-night pasta – beautiful brunette Scarlett Johansson (Molly) gets bedroom eyes. Sure, this feel-good foodie flick is a bit paint-by-numbers in the sewn-up story department, but who cares when it delivers everything from full-screen restaurant plating, to lovingly grilled four-cheese sandwiches at home, to killer Cuban sandwiches from a food truck! Throw in a father-son road trip through key foodie destinations – like Austin’s Franklin’s BBQ (which many Aussies have already salivated over, courtesy of Anthony Bourdain) – and there’s a lot to make you hungry. It’s saved from being too saccharine by kick-arse Cuban tunes, Twitter flame wars ‘flying’ across the screen, and saucy chef banter, from “amuse douche” to “cornstarch on my werewolves”. Real L.A. food-truck consultant Roy Choi (Kogi) pops up in the credits, so stay seated for his technical rundown on making perfect cheese toasties; because if you “fuck this up, everything sucks in the world.”
Image: Actors in INCREDIBILIA, based on stories by Libby Hathorn. credit: Joy Lai, State Library of NSW
It’s been five years since Australian theatre creator Kim Carpenter closed his iconic company, Theatre of Image, but he is looking forward to returning to Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres this month with his new production Incredibilia.
Known for creating theatre that incorporates a strong and distinctive visual style, Carpenter is also unique in that since the late eighties, his focus has been on creating theatre for children and their families.
Incredibilia will bring to life 19 stories by famed Australian multi-award-winning children’s author, Libby Hathorn.
Kim Carpenter in Milsons Point studio. Image: supplied
“They are picture books, so each story is fairly simple, and they have common themes knitted together with an over-arching story of two friends who go on a journey,” Kim Carpenter, theatre maker said.
“They travel to all these exotic places from deserts to cities, to forests and gardens, and it is a rites of passage story.
“By the end of the story they have shared these experiences together and have forged a lasting friendship.”
The visual input is through objects manipulated by two versatile actors who sing and dance and bring the set and props to life.
Actors in INCREDIBILIA, based on stories by Libby Hathorn. credit: Joy Lai, State Library of NSW
“The nature of the objects is that they are all made from recognisable things that we see in every day life, but they are used in a way that a spring becomes a caterpillar and a pair of secateurs becomes a bird,” Carpenter said.
“It is all about imagination.”
In choosing the cast, Carpenter had to immerse himself once again into who was up and coming in theatre.
“I auditioned extensively for this as I felt that I was out of touch with the new wave of young performers, and there are so many really talented musical performers here because we are doing so may musicals,” Carpenter said.
The selection came down to Manon Gunderson-Briggs, who had previous roles in Shrek, Muriel’s Wedding The Musical and Come From Away, and recent NIDA graduate, Fabio Jaconelli.
Author, Libby Hathorn. Image: supplied
“I had seen [Jaconelli] in a NIDA musical called Falsettos and he stood out in that, and Manon is multi-skilled and has a great voice,” Carpenter said,
“Together they have a great chemistry and the music and songs really drive the show along.”
“I have for many years been doing work for family audiences and young people and every child comes to the theatre in a different way,
Carpenter said.
“The general public performances are also important because it becomes an intergenerational experience and the parents can help flesh it out.”
Actors in INCREDIBILIA, based on stories by Libby Hathorn. credit: Joy Lai, State Library of NSW
Music is by the incredible Peter Kennard who plays all instruments himself.
Incredibilia will have five daytime school performances at the Lennox Theatre starting Wednesday 29 May and running until Friday 30 May with general public performances on Saturday 1 June at 11.00am and 1.00pm.
June 1, 11am, 1pm
Riverside Theatres, Cnr Church and Market Sts, Parramatta
Leave a Reply