Rice! is a story of migration, the delicate existence of life between two cultures and the food that shapes it. How do you hold onto the past while looking towards the future?
1990’s Kuala Lumpur: Connie Cheng is a modern Malaysian-born Chinese woman, torn between the traditional values of her grandmother and her glamourous life as a late-night lounge singer. 2021, London: Now a first generation British Chinese Malaysian, Connie realises she’s lived longer in the UK than she ever did in Malaysia.
Wayang Kitchen presents an immersive, edible journey, performed live from two separate locations in Malaysia and the UK, connecting East and West via Zoom. Written by Vera Chok (#1 Amazon bestseller The Good Immigrant) and featuring actors Amanda Ang (New York Festival’s Best Actress Award Winner, LAST MADAME) and Michelle Wen Lee (MISS SAIGON, HEY MR PRODUCER, LONDON ROAD, ROGUE TRADER), viewers will be invited to fill their homes with the scent of Chinese five spice and taste Connie’s life through a delicious blend of storytelling, food and song.
As part of the experience audiences will have the option to taste some of the food that defined Connie, during the show. A package of simple ingredients will be delivered with printed instructions straight to their door for easy preparation prior to the show. Alternatively, audiences are also invited to join a 1-hour pre-show virtual cooking class to prepare their light meal.
This unique culinary theatre experience, cooked up by Wayang Kitchen, a new theatre company based in Malaysia which fuses food and performance, was founded in 2019 by Hester Welch and Razif Hashim, who are also directing this production from their respective countries and working around the challenges caused by the pandemic.
This show is co-produced with Omnibus Theatre and supported by The British Council Digital Collaboration Fund, which supports UK and overseas cultural partnerships to develop digitally innovative ways of collaborating.
Rice! Runs for four performances on: 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th February and tickets are on sale here.
