Theater review ‘La cuina’ Author Laura Aubert, based on the work of Arnold Wesker Translation Jordi Bordas Coca Direction Adrià Auberta Scenography Enric Romaní Costumes Maria Albadalejo Lighting Dani Gener Music Ariadna Cabiró Choreography Robert González Performers Laura Aubert, Bernat Cot, Núria Cuyàs , Ricard Farré, Laura Pau Place La Beckett, Barcelona 3A ‘ La cuina’ (The kitchen) fits Superman’s catchphrase: «Is it a bird? Is it a plane? At the end of the performance we asked ourselves what we had seen. What is ‘The Kitchen’? Is it a comedy? Is it a musical? A drama? A work of denunciation? A criticism of the Barcelona brand? The author, Laura Aubert, has been inspired by ‘The kitchen’, by Arnold Wesker, a classic that since its premiere in 1957 at the Royal Court Theater in London has toured the world. The British author recalled that he imagined the piece when he worked at the Bell Hotel in Norwich, a town in eastern England. In addition to inspiration, in that work experience he met the woman who would become his wife. Aubert’s ‘The Kitchen’ begins with a song with a critical chorus about the Barcelona that sold its soul to become a shrinking city. Minvant (Menguante), is the name of the restaurant where the action takes place. Located in the Raval neighborhood, it has ruined the gastronomic prestige of yesteryear and is now struggling in a decline marked by a predictable and unattractive recipe book. The Minvant kitchen is run by a hapless chef who drinks and snorts cocaine. He is accompanied by a chef who studied two years at the Hoffmann (prestigious school in Borne) and two other cooks who are trying to cope with the disorganization of the restaurant, while the dishwasher describes the tense atmosphere with an ironic smile. From time to time, the owner shows up to humiliate his workers. The situation could be compared to any episode of Alberto Chicote’s ‘Kitchen Nightmare’. And it’s time to answer the questions. What is ‘The Kitchen’? This review of Aubert has moments of comedy; there are songs and choreography; the lives of its characters are sad; labor abuses in the restaurant sector are denounced… And the Barcelona label is put on it. Despite the work of actors who double or triple their characters – talented Laura Aubert, Bernat Cot and Ricard Farré -, at the end of the production we are not able to highlight the dish on the menu that is worth remembering. Everything remains a ‘pica-pica’, as Arguiñano would say, with little ‘foundation’.
#cuina #picapica #foundation
