Cooking With Microphones
Whisked Away
Cooking With Microphones
by Deborah Whitmarsh-Boyce
Sensible Footwear at The Canal Café, Paddington until 28th August, then at the Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham until 9th October
Review by Heather Moulson
Sally is a strong presence in this one woman show. The smartly attired Sally is highly watchable. Sally is a woman of a certain age in Cooking with Microphones. However, leave your cookbooks at home.
At the earliest opportunity Sally presents a milk whisk as her personal microphone. It is not only empowering, but it shares a common bond with women to use their voices. Black and white films are shown intermittently of women singing with similar cooking utensils, with an emphasis on the friends that made her stronger on those special Friday nights. Friday nights really belong to them, after a hardworking week putting everyone else first. Solace and comfort can be taken from those nights, against the tangible disappointment that the potential for the life of a working woman to get easier has still not materialised.
Sandra Hollins, as Sally, took the floor with ease and was natural in her performance. There were certain moments, however, where she slowed the pace and some well-crafted points were not always projected, although she came up to speed again quickly; and there were profound parts I felt could have been tighter and more defined. Nevertheless, no one came away untouched by the thoughtful writing, warming to the idea that women had found their voices.
The final video of Helen Reddy’s iconic song, Woman, was moving, as all the women came together and sang this piece with their implements. The piece was very well edited indeed, giving a strong note to end on.
Cooking with Microphones is a clever concept, skilfully realised by Deborah Whitmarsh-Boyce. The producers, the all-female theatre company Sensible Footwear have a munificent motto, “Walking on Common Ground”, which was clearly working. Sensible Footwear is a force to be reckoned with, and we should look out for their new production of To Hecate showing at the Clapham Fringe in early October. Get booking.
Heather Moulson, August 2022
Photography courtesy of Sensible Footwear
Mark Aspen 