APPETITE created by Volcano, directed by Sarah Sanford (Volcano/Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson). To April 26. $20-$35. 416-504-7529.See listing. Rating: NNNN
Directed by Pig Iron Theatre’s Sarah Sanford, this expanded version of the 2007 SummerWorks smash delivers hilarious physical comedy mixed with thoughtful meditations on the two interconnected commodities that spice up our daily affairs: food and sex.
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In a series of chronologically disjointed vignettes, performers Claire Calnan, Adam Lazarus and Linnea Swan alternate between drama, clown and movement to create a compelling and thoroughly entertaining piece about our various passions, or lack thereof.
The show contains the perfect balance of sweet and sour food for thought. Lighthearted food-fight fun is contrasted with the slow, repetitive, sterile violence of a slaughterhouse killing floor. The troupe confronts sticky social issues, like where and how our meat gets processed, without the heavy-handedness of a gloomy PETA ad.
During a scene best described as competitive-meets-creative eating, all three performers are at their energetic best, feeding off of the audiences’ laughter and repulsion.
What makes Appetite so watchable is its complete unpredictability. The cast heroically embraces shock value, and no one is afraid to get messy, sexy or anything in between.
