Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Torben Betts’ farce CAROLINE’S KITCHEN is a glorious hot mess

• By drediman
• May 5, 2019
• No Comments

Caroline Langrishe in Torben Betts’ “Caroline’s Kitchen” at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by Sam Taylor.

Last night, my adventures at Brits Off-Broadway continued at 59E59 Theaters with Caroline’s Kitchen, the first of the mainstage offerings of the wonderfully eclectic festival. The farcical comedy of manners is the work of Torben Betts, a protégé of the prolific and frequent Brits Off Broadway headliner, Alan Ayckbourn. The play tells the story of Caroline Mortimer, a successful celebrity television cook and a woman who seems to have everything going for her. But over the course of a single stormy and eventful night, the life and image she’s worked so hard to build comes crumbling down around her and her family.

First and foremost, let me divulge that I had a lot of fun at Caroline’s Kitchen, which I would have to attribute to Original Theatre Company’s production. That’s because Mr. Torben’s play is a hot mess, which somehow contributes to its enjoyment factor, if unintentionally. The play starts off innocuously enough, but as we learn more about the characters, the gross luridness of it all takes center stage. Unlike the great Mr. Ayckbourn, whose work stems from deep set human flaws we can empathize and identify with, Mr. Torben has taken the unsteady approach of more is more, even at the cost of his characters’ likability and/or believability. Indeed, the play climaxes with a cataclysmic spectacle that can either be tryingly ludicrous or glorious bang up entertainment.

Luckily, as I mentioned, the production – directed by Alastair Whatley – is excellent, admirably covering up the play’s slightly disjointed structure and flimsy premise, as well as managing to sustain the play’s momentum without feeling like forced entertainment. The production values, which can fluctuate greatly at Brits Off Broadway, are also top notch, particularly the pristinely-designed (at least initially) kitchen set design by James Perkins. As for the cast, kudos to them. Led by a seemingly pitch perfect Caroline Langrishe as the image-above-all-else Caroline Mortimer (so effortless in the role) and the amped-up Aden Gillett as Caroline’s brusque husband, they impressively commit to the play’s escalating, if untidy, shenanigans.

RECOMMENDED

CAROLINE’S KITCHEN
Off-Broadway, Play
59E 59 Theaters / Original Theatre Company
1 hour, 35 minutes (without an intermission)
Through May 22