The Poor Kitchen

Rebecca Varidel
14th May 2019

Two superbly talented Sydney ladies, playwright Daniela Giorgi and director Julie Baz, with their cast and crew, deliver a warm, embracing and heart touching tale about Italy and inheritance.

Giorgi herself of Italian heritage admits that there are moments in her new play that are inspired by her background, her dad. Although The Poor Kitchen was inspired partly by her fascination with the genre of “Good Life” travel memoirs.

Woven into her story around the olive trees, the olive oil, and the kitchen table are layers of challenges: old vs new, tradition vs modern, city vs country, generation vs generation. And dancing bees. Organic farming. Climate change. Aussie humour.

Who are we and how do we choose to live?

Baz breathes life into this new play on the new Limelight Downstairs stage. The pulse beats across all the well chosen cast from the ever smiling Taylor Buoro seeking an Australian visa as Anna, Amy Victoria Brooks as Australian Elle, through to the slightly scoundrelly Vittorio and even moreso Aldo both held by David Jeffrey, to husband and wife Wendi Lahham as Guilia and Myles Waddell as organic farmer Carlo and his uncle, the actors are well cast and did an excellent job. Waddell unfolds his character in a way that has us barracking for him, particularly if we are already endeared to his sustainability cause.

Limelight Downstairs is up close and personal which works well for some of the director's devices but also puts the acting under close scrutiny. If involvement and enjoyment is the test, then this team pass with an A grade.

Originally presented as part of Old 505 Theatre's 2016 Freshworks Program, Patina Productions is thrilled to present this beautiful new Australian play this month.

The Poor Kitchen will be performed at the Limelight Downstairs, Limelight Theatre Oxford Street until 26 May