Theatre

Born in Kerala, South India, theatre director Roysten Abel is renowned for exploring his country’s cultural heritage on stage. Following The Manganiyar Seduction, presented to great acclaim in Hong Kong in 2011, Abel returns with another music theatre boundary-breaker that sets out to invigorate all five senses and delivers an entrancing emotional and spiritual experience. The Kitchen wondrously reflects on the intimate relationship between cooking and life. An estranged couple wordlessly confront each other as they go through the rituals of blending ingredients for two large pots of paal payasam, a traditional rice pudding. Behind them sit 12 mizhavu temple drummers in a remarkable, multi-level edifice, built to resemble the sacred instrument they play. As the sensuous performance unfolds, the theatre is suffused with palatable aromas and mesmerising drumbeats, actively drawing you in to the intangible conflicts embroiling the couple, their inner selves, and their journey towards reconciliation. In Hindu mythology, the body is the vessel of the soul. Here, you too get the chance to taste how Indian cuisine can serve up tantalising food for thought about the meaning of life.