1978. Winter of discontent. Workers join forces to strike. In the middle of it all, Jacinta, a Brazilian woman arrives to work in a biscuit factory in East London. With poetry and humour she changes the live of everybody around, but will she dare to change her own?
Inventive, visually captivating and sizzling with energy from an ensemble cast of four performers, Kitchen portrays the experience of two generations of migrant communities building new homes in the UK.
Kitchen was developed through StoneCrabs’ Oral History Project, with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and Sharing Histories. Over an extensive research period, Gaël – herself of French-Brazilian heritage – conducted interviews with a dozen immigrants who arrived in the UK between the mid ‘60s and late ‘80s, offering a rare and imaginative glimpse into their role in British political and social history.
‘Kitchen’ @ Richmix © Alex Brenner
“Innovative, passionate, and thoughtfully devised production” – Everything Theatre.
‘Very humorous and enjoyable’ ‘A really great experience, a beautiful play… tear-jerking’ ‘Brilliant… my first Brazilian play, I was really excited!’ – audience
‘Has something to say about relationships between old and young, between immigrants and countries they immigrate to – I think it’s a wonderful message’ – audience
Written by Gaël Le Cornec
Directed by Ben Samuels
Design by Sophie Morsberger
Lighting Design by Pablo Fernandez-Baz
Assistant Director Hattie Coupe
Cast: Gaël Le Cornec, Tereza Araujo, Claire Lacey and Alex Freeborn
Kitchen was presented in association with Rich Mix in July 2014.
The production is available for touring.