Compare director Christopher Heinmann and his team at Imaginary Body to the subject matter of their show:  Food is about chef Frank Byrne and his kitchen struggling to keep the ultimate culinary honour- their third Michelin star.   Having won a Fringe First in 2004 with 100, there is a buzz of expectation that surrounds Imaginary Body’s 2006 piece.  The pressure is on to deliver.  And they do.

Just as High Fidelity is a film for people who love music, Food is a play for people who take food seriously as an art form.  Because of this, the show suffers mixed reviews. Several reviewers reacted with animosity, complaining that the show is deliberately aimed at “foodies.”  I will admit that having worked as a sous chef, and being a long time lover and observer of gourmet food trends and restaurants (I could probably name a good deal of the restaurants with three Michelin stars if asked) I belong exactly to the demographic this show is being aimed at.    But I would argue that the specificity of Food is its strongest point. 

The story is set in the chef, Frank’s mind.  Every actor other than Frank, played by Graham O’Mara, takes on multiple roles as sous chefs, critics, Frank’s family, and the press.  The result for an audience member of all this doubling is a sense of the whirlwind difficulty Frank faces in juggling people.  The pressure of the gourmet world is palpable:  Although three Michelin Stars is like winning the Pulitzer Prize of cuisine, Pulitzers are not taken away from their recipients.  In Food we are constantly aware of the threat of Frank losing his third star.  We realize that cooking, like theatre, is an art form reliant on the present moment.  It is about creating an experience, leaving no satisfying record of its greatness to pat your own back about.

Imaginary Body perfectly choreograph the working life of a line chef.  The scenes in Byrne’s kitchen are chillingly familiar to my own experience as a sous chef- the accuracy of the space they construct through flawless and deft movements-  counters, chefs stations and the refrigerator,  back dropped against Jon Bausor’s brilliant set design (consisting of steel pristine shelves only ever espied in the very best kitchens in the world) demonstrate that this show is hell-bent on exploring the truth of its subject matter- the pitfalls of success, the obsessive elements of passion, and a family’s struggle with their father’s busy work schedule in gourmet cooking. 
In my book, with this production Imaginary Body maintains their third Michelin star.   The company makes exemplary and innovative use of structure, space, movement, set and actors- with a focus on accuracy.  If you count yourself among the “foodies” of this world, you will walk away from this show feeling satisfied.  If not, respect that Food is well constructed theatre that does not try to cater to everyone’s tastes.

Traverse Theatre:
Tue 15 Aug (2.15pm), Wed 16 Aug (4.45pm), Thu 17 Aug (7.30pm), Fri 18 Aug (9.45pm), Sat 19 Aug (11.15am), Sun 20 Aug (2.15pm), Tue 22 Aug (4.45pm), Wed 23 Aug (7.15pm), Thu 24 Aug (9.45pm), Fri 25 Aug (11.15am), Sat 26 Aug (2.15pm), Sun 27 Aug (4.30pm)

£12.50, (£9 concession, £4.50 unemployed)