Review-Bun in the Oven-HKPFF
26-11-13
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By: Karen Cheung
“You’re glowing!”
“That glow is sweat from vomiting six times!”
From securing a spot at the Matilda Hospital, to likening the smell of perfume to stinky tofu stands in Mong Kok, Bun In The Oven promises to take the audience on a roller coaster ride of the Hong Kong pregnancy experience. It doesn’t disappoint, and I had a good night trying not to choke on my lemon tea with laughter and musing upon the milestones in life I had yet to stumble upon.
There were times when, Gaelle Gognau-Koerckel, who played Audrey, the momma-to-be, was a little hard to understand, with her heavy French accent. I felt that this hindered some of the character’s feelings from flowing through more naturally in some of the monologues. This was, however, saved by her delicately exaggerated, semi – to put it in the character’s own words – psychotic – performances that worked perfectly in the context of a hormonal pregnant woman. Matthew Gillespie, who played Oliver, gave a soliloquy on wanting to be a better man that really struck a chord in my heart; his fear of being like his own father – one who was cold and never told his kids he loved them – was something I felt resonated with those in the audience who grew up in traditional Chinese families, such as myself. Overall, he captured the essence of the character very well, spilling over with anxieties one moment and accidentally making insensitive, thoughtless jokes the next, but staying sweet, supportive and slightly exasperated throughout. My favourite performer, though, was Emma O’Rourke, who nailed all three roles she was playing, which included the doctor, Vivienne (Audrey’s I-can’t-be-tamed best friend) and a birth class instructor who really felt more like a mystic medicine woman that had sprung from the depths of the Amazon forest. The role of Vivienne was also multi-dimensional, voicing her firm initial belief that things would take a turn for the worse while letting slip her own insecurities, but eventually caving in and deciding that she still has her friend’s best interest at heart.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never given birth, or if, like me, this is so beyond anything you can fathom you can’t even factor it into your equation yet. You’d probably still enjoy it anyways – it is, after all, a romantic comedy. There were many, many genuine laugh-out-loud moments in a span of 90 minutes. Audience were in stitches even before the production began, with the incorporation of baby jokes in the announcement of theatre etiquette.
Even the scene transitions were enjoyable – sexy ladies who were in fishnet tights and skimpy tops in the first trimester were, by the third, rocking their protruding bellies to a LMFAO remix – “I’m Pregnant and I know it”. The Matilda music number, where Audrey and Vivienne suddenly burst into song, was unexpected but incredibly fun. But ultimately, what really did it was the dialogue, which ranged from “On Day 5, I raped my husband,”, to “Please promise you won’t be one of those moms who takes pictures of their baby straight out of the vagina and posts it on Facebook.” My favourite scene was the pre-child birth class, which was not only funny because it was very over-the-top, with its repeated chants of “Let’s do it all natural!”, but also because it gave an overview of the variety of stereotypical expecting moms and dads that served as a hilarious contrast to what our leading characters are going through.
Overall, I think the production should be applauded for generating a good few many laughs without at all coming off as slapstick or cliché. I did expect a little more tear-jerking moments; I felt that the post-pregnancy monologue had greater potential to showcase the depth of Audrey’s character as the mom. What’s great though, is that the sentiments that the characters express were some that everyone, not just those caught in a pregnancy pickle, could relate to, such as Vivienne’s reluctance to accept changes and Oliver’s fear of fading into the picture. It didn’t exactly prepare me for what might be to come, but it provided a thought-provoking insight that generated resonance amongst the audience. Whatever stage of life you’re currently at, you’ll be in for an enjoyable evening.
Bun in the Oven will be playing at Theatre Horizon through November 27th. For more information about this event, click here. For more information about the Fringe festival, click here.
Comments
Josan
Great show! First time seeing a show in the theatre and seeing a show from the expat perspetive in HK. I will be coming back again.
03 December 2013