Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
Cast: Joanna Croll, Jamie Matthewman, Sam Parks, Sian Williams.
The humble cafe is the place where you get to meet the finest array of characters, all with their own peculiar stories of loves and their lives. It is the place where people meet and confess their deepest thoughts and fears and those that really run the establishments, the waiters and the chefs act as father or mother confessors to anyone who may pop in for a routine cup of tea and to tell someone their news. Such is Cafe Chaos; such is the scale of life.
From the opening moments of the play, the production takes on a life of its own. It becomes one of those very unique, very dynamic plays that touches all three of the basic raw emotions needed for something to stand out in your mind and make you believe that what you have witnessed on stage is not just actors having gone through the nights work, no matter how well they performed, but that it has become an art, glorified, sweated over, puzzled and looked upon as if it were a painting in the finest gallery in the world. The emotions of joy, love and downright anger are weaved throughout Cafe Chaos and it is out there for all to see.
The four actors play all the parts throughout the 80 minutes on stage, from the Eastern European staff, to the lovelorn man trying to make a connection once more in the world, the busy female producer and to the burning and bitter resentment of the misguided views of the Professor, all human life is there and it is richer for it.
The play uses this ideal construct of the world of eating, an art form in itself with chefs, cooks and waiters all playing their part to move along the human drama that unfolds before them and through some brilliant and delicate dance routines tell the story in a very unique and sublime style.
All four actors on stage were just phenomenal, an outrageous ability to perform as something that riles and sparks every emotion, but to feel love and anger to such extreme levels in one play takes something special and the very brilliant Joanna Croll, the funny and well observed Sam Parks, the touching and forceful Jamie Matthewman and the supremely talented Sian Williams should feel nothing but pride in their achievement.
Don’t just see this play the once, catch it as many times as possible, or at least ask for a second helping.
Ian D. Hall