Stepney City Farm until 19 May; Spitalfields City Farm 24 May–2 June, Mudchute City Farm 29–30 June
Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert
3***
Can’t decide whether to go out for a meal, see a show or socialise? Why not do all three at once? Scripts for Supper is touring some of London’s inner-city farms this summer, serving up a cheerful adaptation of The Wind in the Willows interspersed with four courses of fine food (plus cocktail and canape). It’s a very leisurely and sociable way to eat and watch, sitting outdoors at long tables, with courses served between scenes in the play. The performers double up as waiters (you have to feel sorry for actors who hoped to give up the waiting day job when they landed this part).
The plot is faithful to the 1908 children’s book by Kenneth Grahame, but it’s completely lighthearted and silly with none of the original’s dark undertow of suppressed yearnings. In this version Mole and Toad are women, and together with Ratty, Badger and a narrator they tell the story through acting, mime, vocal sound effects, singing and a few musical instruments. They perform between and around the tables, so the general effect is of jesters at a jolly feast. With no scenery and hardly any props, the actors have to work hard to get the audience to suspend disbelief, and sometimes the fun felt a bit strained. Mostly it worked, even when the rain was pouring over the performers through a gap in the tarpaulin roof. I would like to tell you who they were, but there was no programme and I can’t find them on the website – sorry.
The fine-food-with-theatre idea is the dreamchild of artistic director Annie McKenzie, who graduated from East 15 drama school in 2013 and got to the semi-finals of BBC’s MasterChef in 2016. Food writer Juanita Hennessey is head chef and menu-designer. Ah yes, the food – it was all tasty, satisfying and prettily served, with lots of fresh herbs and interesting flavours. The soup looked absolutely beautiful strewn with fresh flowers, and the (mmm, lovely) guava possett arrived in a dainty teacup. At risk of sounding like a whingey food-writer, I would say the humus toast was cut a little too thick. Some sunshine would have been nice, and it was a shame that Stepney’s farm animals were tucked away in bed. Otherwise, it was food, fun and friendliness, and who wouldn’t want that?