The Bustling Drama of Culinary Settings
There is a certain high-stakes tension that naturally brews within the busy confines of a kitchen. This environment is vividly depicted in Arnold Wesker’s Italian restaurant in his play “The Kitchen,” and also in Lynn Nottage’s Pennsylvania sandwich shop featured in “Clyde’s.” Joining this portrayal of culinary drama is Hannah Doran’s play, which won the Papatango prize and is set in a butcher’s shop.
In Doran’s narrative, much like Nottage’s, the shop is run by a formidable woman named Paula (played by Jackie Clune), who hires ex-prisoners. This hiring practice introduces themes of second chances amidst a backdrop of troubled histories and limited opportunities. The setting of the play in a Brooklyn butcher shop serves as a microcosm for the broader struggles and shattered aspirations of America’s lower class, dissecting the myth versus the reality of the American Dream. The story kicks off around the Fourth of July, a time when the Italian-American owned meat shop is bustling with a large order.
Complex Characters in a Steely Setting
Among the workers is JD (Marcello Cruz), a talented apprentice butcher from Mexico, whose immigration status makes his job crucial. His counterpart, Billy (Ash Hunter), is another apprentice with mixed American and Dominican roots but lacks JD’s work ethic. The head butcher, David (Eugene McCoy), has a past marred by addiction and a surprising career switch from Wall Street to the meat industry. Adding to the mix is T (Mithra Malek), a newcomer and ex-convict, who is also Billy’s cousin and has been brought in to help with the workload.
As the team prepares various meat products on the sleek stainless steel set designed by Mona Camille, alliances and rivalries emerge. Competition heats up between Billy and JD as only one apprentice position is available, while Paula, depicted with a blend of toughness and compassion, faces her own financial struggles when the shop’s finances don’t align.
Struggles and Solidarity
Under the direction of George Turvey, the characters exchange witty banter and navigate tensions that occasionally pull some towards criminal activities as a survival tactic. Billy’s storyline is particularly poignant, highlighting the dire situation of his severely ill mother and the brutal reality for those unable to afford healthcare in the U.S. His increasing desperation and feelings of inadequacy eventually cast him in a somewhat stereotypical villainous role.
Conversely, a more nuanced relationship develops between T and JD, with the latter character portrayed as the most complex and sympathetic. JD is a firm believer in the American dream, a belief that is crushed under the policies of Trump’s administration. His narrative arc delivers a powerful scene involving a confrontation with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), leading into a compelling monologue by Paula on the harsh realities of immigration.
While not all characters are as thoroughly explored, and at times the plot seems to drive the character development rather than the other way around, the play is a robust debut filled with vitality and a dynamic performance. It showcases the potential of a promising new playwright.
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Showing at Park Theatre, London, until 29 November.
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Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
