"Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying/ eating of the last sweet bite." - Joy Harjo, Perhaps the World Ends Here
Food is more than consumption; it is a part of life. Comedian Gavin Yap takes viewers through that.
Fork It: One Man’s Journey Through Food & Memories is a solo semi-autobiographical performance detailing key moments of writer performer Gavin Yap’s life and career, from his childhood, first moving to Malaysia from London at the age of 5, to his confused years as a mixed blood teen, to discovering acting and the ability to create characters with his voice from his father introducing him to old dubbed Bruce Lee movies, to his questionable career choices on his way to forging a career and life for himself.
And each one of these memories and stories is inspired by a different food dish.
And each one of these memories and stories is inspired by a different food dish.
Moving from London in the early 1980’s, when English cuisine wasn’t exactly known for being very exciting, Gavin’s culture shock of his first Kopitiam breakfast served as a huge wake up call – his whole life had changed and he either had to figure out a way to get used to it or get left by the wayside.
Through the years, growing up around resentment and anger and alcoholism, Gavin gradually learns to understand who he is as a person and a mixed kid and ultimately a Malaysian through these different kinds of food, and the experiences tied to them, and how they have shaped him and his choices.
Fork It is a touching and often hilarious examination of identity, family and belonging, all seen through the eyes of a man who has in his own words ‘taken nearly forty years to realise the profundity’ of the impact that first Kopitiam breakfast had on him all this years ago.
This one-man show is held at the Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre from 11th to 13th September. Tickets are available here for purchase from RM90.
