Toast - Review - Northern Stage

Toast

Northern Stage
Tuesday 17th September

Starting with an intentional pun, I certainly felt as warm as the titular foodstuff as we all waited in the foyer having being delayed from entering the auditorium for nearly half an hour due to what I overheard was down to technical problems.
On entering the room I was greeted with the welcoming, comforting smell of slightly burnt toast which was nice and just the right start to a show which was filled with multi sensory evocations.

U

The stage adaptation of Toast, written by Henry Filloux-Bennett, is based on chef and food writer Nigel Slater's best selling memoir. (Slater layedw played superbly by Giles Cooper.) It spans the years of Slater's life from a nine year old, up to a teenager before he moves to London and begins to fulfill his dream.
I will admit that I am certainly not a foodie or someone who particularly enjoys cooking so as the young Nigel tells his story in the first half of the play, set in the kitchen where he and his mam make food, and where there is a lot of talk about recipes, and descriptions of food, I did start to wonder whether it was beginning to be a bit lost on me.

This was obviously very important though, to show his relationship with food from helping his mam at a young age and was used as the main setting throughout. In doing this we are told of events in Nigel's life - the loss of a parent, a change in family dynamics, moving houses and schools, first jobs and sexual awakenings.

Set in the 60's the stage was stunning in its colours and design. Added to this were the bright costumes, the "of the time" hairstyles and the kitsch singing and dancing which all brought the show lavishly to life. The soundtrack including the brilliantly over the top comical scene where Talking Heads Psycho Killer was played were all perfectly chosen.

What I enjoyed the most was the inclusion of smells and taste. As well as the aforementioned toast smell we were treated to others during the show including a scene where the actor cooks on stage. Also passing out sweets to the audience at times throughout the show was a great touch allowing us to taste some of the things that were being mentioned.

The noise of lots of rustling of sweet wrappers was different but fun and inclusive.

There was a lot of humour in the show including Nigel's various lists of things, his father's opinion on gender appropriate sweets and the first time trying the exotic spaghetti bolognese for a family meal. It is also very moving and touching and beautifully told, without dwelling too long and becoming over sentimental.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Toast (even as a non foodie) and I will certainly never look at a Walnut Whip the same way after that one particularly saucy and funny scene.

The show is at Northern Stage until 21st September.

Belinda Bekki-Winter