Tan Yng Jich | 19.02.2001

Do not expect to sit and watch in typical Singaporean style when you catch this Korean production. That was the lesson I gathered when I attended the opening night of “Cookin'”.

Pyrotechnics, strobe lights, flood lights, ultraviolet lights, stuffed props were used together with kitchen utensils to create the look and feel for the musical. Using traditional farmers' music rhythms, or Samulnori, together with rock music gives the production a special twist.

Even before the musical started, the audience was given a chance to be involved. Witty messages were flashed on a projector, asking everyone to sing a birthday song to the manager or clap their hands. As this was a non-verbal show, everything was communicated via hand gestures or a touch of Korean-English.

Set in a hotel kitchen, “Cookin'” tells of how three cooks and a pesky assistant, who happens to be the nephew of the manager, cook up a wedding banquet. Throw in a couple of rivalry for the lady cook, a head chef that can't seem to be able to keep the foursome in order, plus an almost impossible deadline (one hour) set by the hateful manager and you get one and a half hour of laughs.

I especially liked the part where the foursome was asked to kill a duck for one of the dishes. Pushing and shoving the task at hand, the Nephew ended up having to do the deed. Unfortunately, he does not succeed and instead of killing the ducky, the said creature chased the Nephew from one end of the stage to the other, even biting the Head Chef at one point! Only after a stray shot from an “AK-47” did we see feathers and a dead bird dropping from the sky!

“Cookin' - The Musical” runs from 16 - 24 Feb (except 19 Feb) at the Kallang Theatre. Remember, join in the fun, clap your hands, bang your feet, anything but cross your hands, sit and watch.