Cooking with Elvis
Encyclopedia
Cooking with Elvis is dark comedy by playwright Lee Hall
which was first performed in 1999 in Edinburgh
.
The farce was adapted from a play the author wrote for the award winning BBC
Radio God's Country series and premiered in 1999 in Edinburgh. It was also performed at the Edinburgh Festival
in 2000, where it was highly acclaimed. Shortly afterwards it was transferred to the Whitehall Theatre in London's West End in a production starring the comedian Frank Skinner
, Sharon Percy
, Charlie Hardwick
and Joe Caffrey
.
According to Richard Paul Knowles, one of the most popular shows in Edinburgh in 1999 was "Lee Hall's anarchic Cooking with Elvis, performed beneath one or three crystal chandeliers which hung next to a disco ball at one end of the Ballroom, a lush old gilded space in some decay at the heart of the Assembly Rooms. The show was by turns camp, comic horrific, and in-your-face, a tragic farce about child abuse, wife abuse, sex, loss and cooking."
The comedy centers on Dad (Joe Caffrey
), a famous impersonator
of rock 'n' roll star Elvis Presley
, who was paralyzed in a car crash and is now forced to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair. Other characters include his anorexic, alcoholic wife Mam (Charlie Hardwick
), their fourteen-year-old daughter Jill (Sharon Percy
), and their young lover Stuart (Frank Skinner
).
Climaxes of the play are surreal fantasy scenes in which Dad's hallucinatory Elvis dreams are bursting into popular Presley songs as a reminiscence of his one-time persona of Elvis impersonator. At one time, Dad, already dressed in his Elvis costume, leaps from his wheelchair and launches into an Elvis ballad. At other times a wardrobe door will be opened for Elvis to leap out and into another song with Mam and Jill as backup singers. In another scene Singing Elvis becomes Reverend Elvis who starts making bizarre speeches about philosophy, drugs and sodomites - references to Presley's consumption of drugs and, according to reviewer Rich See, the gay rumors that continue to swirl around Presley, namely, his "obsession with James Dean
and his alleged affair with actor Nick Adams." The glittering costumes in the play are fun and remind the viewer of the costumes worn by the Las Vegas
Elvis in the 1970s. For example, there are ornate belts with gold padlocks and lots of spangles.
Mam has an insatiable appetite for sex which can no longer be satisfied by her husband. Jill is primarily interested in cookery books. Mam is locked in a battle with her daughter, who disapproves of the fact that her mother has a very indiscreet sexual liaison with Stuart, a handsome young baker, in the marital home. Mam's sexual need is echoed in Jill’s appetite for food which leads to overweight. Brought home by Mam, Stuart soon figures in everyone's sex life, including the brain damaged "Elvis" who seems to have at least one part of his anatomy functioning. After some trouble, the ending of the play is a deadly one.
Cooking with Elvis has been compared to the early black farces of Joe Orton
.
Lee Hall (playwright)
Lee Hall is an English playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for the 2000 film Billy Elliot.-Early life:...
which was first performed in 1999 in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
The farce was adapted from a play the author wrote for the award winning BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio God's Country series and premiered in 1999 in Edinburgh. It was also performed at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
in 2000, where it was highly acclaimed. Shortly afterwards it was transferred to the Whitehall Theatre in London's West End in a production starring the comedian Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
, Sharon Percy
Sharon Percy
- Biography :Percy started her acting career at age eight. She joined the youth theatre at the New Tyne Theatre, and stayed as a member until she was eighteen...
, Charlie Hardwick
Charlie Hardwick
Claire Elizabeth Hardwick is an English actress well known for her part in ITV's Emmerdale as Val Pollard.-Acting career:...
and Joe Caffrey
Joe Caffrey
-History:Caffrey was born in the shipbuilding town of Wallsend, Tyneside. His father had worked at Swan Hunter's Shipyards and both of his grandfathers were miners...
.
According to Richard Paul Knowles, one of the most popular shows in Edinburgh in 1999 was "Lee Hall's anarchic Cooking with Elvis, performed beneath one or three crystal chandeliers which hung next to a disco ball at one end of the Ballroom, a lush old gilded space in some decay at the heart of the Assembly Rooms. The show was by turns camp, comic horrific, and in-your-face, a tragic farce about child abuse, wife abuse, sex, loss and cooking."
The comedy centers on Dad (Joe Caffrey
Joe Caffrey
-History:Caffrey was born in the shipbuilding town of Wallsend, Tyneside. His father had worked at Swan Hunter's Shipyards and both of his grandfathers were miners...
), a famous impersonator
Elvis impersonator
An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies famed American musician Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators can work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts are in great demand due to the unique iconic status of Elvis...
of rock 'n' roll star Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, who was paralyzed in a car crash and is now forced to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair. Other characters include his anorexic, alcoholic wife Mam (Charlie Hardwick
Charlie Hardwick
Claire Elizabeth Hardwick is an English actress well known for her part in ITV's Emmerdale as Val Pollard.-Acting career:...
), their fourteen-year-old daughter Jill (Sharon Percy
Sharon Percy
- Biography :Percy started her acting career at age eight. She joined the youth theatre at the New Tyne Theatre, and stayed as a member until she was eighteen...
), and their young lover Stuart (Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
).
Climaxes of the play are surreal fantasy scenes in which Dad's hallucinatory Elvis dreams are bursting into popular Presley songs as a reminiscence of his one-time persona of Elvis impersonator. At one time, Dad, already dressed in his Elvis costume, leaps from his wheelchair and launches into an Elvis ballad. At other times a wardrobe door will be opened for Elvis to leap out and into another song with Mam and Jill as backup singers. In another scene Singing Elvis becomes Reverend Elvis who starts making bizarre speeches about philosophy, drugs and sodomites - references to Presley's consumption of drugs and, according to reviewer Rich See, the gay rumors that continue to swirl around Presley, namely, his "obsession with James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
and his alleged affair with actor Nick Adams." The glittering costumes in the play are fun and remind the viewer of the costumes worn by the Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
Elvis in the 1970s. For example, there are ornate belts with gold padlocks and lots of spangles.
Mam has an insatiable appetite for sex which can no longer be satisfied by her husband. Jill is primarily interested in cookery books. Mam is locked in a battle with her daughter, who disapproves of the fact that her mother has a very indiscreet sexual liaison with Stuart, a handsome young baker, in the marital home. Mam's sexual need is echoed in Jill’s appetite for food which leads to overweight. Brought home by Mam, Stuart soon figures in everyone's sex life, including the brain damaged "Elvis" who seems to have at least one part of his anatomy functioning. After some trouble, the ending of the play is a deadly one.
Cooking with Elvis has been compared to the early black farces of Joe Orton
Joe Orton
John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
.