Sydney theatre-maker Joshua Hinton will bring A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry) to the Sydney Opera House Studio from 14 to 17 October. This unique production sets out to combine not only storytelling and music but also live cooking – in a work exploring family, identity and migration.
Created and performed by Hinton alongside his brother Dominic, the production draws upon the story of their grandparents and the diverse cultural influences within their family. Hinton’s heritage spans Persian, Indian, South African, Jewish and Baháʼí backgrounds, with the show examining how traditions, memories and family histories are carried between generations. At the centre of the production is the question, “Where are you really from?”, explored through Hinton’s own family history and experiences growing up in suburban Australia.
Food also plays an important role in the performance. Inspired by the family’s long-running Indian restaurant in Brisbane, Hinton prepares his grandmother’s chicken curry recipe live on stage each night. The cooking forms part of the storytelling throughout the show, before audience members are invited to share a bowl of the curry as they leave the theatre. Alongside its focus on the Hinton family, A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen considers the broader events that shaped their journey across countries and cultures, while examining the role that food and storytelling can play in connecting people.
Sydney Opera House Director, Programming Brenna Hobson said the production brings together family history, humour, identity and food to explore the connections that can form through shared experiences:
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen is a joyful and moving piece of theatre that reminds us of the extraordinary connections forged around the dinner table. There is so much to this work, family stories, learning to embrace your full self, a bit of sibling banter, heartfelt humour and live cooking. Joshua’s deceptively simple work transforms a shared meal into a moment of connection, bringing together friends, family and strangers alike through food, stories and shared experiences.
Hinton said bringing the production to Sydney gives audiences from the city’s multicultural communities an opportunity to connect with its themes of family, tradition and culture, as well as share the meal that concludes each performance;
I’m so excited to be bringing my show A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen to the Sydney Opera House. The show is filled with stories about tradition, culture and family, themes that are universally shared. Which is really what I love so much about performing the show, everyone can find a bit of themselves within it.
To be able to perform in Sydney’s rich multicultural space, means so many will identify with the themes of the show, and of course, there’s a great curry at the end for all to enjoy. I can’t wait for audiences each night to share a family favourite.
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry) will be presented at the Sydney Opera House Studio from 14 to 17 October, with tickets now available via the venue’s official website.
