A History of Fortune Cookies
★★★★☆ Sweet treat
Summerhall (Venue 26): Thurs 1 August – Mon 26 August 2024
Review by Marion Geoffray
A History of Fortune Cookies written and performed by Glasgow-based spoken word artist Sean Wai Keung at Summerhall, is one of those unique and unexpected performances that one may only find at a festival like the Fringe.
In the dark and eerie basement of the old vet school, 2024 Autopsy Award winner Wai Keung invites you to a warm, friendly and interactive celebration of identity through baking. A foodie, he conducts a historical and culinary journey of the fortune cookie.
Sean Wai Keung. History of Fortune Cookies. Promo image. Pic: Brian Hartley.
While Wai Keung shares his own recipe for a fortune cookie, one that has been passed down through generations, he gently asks what it is that drives people to for their fortune to be told.
This short and intimate performance for only ten people at a time is reinforced by the physical proximity with the performer.
Lit in a golden glow, a very simple set: a few tables, an electric oven and some cooking utensils allows for the audience to focus entirely on Keung’s storytelling which is both funny and touching.
authentic
The only distraction is his actual live baking which titillates your senses and draws you further into his stories.
Sean Wai Keung delivers a subtle yet engaging performance at the crossroads of genres: It is a cooking demonstration, it is a History lesson, it is poetry. Mixed, like his own Scottish, English and Hong Kong heritage he cleverly highlighting the complexity that comes with it.
An authentic tale of food, family, migration and culture that leave a sweet taste in mouth and a lot of food for thought.
Running time: 30 minutes (no interval)
Summerhall (Former Women’s Locker Room), 1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL (Venue 26)
Saturday 3 – Friday 23 August 2024
Daily (not Mon 19): 12.15pm and 12.50pm
Details and tickets at: Book here
Website: https://seanwaikeung.carrd.co
Facebook: @XXX
Instagram: @seanwaikeung
TikTok: @XXX
X: @SeanWaiKeung
Linktree: @seanwaikeung
ENDS
