OBSERVER: Train Cake
Plot by Heather Valentine and the support of Carl Whitside, Train Cake is set in the sexy world of the 1980’s Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake. How often has one wrestled with simple instructions of a children’s birthday cake recipe only to end up with an embarrassing cake fail?
Opening night at the Meat Market Stables as part of the MICF was abuzz with eager well-wishers to see how Lucky played by Heather Valentine manages life from the day of her grandmother’s funeral.
On that day a package arrives with a jar labelled Steve, containing sourdough starter that her grandmother has bestowed to her, to care for.
And that is where the story really begins. Having retired from a career in baking and living peacefully to fulfill her obligation of caring, Steve is suddenly stolen by German babies in a swimming pool. Refusing to say where the jar is, Lucky then takes action to track Steve to an abandoned car park where she is confronted by a guard at a rocket ship and captured.
Escapes to face off with another enemy, a journalist with the Australian Woman’s Weekly who wants her to create a new version of the cookbook – bringing it up to date.
Steve is killed by the journalist, a battle ensues, Lucky makes up a train cake and yet there is still more drama.
Let’s say that there is a happy ending as Lucky finds another jar of sourdough starter.
In support of the various scenes of dialogue were well devised and complimentary projected graphics that added weight to the scenes of angst of Lucky. A difficult work to play keeping in sync with the projected graphics, all handled easily by Heather Valentine.
Review by Graeme McCoubrie