Qaddafi's Cook - Belville Productions, Bons Tempos Theatre
Reviewed By Barbara Dooley
Fringe Reviewer
Belville Productions and Bons Tempos Theatre of Sausalito, CA, bring an intense, by turns chilling and tragic, look into the lives of two Mexican cooks during the waning days of the Qaddafi regime.
The original production, which premiered at the Hotel California in Baja, has translated well into digital format and the ambiguous ending offers perhaps more interpretations than the staged production.
Lynn Lohar, as the journal reader, is engaged and solemn as she follows the story. Alvaro Flores’ portrayal of one of the chefs, is wonderful. By turns innocent, curious, passionate, and frightened, he brings an immediacy to his situation that brings the viewer into the developing action.
I was left moved and melancholic by the end. I was also reminded, for KC theater audiences, of the Unicorn’s powerful production of “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” about the waning days of the Saddam Hussein regime. “Qaddafi’s Cook” has the same intensity and portrayal of passion and power intersecting at a particular point in time.
Highly recommended.