Cultures clash and laughters abound on Andrea Holland’s show.
The show began with a video. There were two protagonists in this recording: a blue spatula, serious and put-together; and an orange spatula, lively and messy. At first, I was at odds with how this strange opening related to the rest of this play, but it made complete sense once the lights were off and everyone was sent home.
Because Chop Chop, created, performed and written by Andrea Holland, uses the cooking materials as an accurate representation of who these two characters are: silly stereotypes of both the British and Spanish cultures. Andrea’s quite aware of that, since these two women, interpreted by her seamlessly, don’t have names.
But the show’s strengths rely on the comedy this clash provokes.
The British is obsessed with calendarizing, taxes and proper behaviour. She’s shy, yet organised, assuming a parental role to her otherwise clueless Spanish roommate. Her strongest bit is when she looks at her schedule, a hilarious gag that serves as a commentary on the strict booking regimen Londoners are used to.
The Spanish persona serves as the antithesis. She’s loud, goes with the flow, and enjoys the simple things in life. She’s quite social, which is a great excuse for the interactive bits of the show, like having the audience chant her name at a rollerskating competition, asking people to dance and clap with her, etcetera. The highlight is easily the ludicrous song she makes up on the spot about food, going on and on about why eating is such a pleasure for her.
However, the main source of entertainment is watching Andrea act as both characters, talking to each other, bringing juicy interactions. In her hilarious script, she makes jokes about other contrasting factors both cultures bring, such as the need for Spanish people to sleep in the middle of the day (siestas), stay for hours talking after lunch (sobremesa), and put partying as a priority (fiesta).
Despite how fun it is, I didn’t get why this was showcased as a story and not as a stand-up special. The source of conflict, the Spanish girl avoiding sending a very important email, wasn’t fruitful enough to push the narrative forward. Sure, it serves as a gimmick for more gags, but it reveals the lack of stakes of the show. And the payoff it receives isn’t that satisfactory. So I wonder how this would’ve worked as a sketch or as a comedian set.
How Chop Chop overcompensates for this error, though, is by, in the procrastinating of sending this email, revealing The British’s frustration with her roommate. It serves as an emotional climax, and a deeper exploration of the theme: how both cultures can coexist, either between a relationship or inside one person, as I’m sure a lot of immigrants have experienced since adopting London’s way of life. So if you want to have a fun evening, with a sprinkle of something to ponder about, go see Chop Chop.