Every performance of FEAST at this year’s Melbourne Fringe has sold out, and with good reason.
Pony Cam, an experimental collective of five theatre makers, has crafted a truly unforgettable experience. Their unique blend of biting satire, dark humour, delightful interactivity and gobsmacking physical feats results in a show that’s uniquely playful and thought-provoking.
FEAST centres on the world of hospitality, an industry ripe for satire. However, Pony Cam doesn’t just poke fun at its quirks; they deliver a show that feels dangerously honest, touching on the invisible labour and ridiculous inequality involved in putting food on our tables. The immersive nature of the production ensures that audiences aren’t merely spectators – they are part of the action, involved in a way that feels both intimate and tantalisingly unsettling. It’s this blend of absurdity and realism that makes FEAST such a gripping piece of theatre.
Pony Cam’s FEAST at Melbourne Fringe
- 9 October – 19 October
- The Substation
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The show’s atmosphere is set from the moment the audience walks in. The production features a talented ensemble cast of performers and collaborators, showcasing impressive visual elements designed by lighting designer Harrie Hogan and culinary designer Karina Serex. The candles are lit, the Substation’s imposing brick columns tower around you. You’re not just watching a performance; you’re dining at a restaurant where anything can happen.
Through the debaucherous and playful performance style of bouffon – a form of theatre that mocks and provokes – the experience turns into something unpredictable. It’s wild, raw, and, as the name suggests, a feast for the senses.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of FEAST is how it balances comedy and discomfort. There’s a certain level of fear embedded in the performance as the characters veer between friendly waiters and unsettling jesters, creating an atmosphere of unpredictability. It’s in this delicate balance that the show thrives, leaving audiences laughing, cringing, and questioning themselves. They transform The Substation into a purgatorial restaurant where our sins are served to us and we gobble them up like cackling voyeurs.
If you’re concerned about the level of interactivity at any future Pony Cam production, we can only recommend how thrilling it is to be nudged outside your comfort zone by kind, thoughtful and engaging performers.
At its core, FEAST is about more than just entertainment. The actors – who blend humour, intellectualism and grotesque – peel back the layers of theatre, hospitality, and human interaction. By the end of the night, you don’t just know more about the characters, you also feel more aware of the subtle intricacies of labour, community, and the art of performance itself.
Pony Cam’s ability to tap into this deeper narrative while keeping things playful is nothing short of masterful.
