A man lays on a rug smiling and looking upward. He is holding a wooden spoon and is surrounded by metal pots and a curry dish. A tea towel is draped over his shoulder.

A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry)

Term 4

  • Schools
  • Theatre
  • Food
  • Drama
  • English
  • HSIE
  • Studio
  • Run time: 70 minutes, no interval Subject to change

A family recipe, a lifetime of stories, cooked up live on stage

We are made of the stories we are told, and the stories we choose to tell. A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry) is a charming, funny and moving show woven from the threads of a sweeping family epic.

Theatre-maker and singer-songwriter Josh Hinton fills the theatre with music, memories and exotic smells as he attempts to make his grandmother’s chicken curry, live on stage. Sharing childhood memories and family tradition passed down the generations, Josh takes students from the backstreets of Sri Lanka to a bustling city in India, from a schoolyard in Iran to a South African farm, to his home in Wollongong.

It’s a show for anyone who has searched for where they belong in this world, who has lived between different cultures, or who has loved and lost family.

What to expect

Students will:

  • Experience autobiographical theatre that blends live cooking, live music and storytelling
  • Explore themes of migration, multiculturalism and intergenerational cultural memory across continents
  • Consider how food and family traditions can be used as a channel for personal and cultural storytelling on stage

Subject areas: English, Drama, HSIE (Geography/History)

General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities: Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Personal and Social Capability

Key themes: Identity and belonging, migration, family and memory, food as storytelling device, solo performance, multiculturalism

Sydney Opera House presents a Merrigong Theatre Company production

Event details

...the perfect recipe for a wonderful night out... this touching story of belonging and connecting with culture can’t be missed.

The Scoop

...a testimony to the transformative power of stories.

Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane

A fascinating yet complex story… all your senses are truly ignited with this production

South Coast Theatre Reviews

Cast and creatives

Written by Joshua Hinton
Direction and Production Design Leland Kean
Vision and Sound Design Dominic Hinton
Lighting Designer Jasmine Rizk
Dramaturgy and additional writing Simon Hinton
Production photos Tracey Leigh Images

Cast Joshua Hinton, Dominic Hinton

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Attending this event

Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Studio

The Studio is located in the north-western corner of Sydney Opera House, best accessed through the Western Foyers.

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