‘Mil-aa-qa’ is a live studio cooking show, written and performed by Jude Soussan at The Blue Room Theatre. It was a pleasantly different experience from beginning to end. Jude, being the main character of two, explores food, chronic illness, culture and self-love, through an intimate and deeply personal lens, while being filmed by camera operator and AV assistant, Alleyne Aviles. The show within a show, reflects on how cooking and sharing meals can become one of the purest expressions of care, especially when living with dietary restrictions like coeliac disease. If cooking is your love language, you will also resonate with this show.
‘Mil-aa-qa’ transformed the intimate performance space into a Lebanese domestic kitchen. The mood felt warm and homely, while ‘Aunty’ (Jude) sings ‘Al Bostah’ while cutting onions as we entered. Bowls of spices, vegetables and traditional cookware were on display and the wider set extended into a carefully curated family living area. Generations of family history and inherited tradition were on display as framed personal photographs, floral prints, spice racks, lace doilies and dark wooden cabinets gave the room that cosy atmosphere you’d expect in grandma’s kitchen.
Through stories of growing up Lebanese while navigating illness and the social pressures usually unappreciated in Lebanese culture, Jude reveals the emotional complexity of food – both nourishing and harmful. During ‘ad-breaks’, Jude interacts with the audience, treating them as part of the show. A discussion on the impact of coeliac disease, the comorbidities of depression associated with the disease and what constitutes respectful behaviours reveal that there is much opportunity to educate on this topic. Jude successfully provided that education without lecturing, giving layers to the show, being both entertaining and thought-provoking.
‘Mil-aa-qa’ created an intimate theatrical world that felt authentic, emotionally layered and quietly cinematic. The show celebrates resilience and the longing to preserve traditions of hospitality and shared meals with people you love, but also highlighting that when you are not being considered, that can quickly turn into resentment. Jude achieves maintaining her passion for food on her own terms by being more creative with her cooking. So what begins as struggle, transforms into healing and cultural reconnection.
When the show ends, do not run out the door like we almost did. The audience were delighted to be invited by producer, Anja Starkiss, to try a warm bowl of her delicious cooking in the foyer. I’d tell you what it is, but I think you’d better try it for yourself!
‘Mi-aa-qa’ is showing at The Blue Room Theatre until May 9th.
To book tickets to mil-aa-qa, please visit https://blueroom.org.au/events/%d9%85%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a9-mil-aa-qa/.
Photographer: Apurva Gupta
