Blackhorse cooks up a storm of applause with The Kitchen Witches

April 4, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Anne Ritchie
The Kitchen Witches, Blackhorse Village Players’ current offering, provides a heartwarming feast of laughter, love in the midst of enmity and a multitude of surprise twists that leave an unsuspecting audience fully satisfied.
The play is a duel almost to the death for two warring chefs united in enmity, sworn to competitiveness, and spiced with unexpected secrets that bubble up and spill over most unexpectedly. It leaves the audience on the edge of their seats wondering if the kitchen witches will survive to cook another day.
“It’s Satan calling, he wants to know when you’ll be home,” retorts the vibrantly flamboyant Babcha (Ginny Cathcart) to a phone call for her arch rival Isobel Lomax (Margaret Brady). Lomax, striving to remain cool, calm and collected, well-armed with quick-witted retorts of her own, hurls back words that serve to heighten the laughter. It doesn’t take long for this dangerously funny duo to whip up trouble, crack hidden identities and chew reputations to smithereens. Cathcart and Brady ride the waves of animosity that sweep through their show, quickly caught in the undertow of quick-witted replies. It’s a stirring performance spiced by unexpected revelations leaving the audience hanging onto every word.
Between the warring factions stands Steven Biddle (Julian Bachlow), a mild mannered producer, driven hilariously to desperation more than once while trying to stay afloat. Little does he know his destiny when he mixes the battling biddies into a competition that, in the heat of the moment, leads to a most bewitching twist. Yet, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire when the tables are turned for Bachlow himself, and he plays it well.
The strong silent camera chick records it all. Elizabeth Coulter emerges from her role as stage manager to become Roberta the “camera chick”, a distinctly tattooed character that could be perpetually rolling her heavily mascaraed eyes at the kitchen witches antics. In a talented actress, silence has a language of its own, and Coulter proves it.
Bachlow incites great sympathy from the audience for persevering against all odds to unite the kitchen witches. He draws the audience into the action most convincingly, even to introducing the cameo appearance of a super surprised and thoroughly delighted judge. The hilarious twists and turns, the joy of a fun-filled evening, the tug of the heartstrings due to a surprising ending is felt by all, audience included.
The fabulous Phillips, Producer Margaret and Director Cheryl, double the fun, and their talent as Blackhorse cast is equally reflected backstage. Along with assistant director Morris Durante, they bring you a riotously memorable production not to be missed.
Catch the spell-binding laughter of The Kitchen Witches, playing until April 12. Call 905-880-5002 for ticket information, sit back and prepare to be uproariously entertained.