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Sierra Sevilla talks about her present For The Love of Spam
Spam: in all probability the least glamorous foodstuff on the British menu – certainly, made notorious in a hilarious Monty Python sketch. However this yr comedy performer Sierra Sevilla invitations us to get pleasure from an hour devoted to higher understanding this porky product and its stunning reference to colonialism. Intrigued? I do know I’m. We sat all the way down to have a chat with Sierra and discover out extra.
Hello Sierra. Thanks a lot for locating the time to talk with us! So let’s discuss Spam. To me it’s the depths of Western low cost meals, however elsewhere on the planet it’s thought-about a delicacy. What’s your reference to it?
It’s someplace within the center for me! I grew up consuming Spam and by no means actually thought twice about it till I moved into Western areas (like Boston after which London) the place I realised lots of people hated it. However truthfully, my authentic reference to it’s linked with pure disasters. As a child, my mother all the time introduced out Spam every time we had a storm hit our island (Guam). So I simply related it as one thing we had in a storm and I ended up praying for storms to hit, simply so I might have Spam. It’s hilariously tousled when you consider ten yr previous me simply waltzing into church and praying for a storm so I might eat Spam.
The manufacturing talks in regards to the colonial historical past of Spam. What are you able to inform us about that?
To not give an excessive amount of away, however Spam could be very a lot related to WWII and the US navy. A good friend of mine as soon as informed me that it’s very loaded with the imagery of battle, simply from a fast Google search. However yeah, Spam was created to feed folks and troopers en masse – it was low cost, already cooked within the can, and had an especially lengthy shelf life. And for lots of locations that skilled US navy presence throughout or after WWII, it’s grow to be part of our weight loss plan. I’d argue it’s grow to be part of our tradition, at the very least inside the Pacific and Mariana islands. However the argument is that similar to how Spam has occupied conventional diets, so too does the US occupy land and area as a type of modern-day colonialism within the Pacific and the Philippines and different locations in Asia.
It’s a one lady present that you’ve got written and carry out your self. What can we anticipate to see?
You possibly can anticipate to see me make an entire idiot of myself! However in the easiest way potential. As a result of it’s arguably a ridiculous matter (I imply who talks a couple of can of meat for 60 minutes straight?!) it’s going to be very self-aware and humorous. I exploit a number of completely different theatre varieties to deliver audiences in on the joke and take them alongside me as I inform my story of Spam. And by the top, I’m asking the viewers bigger questions – about meals, tradition, occupation, and finally what you’d do with solely 14 minutes left to dwell. There are puppets, a Drag King look, singing, dancing, and a coconut bra.
Will there be any precise Spam consumption throughout the efficiency?
Oh hell sure! I can’t speak about Spam for nearly an hour and not have any. That’d be too merciless – to me and the viewers! And for those who’re fortunate, you would possibly even get to attempt some Spam with me.
How do you hope your audiences will reply to your remedy of this demonised product?
I simply need somebody to stroll down the aisle at a Tesco or Sainsbury’s, see a can of Spam and suppose – ‘Huh, do not forget that Guam woman who was obsessive about Spam and saved banging on about colonialism? Marvel what she’s on about? Perhaps I’ll have a crack at it.’
And for those who ever do attempt Spam, hit me up for some recipes. Oh, and do me a favour: don’t slap it chilly on some bread or over baked beans. Prepare dinner it up the Asian means – I promise you gained’t be disillusioned.
You’re acting at two venues in London this spring, at Applecart Arts then the Camden Individuals’s Theatre. The place to after that with For the Love of Spam?
Properly, I’m performing it in Hawaii for a number of nights in Could (so excited to be on the identical place because the yearly Spam competition ‘Spam Jam’)! After which it’s off to the Edinburgh Fringe! After that, who is aware of?! A UK tour? An Asia tour? A US tour? Whole world spamination!
Thanks very a lot to Sierra for taking the time to inform us about her fascinating present. For the Love of Spam runs at Applecart Arts from 18-21 April. Reserving particulars will be discovered right here.
ET will probably be visiting the present throughout its second run at Camden Individuals’s Theatre from 16-18 Could. Reserving particulars will be discovered right here. Watch this area for our overview!
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