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Sierra Sevilla advises us that Guam shouldn’t be a fruit (not like a guava), regardless of what individuals may flippantly say. It’s in truth an idyllic island within the Pacific the place she was introduced up, having fun with consuming Spam, which everybody now condemns her for. Sadly, the primary time she received to indulge her liking for this demonised processed meat was throughout storm season, sheltering from damaging storms that had been concurrently within the means of wiping out the remainder of the island. Why does she love Spam a lot? To her it’s security in a storm, a shared household expertise, safety…
Ranking
Glorious
Hilariously humorous, but additionally darkish and poignant, this fantastically executed present appears to be like at colonialism in Guam by means of the lens of a demonised processed meat.
Sierra Sevilla advises us that Guam shouldn’t be a fruit (not like a guava), regardless of what individuals may flippantly say. It’s in truth an idyllic island within the Pacific the place she was introduced up, having fun with consuming Spam, which everybody now condemns her for. Sadly, the primary time she received to indulge her liking for this demonised processed meat was throughout storm season, sheltering from damaging storms that had been concurrently within the means of wiping out the remainder of the island. Why does she love Spam a lot? To her it’s security in a storm, a shared household expertise, safety and located heritage amongst different issues. For the Love of Spam fantastically explores this extraordinary relationship.
Sevilla is a charismatic and naturally humorous performer, who warmly welcomes the viewers into her very private world. She is cheeky, playful and good, and sings delightfully, inviting us to know and embrace her cultural heritage. Her love for Spam is on the centre of a posh understanding of prejudice and disrespect, together with the US function in colonising Guam within the title of ‘liberation’ from the Japanese in World Conflict II. They now occupy the land as a strategic army outpost, on the expense of the tradition, heritage and even lives of the indigenous inhabitants – Sevilla’s household and mates.
The play is enormously humorous, with Sevilla energetically permitting us to chuckle alongside her touching story. From low-cost puppetry and Disney sparkle to comedian sexual antics, she delivers laughs by the shedload in a dedicated bodily efficiency. However alongside the humour the rigorously crafted script paints evocative footage of island life; the scent of the plumeria; the gorgeous water; her shut household and mates. Guam is a house with fabulous qualities, however which she was inspired to depart as a result of she was ‘too clever’ to remain there; a spot redefined by its relationship with the occupier. Her eloquent and clever clarification of the politics of colonisation asks us to query what we’ve been instructed, to reassess what ‘overseas assist’ actually manifests as; what oppression is. And it offers with these difficult matters by means of a splendidly palatable, extremely entertaining efficiency.
Giggle out loud moments of joyful exuberance are balanced fantastically with soulful singing and darkly poignant reflection. Using documentary movie clips shifts the environment acutely from saccharine Disney spoof to bitter revelation of acute hazard. Izzy Rabey’s slick course is sharp and efficient, utilizing the small area to the max, permitting Sevilla to seamlessly interact with the viewers and preserving the solo efficiency fascinating and textured.
The final 14 minutes of the present are piercingly difficult, as Sevilla invitations the viewers to share Spam along with her and mirror on how they may really feel in the event that they had been in Guam, endangered by their mere existence there. To me it introduced remembrances of the US presence at Greenham Widespread, making the UK weak to nuclear assault. I considered household and mates and the vital issues in life and mentally shared a touching second with these islanders throughout the opposite aspect of the world. Sharing Spam collectively brings a searingly insightful understanding of one other tradition.
This can be a fantastically executed present, hilariously humorous however intelligently provocative and shifting. It’s a very nice evening out that gives plenty of laughs however a lot to consider. I’m already wanting ahead to seeing For the Love of Spam on the Edinburgh Fringe!
Written by: Sierra Sevilla
Directed and Dramaturgy by: Izzy Rabey
Produced by: Caleb Lee
You possibly can hear Sierra Sevilla speaking in regards to the present in our podcast right here.
For The Love of Spam has accomplished its present run. The present will probably be taking part in at EdFringe in August, additional info right here.
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