It’s a recipe for laughs — with a dash of rivalry and a pinch of audience participation — as The Kitchen Witches by Canadian playwright Caroline Smith takes the stage at Port Stanley Festival Theatre.
The comedy follows two arch-rival cooking show hosts forced to share a kitchen, where the insults fly faster than the food.
Originally written in 2003 for a small-town summer theatre slot, Smith never expected it to have such a long afterlife.
The play has since been published by Samuel French, performed internationally, and translated into multiple languages.
In this updated version, the cable-access TV setting has been swapped for the age of internet livestreaming, but the heart of the story remains the same: two women whose decades-long feud boils over in a public kitchen, revealing layers of friendship, family dynamics, and shared history beneath the chaos.
One of the play’s signature features is its audience participation. Smith explains that one lucky patron even ends up on stage as part of the action.
This Port Stanley production is directed by Artistic Director Liz Gilroy and stars Christina Gordon, David Rowan, and Monique Lund. The show also boasts a backstage crew ready to wrangle real food props — something Smith jokes has “cursed” many a stage manager.
For Smith, the ultimate goal is simple: “They have to have belly aches from laughing so hard,” she said, adding that audiences might also leave craving a good meal.
The Kitchen Witches runs until August 23rd at Port Stanley Festival Theatre, with both matinee and evening performances available.
Tickets can be purchased through the theatre’s website or box office.
Written by: Kennedy Freeman
