26 February 2019 (released)
28 February 2019
An expectant crowd gathers outside an old tyre warehouse in an undisclosed location near the Victoria line, the details only arriving in our inboxes at 4pm that day. All we have been told is to prepare ourselves for a once in a lifetime dining expedition. As we are ushered in groups through a rusty door, a drink is thrust into our hands by a 30’s aeronaut who burbles charmingly and points at a giant old book where we read the words, ‘ Step Forward Expeditionists, Every cloud has a Ginger lining…’
It’s our first taste of a beautifully designed and charmingly hosted evening of culinary and visual delights. As we step through the book we emerge into a vast warehouse, transformed into a restaurant of balloon baskets reaching high up to a clutch of balloons ready for departure. Around the circular walls, the stage is set for the stunning live animation that will lift us from the ground and around the globe.
In the interest of keeping the element of surprise, Gingerline have requested that we don’t discuss details of the venue, the menu or the countries we visited. We can confirm that the food is delicious and unusual – guessing what part of the culinary world we’d land next became an enjoyable game on our table. The attention to detail in terms of food presentation and delivery is delightful – in fact the quality of the visual elements are impressive throughout.
What doesn’t work quite so well is the live performance. The actors themselves, do a great job – it’s just that their semi clowning role often feels purposeless and despite the constant costume changes the generalised playing in each country doesn’t contribute much to the scene. It feels like a missed opportunity to create exciting devised theatre that would really add to the quality of the visuals and the feast. That said, they kept the mood as light as the balloons we sailed in and if you want a night full of taste sensations and smiles – follow the Gingerline.
