one4review | On 10, Aug 2025

Enjoy Your Meal at Summerhall has all of the ingredients for a truly standout Fringe experience – immersive staging, food and drink served live and a performer willing to take creative risks. Unfortunately, while the concept is fresh, the script doesn’t quite rise to the occasion.

Cory Cavin plays a chef on the opening night of his restaurant, already teetering on the brink of collapse. Drinks are poured, including cocktails and beers, and the audience has the chance to sample various dishes. There’s even an “allergy special,” which the chef tastes himself before staging an over-the-top allergic reaction, despite not actually being allergic.

The setting is pitch-perfect: the wonderfully dilapidated Former Women’s Locker Room mirrors the character’s fraying composure. The premise – a chef falling apart in real time – has real promise. However, there are stretches where we are simply watching him cook in near silence, with no dramatic tension or comic build to carry those moments. The pacing suffers as a result, and the audience’s attention drifts.

Still, there’s plenty of charm in the attempt. The show embodies the spirit of the Fringe: experimentation, unpredictability and a willingness to try something that won’t appeal to everyone, but might just delight a few. Cavin’s portrayal of a man who “can’t seem to get anything right” lands poignantly at the end, even if the road there is uneven.

An inventive concept, a unique venue, and some memorable audience interaction, but it needs a sharper script to fully satisfy.

***

Reviewed by Howard

Sumerhall, Former Women’s Locker Room

Until 25^th August (not 11^th or 18^th)