Latest news with #Kiln
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Photography: Supplied
2025 update: Mitch Orr's Jatz and anchovies may have gone, but there's ace stuff coming out of Sydney rooftop restaurant Kiln. Beau Clugston, former Noma chef and owner of Iluka in Copenhagen, Denmark, is now the head chef of the sky-high diner found atop the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills. Clugston, who grew up in Sawtell on the New South Wales coast and worked at the world's best restaurant for six years, is drawing on his fine-dining creds as well as his love of the ocean and native Australian produce for Kiln 2.0. (Though, TBH, we do miss the Jatz.) Read on for our original review of Kiln ***** ✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. When you arrive at 53 Foy Lane and find yourself double-checking directions under the glow of a neon-lit fire door, don't worry: you're in exactly the right spot. In a couple of minutes you'll be whisked down a hallway, into an elevator, and up 18 floors to a spacious glass-walled dining room. Kiln opened in October 2022, and the place feels young and bright-eyed – even though the building carries national historic significance. It's located on the site of the Tyne House brick factory, home to Australia's earliest ceramic kiln discovery, where convict Jonathan Leak (deported here for life from the UK for burglary) produced pottery way back in the 1820s. Needless to say, Kiln doesn't fare badly from this prize location. Popped atop the new 264-room Ace Hotel, the restaurant offers panoramic views of downtown Sydney, peering down on the Downing Centre and Griffiths Teas buildings, and gazing up through vast retractable skylights, punctured by the tops of the city's tallest towers. The 108-seat floor plan offers a mix of sofas, chairs and barstools, all in sight of the open kitchen and woodfired oven. The walls are draped in pale linen, custom-painted with pigment made from salvaged waste materials, which gives the room a playful feel. Chef Mitch Orr (who's racked up culinary awards at the likes of Acme and CicciaBella) describes Kiln's cuisine as 'Italian-ish', taking influence, too, from Japan and South East Asia. Menu sections are unlabelled but loosely grouped as entrées, raw, vegetables, meats and desserts. There's no right or wrong way to order; take all dishes from the same section or one from each – fun for some, a minefield for others. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kiln (@kilnsydney) The entrées are small and simple, comprising two or three ingredients each. Those that fell in love with Orr's Jatz-based creations back at Acme will be stoked to see they are making a comeback at Kiln. Here, each cracker holds one anchovy curled around a near-tablespoon of smoked butter. It's wonderfully rich and salty, an almighty hit of fish in a single bite. The tomato and ricotta tartlet, by contrast, is a light and modest mouthful – you could enjoy a whole basketful if there weren't more treats to choose from. From the raw section, don't miss the market fish crudo, a neat spiral of fish, bathed in a dipping bowl of scallion oil and housemade ponzu. It's deliciously fresh, the salt of the crudo and spring onions melding with the tangy citrus sauce. Also worth a mention is the stracciatella, which collapses in a creamy mess over grilled peach and shiso leaves – a must-have. The roasted eggplant, liberally showered with macadamias and curry leaves, is gently smoky and easily shovelled. It's worth pairing this dish, and others, with a portion of the Randall Farm Koshihikari rice, a Japanese rice often used for sushi, which is washed 15 times so it's cooked optimally to mop up any runaway sauces, oils and juices. As much as you may not wish to hear it, the dessert advice is this: consider sharing. They come big and bold. The corn ice cream – served with a firm perimeter of butter popcorn and drenched in a pool of salted caramel – is one you're unlikely to find anywhere else, and reflects Orr's palpable sense of fun and creativity. The sponge cake, topped with clotted cream and grilled apricot, is another hefty portion, without quite the visual dazzle or relentless saccharinity of the ice wine list is curated by P&V Merchants co-founder Mike Bennie, with a rotating special on tap. The intriguing cocktail menu features a Chamomile Sour with earl grey syrup, a Japanese Berry Highball with herbal bitters and blueberry and, our favourite, the Strawberry Hills Spritz, stuffed with a whopping sprig of thyme and a refreshing sweetness to accompany the evening sundown. Orr plays to his strengths at his latest venture, creating enough show-stopping flavours to match the ace location. We say come with a group of friends, order a bunch of snacks with fine drops, and settle in for a memorable evening at this new Sydney hotspot. - Reviewed March 2023
Time Out
01-07-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Cult dishes have been revamped and feel even more accomplished
London's most-loved Thai restaurant has relocated to Shoreditch. For anyone who managed to score a booking at the Leytonstone original, the move is surreal. For years, the rumour mill spun tales of a high-investment relaunch — but it was impossible to imagine Singburi outside its tiny, low-ceilinged, bathroom-through-the-kitchen home. The new location sits under a railway arch. It's a fresh, pared-back space with a stainless steel bar, open kitchen, terracotta and clay-pink tiles, and tangerine-hued lights and tables. Gone is the ornate blue china, replaced with pastel plates you might recognise from the likes of Speedboat Bar or (crucially) Bangkok. Singburi 2.0 will be navigating a balancing act of nostalgia and renewal for a while. It now competes directly with the likes of Kolae, Plaza Khao Gaeng, Smoking Goat and Kiln (some chefs have already made the move). So what remains of Singburi 1.0? Some cult dishes haven't made the jump. There's no moo krob, salted fish rice, or stir-fried clams yet. Apart from the cabbage – which remains the same and is fine – those that have been revamped feel even more accomplished. The fiery yet refreshing watermelon salad now stars peak-season strawberries and enough umami-rich pork floss and mint to instigate thrilling contrasts from multiple directions. A tiger prawn and cucumber curry is as good as any seafood dish from the original. The crustaceans are conveniently split in half, shells left on to deepen flavour, their pearly-white flesh stained by viscous yellow-brown sauce that roars with funk and heat. A raw beef larb is gently pungent, piquant and aromatic with sawtooth coriander — the slightly sweet, ferrous flavour of the meat still vivid. The scent of caramelising fish sauce and dripping animal fat hits you on entry, a glimpse of what's new and where the restaurant is headed. A grill layered with fire and skewers is a new addition to the cooking set-up. There's also a smoker, and chef Sirichai Kularbwong, who's given his parents a chance to retire, is joined in the creative process by two Greeks – restaurateur and Catalyst Cafe co-founder Alex Gkikas and chef Nick Moyyviatis (formerly of Kiln and Oma). The results of all of this so far? Grilled wild ginger chicken thigh and dill pork sausage are excellent, but the revelations are the lamb short rib — chopped into cutely named riblets, grilled to tender perfection, then drenched in a luscious but tensile, limey sauce — and a take on nam tok, where wobbly smoked pork belly is offset by nutty roasted rice powder and lifted by a medley of fragrant herbs. There's also a new focus on fish, Gkikas tells me. A perfectly cooked fillet of opalescent halibut in electric-green seafood nam jim reminded me of sitting on a sky-blue stool at T&K Seafood in Bangkok's Yaowarat Road. It was pleasing, but not as layered or pulsating as other dishes. There can be no doubt they will find a way to make grilled sea creatures shine, though. Singburi is, or was, a restaurant that meant a lot to a lot of people. It was rare to find cosmically good cooking in such a no-frills space. The green-and-yellow sign and original mangosteen posters (currently near the loos) might one day evoke the conviviality of Singburi 1.0. For now, they stir longing. Laid bare, it has to forge a new path. But it's just getting started. The vibe A cool, industrial spot that's finding its feet, but the energy of serious cooking is already there. The food Southern-Thai focused, but a full repertoire of Thai fare, from grilled meats, curries and salads, to northern laabs and herbal sausage. There's still no dessert.
Eater
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Overheard at the 2025 Michelin Guide California Award Ceremony
The San Francisco Bay Area, and all of Northern California, did numbers at the state's Michelin Guide ceremony on Wednesday, June 25. There were 2025 numerous stars awarded, with Sonoma restaurant Enclos and San Francisco restaurant Kiln fetching two Michelin stars each. Which chefs and teams take home new accolades and honors can be an indication for the state of the industry and what to add to a diner's hit list for (at least) the following year. All the scuttlebutt before and after the show, everything overheard, can be just as telling. What follows are photos, commentary, snark, and hard-hitting news from the night itself. 'It's a team effort. A lot of people feel they lost their shine in comparison to Los Angeles. The new mayor can help get restaurants back on track with better regulation.' — chef Junsoo Bae, Ssal , retained its star 'Of course I want to see Rich (Lee of Saison)'s restaurant [get a second star], but we're doing good work and Angler's a strong restaurant no matter what. [Retaining a star] is like you know you're safe for another year. It's never guaranteed.' — chef de cuisine Joe Hou, Angler , retained its star 'The nerves aren't with us tonight.' — chef David Fisher, 7 Adams , retained its star 'We're not the new restaurant anymore.' — chef Serena Chow Fisher, 7 Adams , retained its star 'I feel nervous, excited.' — chef Brian Limoges, Enclos, earned two stars 'All the people who are here have restaurants. That are open.' — anonymous Michelin star-holding general manager speaking to another guest 'It's all very odd.' — the guest 'Yes, it's all very odd.' — same GM 'We all packed in an Uber [to come to the ceremony]. Everyone's a little tense at the beginning 'til people unwind and get a little loose.' — chef Rich Lee, Saison, retained its star 'It's so good to be amongst all these people. Whatever happens, I'm just grateful to be here.' — general manager Ian Cobb, Enclos 'I'm just happy to be here. I hope everyone gets what they want.' — chef Rogelio Garcia, Auro , retained its star 'We're happy to be here. *Fist bump*.' — chef Thomas Keller, The French Laundry , retained its three stars 'This isn't the right place to congregate!' — partner to a chef de cuisine at a San Francisco Michelin star-holding restaurant drinking in front of the bar 'There doesn't seem to be one.' — someone else at the bar 'You're not wrong.' — same partner 'It hasn't hit yet.' — chef de cuisine Adam Gale, Enclos 'Yeah it's a shame what happened with Osito since he had such a vision.' — chef Harrison Cheney, Sons and Daughters , on moving into a new restaurant space 'You [Eater SF] came to one of the good ceremonies,' — chef David Yoshimura, Nisei , retained its star 'Your [Eater SF's] suit has the same stitch as mine!' — chef David Barzelay, Lazy Bear , retained its two stars 'It's a good night,' — chef John Wesley, Kiln, earned a second star 'You have so many goddamn restaurants,' — chef at a Michelin star-holding restaurant to another chef 'I know,' — that other chef at another Michelin star-holding restaurant See More: San Francisco Restaurant News
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
California Gets 9 New Michelin-Starred Restaurants For 2025
Providence Restaurant in Hollywood joins the elite three stars list in Southern California. Daniel Collopy A new group of talented chefs have joined the elite class of Michelin-starred restaurants in California. Known worldwide as the pinnacle of achievement for chefs, the Michelin stars are widely revered by culinary experts and enthusiasts alike. This week, the Michelin Guide California 2025 was unveiled, spotlighting nine newly starred restaurants across the state. Among the most notable highlights: Providence in Hollywood earned its coveted third star, while Somni in West Hollywood made a stunning debut with Three Stars—a rare and remarkable feat. Other major honors include Enclos in Sonoma receiving Two Stars, and Kiln in San Francisco rising from One to Two Stars. Five new restaurants were also awarded One Star, bringing California's total to 65 starred establishments. The guide now showcases 548 restaurants representing 55 different cuisine types. According to Michelin, each starred restaurant was rigorously evaluated by their anonymous inspectors, who assess the quality of ingredients, mastery of techniques, flavor harmony, the chef's style, and consistency across the entire menu. Here are the newly honored Michelin-starred restaurants—along with inspector notes for each: Three MICHELIN Stars Providence Restaurant in Hollywood John Troxell Chef Michael Cimarusti of Providence Restaurant in Hollywood John Troxell 'As has been the case since opening in 2005, purity and precision are the underpinnings of Chef Michael Cimarusti's California cooking; and his cuisine has grown even more impressive over the years. The tasting menu blends classic technique with a modern sensibility, global inspiration, and sources the freshest and most sustainable seafood, often wild-caught from American waters. At no point during the meal will you doubt its impeccable quality, especially while savoring dishes such as a tart of lobster mousse and box crab set in a crab beurre blanc, or roasted monkfish with cauliflower and shaved black truffles. Longstanding signatures like the soft-poached egg with uni and breadcrumbs or salt-roasted Santa Barbara spot prawns make for luxurious add-ons.' (5955 Melrose Ave., Hollywood) Somni Restaurant in West Hollywood Jill Paider Outdoor dining at Somni in West Hollywood Christina Gandolfo Somni (West Hollywood) 'Chef Aitor Zabala and his dedicated team have awakened Somni, or "dream" from a long sleep and have fashioned this revamped iteration as a distinctly personal and unique dining experience. Tucked away just off Santa Monica Blvd., the dining room's soothing, creamy palette with light wood and glass is marked by a colorful bull's head from the original spot, hinting at the Spanish-inflected cuisine. A procession of small bites is meticulously arranged and endlessly creative, sating diners with an abundance of rich flavors and textural interplay (think mussel escabeche, gazpacho, or the iconic shiso tartare tempura). All the while, the kitchen and service teams are in lockstep as they create and serve these arresting dishes.' (9045 Nemo St., West Hollywood) Two MICHELIN Stars Enclos Restaurant in Sonoma awarded two stars Adahlia Cole Enclos (Sonoma) 'Concealed inside an 1880 Victorian on the Stone Edge Farm Winery property, once inside this glittering workshop, guests enter a rarified realm. An opulent tasting menu marries global flavors, refined technique, and exceptional ingredients, including produce sourced from their two farms, all shot through with subtle nods to Chef Brian Limoges's New England roots. Take, for example, a clever "lobster roll" croustade made up of spiny lobster tartare in a crisp shell, or a clam chawanmushi that subtly evokes the flavor of chowder. The fireworks continue through to dessert, where a breathtaking sorrel ice cream is decorated with edible leaves flavored with makrut lime and pomegranate. All the while, diners will find the staff effortlessly charming, making the experience all the more magical.' (139 E. Napa St., Sonoma) Kiln Restaurant in San Francisco Jesse Cudworth Kiln (San Francisco) 'Industry veterans Chef John Wesley and general manager Julianna Yang have combined their talents at Kiln, where the warehouse space is warmed by personable service and the kitchen delivers artful creations. The tasting menu leans Nordic, highlighting preservation techniques like curing, drying and fermentation in dishes whose simplicity is belied by intricate techniques and compelling flavor combinations. The creative energy is consistent throughout the meal, offering plenty to impress guests. Opening snacks like a crispy curlicue of puffed beef tendon captures this ethos, while others, like a squab breast lacquered with burnt honey and served with a truffled jus, display a classical bent.' (149 Fell St., San Francisco) One MICHELIN Star Lilo in Carlsbad Elodie Bost Lilo (Carlsbad) 'Good things often come in small packages, and it's certainly true of Lilo, where guests are welcomed to a moveable feast beginning on the heated patio with an array of small bites before moving into the petite dining room. Chef Eric Bost and his team take clear pride in providing an extra level of care in their dishes, evidenced in plates like dry-aged Japanese kinmedai paired with a ragout of geoduck and bone marrow or 40-day dry-aged beef ribeye with preserved gurumelo mushrooms, seaweed, and bordelaise. Halfway through, the dishes shift from savory to sweet for a one-off orgeat ice cream topped with celery root bushi and Ossetra cavia, and later concludes with a myriad of desserts like sweet cream gelato topped with hoja santa and finger lime.' (2571 Roosevelt St., Carlsbad) Mori Nozomi in Los Angeles Lalo Mori Nozomi (Los Angeles) 'Chef Nozomi Mori's sushi counter stands apart from the pack, both for its excellent sushi and for its hospitable staff in the front and back of house. Plan in advance to visit this special spot, where there are just eight seats at the wood counter. While the fish is flown in several times a week from Japan, local, seasonal produce is worked into nearly every dish. Even the smallest details matter here, as evidenced by the Japanese ice imported for use in their five-course tea pairing. Begin with a number of dishes, like chawanmushi with gingko nuts, before enjoying the well-executed nigiri. Mochi accompanied by matcha prepared by the chef herself is an elegant final act.' (11500 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles) Restaurant Ki in Los Angeles Kohada Kaijin Restaurant Ki (Los Angeles) 'You'll need to read the instructions sent ahead of time to find the entrance to Chef Ki Kim's restaurant, but any navigation woes are quickly put to rest once you're inside this ten-seat spot. The contemporary Korean tasting menu pulls in global influences, and meals begin with a few bites such as shirako gimbap, a shell filled with truffle rice and diced kimchi, or crispy, tender octopus in a creamy sauce with octopus head and gochujang. Charred sugar snap peas with stillhead trout roe and tuna or creamy pasta made with perilla seed and topped with fresh winter truffle display a creative flair. Main dishes include the likes of barbecue roasted squab with foie gras sauce, and 45-day dry-aged dairy cow with golden beet jus and Korean bone broth. A mushroom ice cream sandwich seals the deal.' (111 San Pedro St., Los Angeles) Silvers Omakase in Santa Barbara Ryan Mayo Silvers Omakase (Santa Barbara) 'With just a handful of seats and a small staff, this omakase from Chef Lennon Silvers Lee is ever-changing. Some things change daily, while others change weekly, but one thing you can always expect is well-executed dishes made with rice from Japan that is milled in house, and fish that is sourced both locally and from Japan and then dry aged. Arrive early and enjoy a glass of sparkling wine before being called in, as all guests are seated and served at the same time. Enjoy one or two small dishes before a parade of nigiri, which may include hamachi, shima aji, as well as bluefin tuna. Their uni rice is deliciously mixed with wasabi and topped with masago arare for a bit of crunch, marking the end of the savory dishes before a dessert of sorbet made in house.' (224 Helena Ave., Santa Barbara) Sun Moon Studio in Oakland Gabrielle Lurie Sun Moon Studio (Oakland) 'A slightly clandestine air still prevails outside this inconspicuous little spot, but the secret is out: the handful of seats inside are hotly in demand. Chefs Alan Hsu and Sarah Cooper have both worked in some of the country's most celebrated kitchens, but here channel their talents on a more intimate scale. Their shared vision emerges in a mercurial seasonal tasting menu that dutifully celebrates the wealth of Californian ingredients, spanning squab to rockfish and wild mushrooms to citrus. The style is pared down and technically precise, letting products shine while adding a spark of personality, as in Dungeness crab with yuzu kosho butter, perched over silken tofu. Baked items like savory egg tarts with salmon roe, or steamed brioche buns enclosing Taiwanese sausage, are highlights.' (1940 Union St., Ste. 21, Oakland) Michelin Young Chef Award went to Ki Kim at Restaurant Ki Michelin Guide Special Awards Other awards handed out include: Exceptional Cocktails Award to the bar team of Eylan in Menlo Park in Menlo Park Sommelier Award to Chris Barnum-Dann at Localis in Sacramento at in Sacramento Outstanding Service Award to Nick Peyton at Cyrus in Geyserville at in Geyserville The coveted Young Chef Award sponsored by Sysco went to Ki Kim at Restaurant Ki in Los Angeles Here is the complete updated 2025 list of all Michelin-starred restaurants in California: 3 STARS (8) Addison (San Diego) Atelier Crenn (San Francisco) Benu (San Francisco) *Providence (Hollywood) Quince (San Francisco) Single Thread (Healdsburg) *Somni (West Hollywood) The French Laundry (Yountville) 2 STARS (14) Acquerello (San Francisco) Aubergine (Carmel by the Sea) Birdsong (San Francisco) Californios (San Francisco) Commis (Oakland) *Enclos (Sonoma) Harbor House (Elk) Hayato (Los Angeles) *Kiln (San Francisco) Lazy Bear (San Francisco) Mélisse (Santa Monica) Saison (San Francisco) Son's & Daughters (San Francisco) Vespertine (Culver City) 1 STAR (65) 7 Adams (San Francisco) 715 (Los Angeles) Angler SF (San Francisco) Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford) Auro (Calistoga) Bell's (Los Alamos) Camphor (Los Angeles) Caruso's (Montecito) Chez Noir (Carmel by the Sea) Citrin (Santa Monica) Cyrus (Geyserville) Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura (Beverly Hills) Gwen (Los Angeles) Heritage (Long Beach) Hilda and Jesse (San Francisco) Holbox (Los Angeles) Jeune et Jolie (Carlsbad) Kali (Hollywood) Kato (Los Angeles) Kenzo (Napa) Kin Khao (San Francisco) Knife Pleat (Costa Mesa) Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn (San Francisco) *Lilo (Carlsbad) Localis (Sacramento) Madcap (San Enselmo) Meteora (Los Angeles) Mister Jiu's (San Francisco) *Mori Nozomi (Los Angeles) Morihiro (Los Angeles) n/naka (Los Angeles) Nari (San Francisco) Niku Steakhouse (San Francisco) Nisei (San Francisco) Nozawa Bar (Beverly Hills) O' By Claude Le Tohic (San Francisco) Orsa & Winston (Los Angeles) Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles) Pasta|Bar (Encino) Plumed Horse (Saratoga) Press (Saint Helena) Protégé (Palo Alto) R|O-Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach) *Restaurant Ki (Los Angeles) San Ho Won (San Francisco) Selby's (Atherton) Shibumi (Los Angeles) Shin Sushi (Encino) *Silvers Omakase (Santa Barbara) Six Test Kitchen (Paso Robles) Soichi (San Diego) Sorrel (San Francisco) Ssal (San Francisco) State Bird Provisions (San Francisco) *Sun Moon Studio (Oakland) Sushi Inaba (Torrance) Sushi Kaneyoshi (Los Angeles) The Kitchen (Sacramento) The Progress (San Francisco) The Restaurant at JUSTIN (Paso Robles) The Shota (San Francisco) The Village Pub (Woodside) Uka (Los Angeles) Valle (Oceanside) Wakuriya (San Mateo) MORE FROM FORBES Forbes These Are The 12 Best Chefs In America For 2025 Honored With James Beard Awards By Jim Dobson Forbes The 16 Most Beautiful Restaurants In The World, According To Prix Versailles By Jim Dobson Michelin-starred restaurants
The Guardian
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The week in theatre: Retrograde; Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors
The phrase 'person of consequence' might have been coined for Sidney Poitier. The pioneering black American actor was not only possessed of huge talent, but of immense dignity and deep convictions, active in the civil rights movement and, later, in efforts to hand more power to artists in Hollywood. He was remembered on his death in 2022, aged 94, as a person of unassailable decency and integrity. That decency and integrity is vigorously assailed in Ryan Calais Cameron's electric three-hander Retrograde, set in real time in a stuffy NBC lawyer's office on a sticky LA afternoon in 1955 – the height of the McCarthy era. Amit Sharma's production, which premiered at the Kiln in 2023, is an imagining of a real incident, when Poitier was asked as part of a movie contract to sign a loyalty oath – an undertaking to not do or say anything or associate with anyone with even a tenuous link with communism – and to publicly denounce his hero, the singer and activist Paul Robeson. We now know that a number of civil rights figures were deliberately lumped in with the red scare, in a covert attempt by the FBI to undermine the movement. Ivanno Jeremiah's Poitier is on the verge. His breakout role in 1955's Blackboard Jungle has made him somebody, and he and Bobby – Poitier's real-life friend, the writer Robert Alan Aurthur, played with sweaty energy and callow bravado by Oliver Johnstone – are in the office of shit-talking, wise-ass lawyer Parks (Stanley Townsend) to ink a big studio contract. Bobby's all signed up but when he leaves, it becomes clear that Parks has a different agenda for Poitier. Calais Cameron's script, echoing the fast-talking, wise-cracking style of the era's movies, fairly crackles. It's talky but funny, entertainingly sweary (never Poitier, at least almost never) and saturated with what we'd now call micro-aggressions, not all of which are all that micro. Poitier's unease in this situation, where whiskey is drunk in the morning and, for all the straight-talking, too much is being left unsaid, is palpable from the start, but even he isn't sure why at first. Jeremiah's Poitier is beautifully rounded, proud but respectful, reserved but passionate, easy-going but wary, navigating a terrain that he's increasingly aware is booby-trapped. He understands that change requires sacrifice, but it's not always easy to know what sacrifice to make. It is a stonking performance – you can't take your eyes off him, and when Poitier allows his emotions to propel him, Jeremiah commands the stage completely. Bobby and Parks are more sketchily drawn but they hold their own, and Townsend peels away the layers of the fantastically serpentine Parks slowly. Bobby's almost harder to watch – a white liberal, passionately opposed to racism, but who nonetheless can't quite make the leap to zero tolerance because, crucially, it doesn't apply to him. When it becomes clear that to stand up in a meaningful way may have a detrimental effect on his own career, he struggles to find the courage or the conviction. As much as this is about an insidious plot to sabotage a movement, it's also about a black man who is expected to shed some of his blackness in order to move forward. There's a fundamental reason this period piece feels so alive. Utterly without consequence, on the other hand, is Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Director Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen's daft off-Broadway parody of Bram Stoker's Dracula (though 'parody' is insufficient to express just how firmly it drives a stake into the heart of the original) has almost nothing to say that hasn't been said before, but says it with great brio. Canadian actor James Daly is the inhumanly handsome, pansexually voracious Count Dracula, gym-buffed to a gleaming Eurotrash shine and sporting a cape in a way that few living men could pull off. He's also oddly obsessed with baking, enabling precisely two jokes that then don't go anywhere. Charlie Stemp is querulous solicitor Jonathan Harker, terrified of germs and blind to the perils presented by his new client. For whatever reason, Lucy, played with head-girl enthusiasm by Safeena Ladha, is now Harker's fiancee, while Mina is her notably less beautiful sister – presumably because she's played by Sebastien Torkia in an orange wig. Torkia also plays a female Dr Van Helsing, simultaneously scoffed at and desired by Lucy and Mina's father, Dr Westfeldt, played by Dianne Pilkington. Everyone except Daly plays several roles – Pilkington notably Westfeldt's insect-scoffing mental patient Renfield. Her increasingly shambolic quick changes are very funny. It's all pretty funny and larky, delivered gamely by the cast with a chaotic fringe show vibe on an expensive-looking set. The jokes come thick and fast, plentiful if not particularly sharp, and some needed suffocating at birth, let alone a shot at immortality. One highly questionable gag about Janet Street-Porter's teeth must have been added for the UK run, but even the press night audience didn't appreciate it. The show lacks bite but there's no need to snap. Star ratings (out of five) Retrograde ★★★★Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors ★★★ Retrograde is at the Apollo, London, until 14 June Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London, until 3 May
