CHEF is a fierce, poetic monologue about a brilliant Italian woman whose journey from Michelin-starred kitchens to a prison canteen is told through memories, recipes, and raw emotion.

Starring the electrifying Miriam Gagino and directed by Alessandra Gonnella, this London premiere reimagines Sabrina Mahfouz’s acclaimed play through a bold, international lens. Chef is an Italian woman, immigrant, living in the UK.  

At the heart of CHEF is a woman who once lived for precision and beauty but found herself navigating a world of violence, trauma, and injustice. Behind bars, she confronts her past, her guilt, and the hunger that shaped her: for power, for love, and for survival.

Blending spoken word, storytelling and culinary metaphor, CHEF is a brutal yet lyrical exploration of womanhood, class, and the systems that confine us.

A story of reinvention and resistance, served hot.
This is not just food for thought: it’s a meal that burns going down.

Age recommendation: 16+

Duration: 60 mins

Price: £15

Languages: English, Italian

Countries: Italy, UK

Content warnings: References to violence, drugs, sex, suicide.

Starring:

CHEF - Miriam Gagino

Director and Producer: Alessandra Gonnella

Based on CHEF by Sabrina Mahfouz 

Italian translation: Monica Capuani

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