Chris Fung talks about The Society for New Cuisine opening in March.
Chris Fung, a performer best known for his work in Disney’s Frozen on the West End, has turned his attention to writing with The Society for New Cuisine (SFNC). This dark, Buddhist-inspired fable uses extended metaphor and striking poetry to explore capitalism, mental health, and the pressures placed on East and South East Asian men.
The story follows THE MAN, a character grappling with heartbreak, the trials of dating, and the harsh realities of financial responsibility. Fung’s performance takes audiences on a surreal and unsettling journey, culminating in a visceral act of cutting off and consuming parts of himself in a desperate quest for understanding.
Fresh from a critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe 2023 run, where it garnered 4- and 5-star reviews, The Society for New Cuisine is now set to captivate London audiences. It will play at Omnibus Theatre from 19th March to 5th April and at Norden Farm from 8th to 9th April. We spoke with Fung about the inspiration behind the piece, its evolution, and the collaborative process of bringing this deeply personal and universal story to life.
Hello, Chris, and welcome to ET.
Hey! My name is Chris Fung, and our company is Fun Guy Theatre.
This piece is directed by Rupert Hands, a longtime associate of Jamie Lloyd, and we are a team of young, hungry freelancers intent on bringing something excellent to London.
I don’t think I can stress enough how excellent this team is. Rupert made his West End directorial debut a few months ago with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Palladium, starring Ramin Karimloo and Hadley Fraser. He also helped set up Sunset Boulevard on the West End and Broadway, starring Nicole Scherzinger.
Yimei Zhao (Set and Costume), Rajiv Pattani (Lighting), and Jamie Lu (Sound) are just so full of momentum, and they were all our first choices. They all have craft behind them and have been curating significant national reputations already in their careers. To have them all together for a run at a place like the Omnibus and Norden Farm is rare and pretty exciting.
How did you come to write your show?
I wrote The Society for New Cuisine (SFNC) about three years ago when I was in the original West End cast of Disney’s Frozen. My boss there, Resident Director Alexander Sims, helped me develop it.
We took SFNC to Edinburgh Fringe 2023, where it received a host of 4- and 5-star reviews. Now we have a London run at two powerful theatres: Omnibus and Norden Farm.
Here’s a synopsis:
After a world-shattering breakup, an isolated man with only questions discovers The Society for New Cuisine, a powerful organisation that seems to have all the answers. This dark, Buddhist-inspired fable took Edinburgh Fringe by storm, and in this all-new version, it asks just one thing: What would you give for a taste of new understanding?
What was the inspiration behind the show?
I started writing after a real-life breakup. I took bits to Alex at Frozen and asked, “Hey, could this be a play?” He said, “I dunno, let’s see.” We’d meet before rehearsals and work on it. Eventually, he said, “Chris, this is a play. It might even be a good one.”
We cut parts of ourselves to give to others: to our jobs, family, friends. When we realise it, we call it heartbreak, a midlife crisis, depression, or even hikikomori. Tibetan Buddhists call it fear and anxiety.
After my breakup, I was very sad. Writing SFNC became something constructive to pour myself into. Instead of dwelling on sadness, I had moments of light, thinking about something halfway to good.
I read everything: Dennis Kelly’s The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces, The Woman in Black by Stephen Mallatratt, H.P. Lovecraft, Harlan Ellison’s I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, Cruise by Jack Holden, and many more.
I looked around and suddenly, I wasn’t so alone.
How has the show changed since its first draft?
This is a whole new version. Since Edinburgh Fringe, I’ve been developing as a writer, working closely with Rupert Hands and some really excellent mentors. I’m part of the Soho Theatre Writers’ Lab for 2024/25, learning from Jules Haworth, Roy Alexander Weise, and Sharmila Chauhan.
Greg and Felix Mosse of the Criterion New Writing programme have been hugely gracious, and Martin Crimp has offered beautiful dramaturgical notes.
It’s been lots of fun!
Why did you decide to perform your own writing, and how have you developed the role?
Initially, I wrote it selfishly – to work through my own feelings. But as I developed it, excellent collaborators pushed me to clarify my intent for an audience, to consider rhythm, variation, and flow.
Performing this at Edinburgh Fringe was revelatory. I performed in a little 60-seater at Underbelly, and sometimes, due to self-producing, I performed to as few as three people. Those experiences were transformative.
One performance with three people became the most intimate theatre experience of my life. We listened and played with subtext, building the show together in a way I’ll never forget.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
“It’s all going to be okay.” – A parent, probably.
“Shut up, Chris, it isn’t all about you,” and then, “It’s all going to be okay.” – All my teachers, at some point.
“You’re going to be okay.” – All my directors.
This play is about that. It’s also helped me survive the challenges of making theatre on the Off-West End/Fringe – which isn’t easy!
Thank you Chris, it was great to hear about this very personal show. The Society for New Cuisine will play at Omnibus Theatre from 19th March to 5th April and at Norden Farm from 8th to 9th April.
Further information and booking are available for Ominbus Theatre, here and for Norton Farm, here.
