Day 9 - Bibap!

Somersaults, flying kicks and body flips flashed passed my eyes as I sat in the first row of the theatre. Never once throughout the entire show did my heart stop pounding because of the dangerous stunts that were being pulled off by the actors. Suddenly, things took a turn when I started seeing vegetables being thrown across the stage! That’s when I thought to myself that this wasn’t just any regular musical that I’ve ever seen before.

Who would’ve ever thought that cooking could be incorporated into a musical? Bibap made its’ first debut in 2009 and has gained world recognition for its stunning performances thus far. The performance is put together with a combination of beat-boxing, acapella singing, b-boying, acrobatics and martial arts. But what’s even more amazing is that the entire musical is a nonverbal performance where the actors mimic the sound of making different dishes from various cuisines!

The musical revolves around two head chefs that are competing to prepare the best dish of various cuisines ranging from Chinese, Italian, Japanese and lastly, Korean. In each cook-off, the winner is then selected by a random audience member which makes this performance even more exciting.

Tears of laughter were shed as the actors performed slapstick comedy on stage. All the actors performed so well and it is so hard to choose a favourite one. However, if I must pick, I would choose the “Rookie Chef”. The “Rookie Chef” made me laugh the hardest as he made several mistakes whilst preparing the dishes. Not to mention, he was always one step behind the other apprentices, giving opportunities for them to make fun of him. But, what attracted me the most was when he started b-boying towards the end of the performance. His swift moves completely changed my impression of him!

Everything, from lights to sound to music was prepared so well that I could leave no room for critics. I was left in awe several times during the entire duration of the performance especially with the beat-boxing! I thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the entire performance and if I had a chance to watch it again, then I would most certainly not decline. Bibap went beyond my expectations is now on my list of top musicals that I’ve watched.

If you’re looking for comedy, action and entertainment, then Bibap is the musical for you.

Written by Abigail Leong as ODAO