For 16 long years, Ava Rose has been trying and failing to win her county’s infamous chili competition and honour her dad’s legacy. This is finally her year to win, or so she hopes. Faced with a sous chef who doesn’t know how to open a can, a lack of a full recipe, and her arch-nemesis attempting to sabotage her at every step, can Ava beat the odds and come out victorious?
On paper, Five Alarm is a play about a chili competition, but in reality, it’s about so much more. Throughout the show, Ava must reconcile with her grief surrounding her dad, her past failed relationships, and her current spinster status, all while trying to make the best pot of chili the county has ever had.
Photo by Maria Vartanova.
Five Alarm features just five characters—Ava Rose, her sous-chef Ellen Pellham, her lifelong rival Connie Gardiner, Connie’s sous-chef Tucker Dell, and Ava’s old love, Caleb Seaton. Despite the small cast, the actors’ portrayals of the characters are all larger than life, and they fill up the stage with big personalities and even bigger hearts.
Michael Moreno, playing Tucker Dell, absolutely stole the show. From the moment he enters the stage, all eyes are on him. Moreno’s portrayal of the dumb yet lovable Tucker was absolutely hilarious and heart-warming to boot. All of his jokes land perfectly, and despite being on the side of the enemy, he is so charismatic that the audience can’t help but root for him the entire time.
Photo by Maria Vartanova.
Perhaps the most impressive element of the show was the set. The play takes place in one small section of the county fair, but the set elements give the illusion that the whole fair exists just outside of view. Between the set and the also incredible costumes, the audience is transported from downtown Ottawa to small-town Ontario.
Not a single detail is missed—every part of the set helps contribute to this illusion, from the rickety wooden fences separating the chili competition from the rest of the fair, to colourful pennants strung every which way over the stage, to a board displaying all of the sponsors of the fair.
Photo by Maria Vartanova.
Five Alarm is, above all else, an extremely humorous play. From faux pas to physical comedy to hilarious plot twists, the audience was cracking up the entire time. That being said, some jokes are dated and do not feel appropriate for the current climate. However, this does not take away from the humour and joy of the play.
Five Alarm is a heart-warming comedy that’s about so much more than chili–the characters steal the audience’s hearts and leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside–and not just from the habanero peppers being thrown around! This play is filled with twists and surprises and is absolutely not to be missed.
Don’t miss Five Alarm playing at Ottawa Little Theatre until Sept. 6. For more information about the show, you can check out OLT’s website. Tickets can be purchased online.
