The Hot Wing King purports to be a play about a man’s attempt to win the annual Hot Wing Championship in Memphis with his own recipe for this popular African American fast food. It’s presented in the form of an American TV sitcom in an open plan kitchen of the home he now shares and yet as the story unfolds, it offers more than a series of quick fire one liners in African American Vernacular English, which had the opening night audience whooping with delight.

Written by Katori Hall, it had a Broadway run in 2022 and now arrives at the NT’s intimate Dorfman Theatre. Hall’s The Mountaintop was an extraordinary reimagination of a moment in history, the night before Martin Luther King was assassinated . This play is more nuanced and challenging but as it builds, a powerful universal human story emerges about acceptance, parental care and male bonding.

Cordell has left his wife, Vanessa, and two sons to move in with Dwayne but can’t bring himself to tell them nor persuade his wife to sign the divorce papers. When EJ is brought home by his uncle Dwayne, the tensions explode between the three of them. EJ is struggling to deal with the grief of his mother’s death in police custody and Dwayne feels guilt over whether he could have prevented it. Cordell is desperate to be a success as a chef and not be dependant on Dwayne as he starts his life again. Comedy is introduced by Big Charles and Isom, part of the Wings team, as they assist in the preparation of the marinated chicken wings for the big competition with its $5000 prize, and there is some confusion over the quantity of PelePele spice to be added.

It takes time to tune into the African American accents and phraseology, and the characters regularly use the N-Word to address each other which, as the programme explains, is part of strategy to reclaim a word stigmatised by its historical use and which still remains unacceptable to use by White people. The audience responds with peels of laughter as the banter between the chef’s team fires back and forth, emphasised by plenty of posing and grimaces. When it gets serious, the pace slows, the diction becomes clearer, and the heartfelt reactions become startlingly clear in contrast to the playful jollity.

Kadiff Kirwan is outstanding as Cordell, the passionate chef who is insecure in his relationships and uncertain of his future. The scenes in the outdoor backyard are powerful and emotional compared to the joshing around the kitchen island. Kaireece Denton, making his professional debut as EJ, is impressive as he challenges Cordell and exposes the suppressed feelings. Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Dwayne provides the solid caring link between the two men struggling to manage their lives. This is a very well-acted production, each man clearly establishing their character and their feelings towards one another.

There are delightful moments of physical comedy, especially around the tasting of the various Wing’s spices from Lemon Pepper, through Hot-Hot and Parmesan to the crowning glory of Spicy Cajun Alfredo with Bourbon infused crumbled bacon! And flights of fancy as the team sing and dance together to Luther Vandross’s ‘Never Too Much’. These show the bonds between the men as they work together.

Once again, Katori Hall has shown what a fine writer she is with an important role to play in bringing African American culture to the stage in a way that is engaging, entertaining and informative and more importantly, attracts a diverse audience to the shared experience of live theatre. You may not catch every nuance or line, but it does create a space for reflective engagement and remind us that whether you are gay or straight, black or white, the human story at the heart of the play about grief, parental responsibility and love for friends and family are the same and helps us to understand one another better.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Nick Wayne

The Hot Wing King plays in the National’s Dorfman Theatre until 14 September, with further info here.