Presented by Honi Ryan
@ Private Residence in Adelaide
FRIDAY 16th March

The Silent Dinner Party has a very straightforward premise – you attend a dinner party with a group of strangers, and must remain silent throughout. No speaking, no reading or writing, and definitely no mobile phones! From this simple idea was born one of the funniest shows I have attended at this or any other Fringe.

Prior to the event, attendees received an email with the address of a private residence in the eastern suburbs. I arrived slightly before the scheduled start time, and there was a line-up of guests already waiting. The sense of nervous excitement was palpable; no-one really had any idea what they were in for.

This anticipation actually serves as part of the show itself – I spent most of the previous day wondering what it would be like, what my reaction would be to being unable to communicate verbally, and who else might actually be crazy enough to decide this would be a fun way to spend an evening!

Once the door opened and guests were ushered through, it became clear that the Silent Dinner Party was definitely going to be fun. We had no idea who we were sharing a table with, what they do, where they live, or any other details apart from what we could observe or interpret from their behaviour.

As the night progressed, and people made full use of their BYO alcohol (each bottle/can helpfully wrapped in tape by the Silent Dinner Party staff, so guests couldn’t read the labels), the “conversation” became remarkably open – any pretence or affectation just falls away when you are reduced to communicating at a really basic level. The number of rude hand gestures that a table full of ostensibly mature adults can generate is far higher than you might expect…

Of course, once one person finds something funny, it is very difficult not to be caught up in the situation, even if you didn’t see the gesture/situation they are responding to. The sight of 20-odd people shaking with silent laughter, some with tears rolling down their faces, is more than enough to induce you to join in!

You will be astonished at your own creativity – it is possible to convey quite complex ideas using only facial expressions and hand gestures, and of course any embarrassment you feel because of the way you’re waving your hands around wildly and pulling the most ridiculous faces soon dissipates when you realise every other person around you is doing the exact same thing.

When I signed up for Buzzcuts, I wasn’t expecting to have to become a restaurant critic too, but the food served at the Silent Dinner Party was such an integral part of the evening that it would be wrong for me not to mention it. Again, no reading or writing through the whole evening, so no menu – I’m relying on my memory…

The food had a definite Indian theme, starting with an entrée of spiced pumpkin soup served with herbed pita bread, followed by a lemony, peppery rice dish as main. The main was accompanied by a range of other dishes, including a sort of tomato- and chickpea-based stew, a green salad with pine nuts and dressing, and orange slices topped with herbs and small cubes of beetroot – definitely a new taste for me! Dessert was a real highlight – ice cream topped with saffron fairy floss, with a cardamom- and cinnamon-infused crumble and rose syrup. Delectable!

Everything was served casually and competently – the wait between courses was slightly too long for some of my fellow guests, but I felt it gave more of an opportunity to interact with each other. This is a crucial point – more than most other shows, the enjoyment you get from the Silent Dinner Party is highly dependent on the other attendees. If the people around you connect with the idea of the event, and choose to immerse themselves in the experience, then it is likely you will have a more complete experience as well.

For example, as with any group of people, there were a range of reactions to the strict “no talking” rule – some considered it more of a guideline, some relied on mouthing words, and some took it to heart and remained utterly mute for the whole evening. In fact, some of the funniest moments of the night took place when people with different approaches were forced to interact – it was exactly as if they were speaking the same language with different, difficult-to-understand accents.

There was a point towards at the end of the evening when people visibly began to tire, with a corresponding increase in the noise level, which did put a slight dampener on some of the hilarity that had taken place earlier in the evening. However, I’m not sure if there is anything to be done about this – different groups will have different tolerance levels when it comes to the length of the dinner party.

All in all, the first (and possibly only) Silent Dinner Party I have ever attended was an absolutely brilliant idea and a truly compelling experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone – if only for that dessert. Yum!