Secret Ingredients

Using cake to explore the intricacies of human relationships, Secret Ingredients pairs sweet flavors with challenging messages: the dark chocolate of embarrassment, the citrus zest of annoyance, the tart cherry jam of grief.

The latest creation from Vancouver-based artist Keely O’Brien, the show takes a playful approach to the challenges of honest communication. Asking the audience to think of messages they find too difficult to express verbally, Secret Ingredients provides a window into the quirks, nuances, joys, and heartaches of real relationships.

A sweet treat of a show, Secret Ingredients is a theatrical cake tasting inspired by the emotions of the stories as they are unraveled.

Creative and Production Team

Creator and Performer – Keely O’Brien
Sound Design – Alex Mah
Projection and Lighting Design – Andie Lloyd
Access Consultant – Veronique/V West
Production and Stage Manager – Robert Azevedo
Props Builder/Buyer – Jesse Orr
Mentor – Maiko Yamamoto

Content Advisory

There is mention of a parent's life threatening illness and psychiatric hospitalization.

Allergen Information

Cakes are served to the audience as part of the show. Eating the cake is optional. The cakes are vegan, may contain nuts, contain gluten, and may contain trace amounts of dairy and eggs. We also provide cake in to-go containers for audience members who prefer to remain masked.

Acknowledgements

Secret Ingredients was commissioned and developed through Theatre Replacement COLLIDER Artist Residency, with support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Secret Ingredients was first presented at Theatre Replacement’s HOLD ON LET GO (Vancouver, Feb. 2025)

Please note that Secret Ingredients is excluded from the Play Series Subscription and Create-Your-Own Series offer.