Bon Appétit Theatre

The Chinese name of Bon Appétit Theatre (嚐) is a pun, meaning both “to try” and “good appetite.” It reflects the troupe’s vision of staging performances like savoring and enjoying a good meal, integrating theater as a natural part of the audience’s life.

Founded in 2018, Bon Appétit Theatre is a troupe that specializes in original stories, often incorporating unique sound experiences and audience participation. A long-term partner of Our Space Music Studio (有間音樂創意有限公司), the troupe began collaborating with foley artist Chen Yen-ju (陳晏如) to explore sound and music, leading to innovative approaches in performance-making.

Since its inception, Bon Appétit Theatre has produced several original public performances. In addition to regularly participating in the Huashan Children’s Arts Festival (華山親子表藝節), they have been invited to perform both domestically and internationally at venues such as the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore, the Wordwave Festival (華文朗讀節) at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, the “Modern Exorcist” Exhibition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the 2022 Creative Expo Taiwan, and the Performing Arts Library at the National Performing Arts Center.

Bon Appétit Theatre’s productions often weave contemporary issues, environmental awareness, and reflections on humanity into their narratives. Stylistically, they are known for experimenting with diverse forms, blending foley, puppetry, physical theater, shadow play, and other media to create a distinctive experience for each story. Through performances and workshops, they aim to inspire both adults and children to explore their imaginations, immersing themselves in charming sequences and fully experiencing the wonder and beauty of theater.

Hung Hsin-huei, the founder of Bon Appétit Theatre, was born in 1990. Encouraged by her mother, she began studying music at a young age and later graduated from the Department of Theater Arts at National Sun Yat-sen University and completed a Master’s degree program at the East 15 Acting School of the University of Essex, U.K. In 2018, she returned to Taiwan and founded Bon Appétit Theatre, where she takes on multiple roles, including director, scriptwriter, and performer. She excels in creating original scripts, often exploring themes related to the meaning of life and the interconnectedness of living beings. By integrating various media—such as sound effects, light and shadow, and physical performance—into her shows, she crafts profound narratives that resemble allegories.

Chen Yen-ju, a foley artist, has contributed to numerous film and theater productions. She is recognized for creating both realistic and abstract sound effects and is passionate about experimenting with different forms of sound performance. A graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the U.K., where she majored in music technology, she won the Audient Prize for Creativity in Music for her EP “Season Shifting,” a project that seeks to blur the lines between sound and music by blending field recordings, sound effects, and instrumental performances. In 2020, she began working with Bon Appétit Theatre, focusing on the development of foley and its integration with stage performances.

In August 2024, Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s Taiwan Season featured Bon Appétit Theatre’s “Little Drops of Rain (小雨滴).” This puppet show, performed without language, uses sound effects made from recycled and reused objects to spark conversations about sustainability with both adults and children. Through a mix of foley, music, objects, and physical theater, the performance creates an imaginative, ever-changing microcosm that transcends language barriers and highlights environmental consciousness.

(Photo: National Culture and Arts Foundation )

Ministry of Culture

Contemporary Performance Arts

Bon Appétit Theatre