Jay Rayner: Songs of Food and Agony

Taking place in various theatres across the country from February to May, A Night OF Food and Agony and My Dining Hell entertainingly combine Jay Rayner’s flair for storytelling and acerbic wit with a hitherto hidden talent as a musician.

My Dining Hell, opening in March in Liverpool and travelling around the country before closing in Chatham in May, will see Jay examine our love affair with lousy reviews. As a restaurant critic for the Observer for over 15 years, if there is one thing Jay has learnt it is that his readers delight in reviews of bad restaurants.

In this accompaniment to his book of the same name, Rayner rants about his most hated restaurants fads, describes some of his most excruciating nights out and – just to balance things – reads from the worst reviews his own work has ever received. Having already had a successful run in 2015, this is a hugely entertaining show in the company of the man recently voted the best food and drink journalist in Britain.

Kicking off in Kingston in February and finishing in Swansea in April A Night Of Food And Agony, featuring Jay’s quartet, will essentially offer two shows for the price of one. The first half of this evening is an hour-long version of My Dining Hell, where Jay talks about his time as a restaurant critic and one of Britain’s most well-known food experts, delighting the audience with anecdotes about the best and worst restaurants he’s ever eaten in.