Colonisation might feel like distant history to those living in the West, but CHamoru/Filipina theatre maker Sierra Sevilla knows it all too well. Welcoming us to Pleasance Beside, her one-woman show For the Love of Spam delivers an hour of joy, tears, and enlightening insights rarely covered in schools.
Everywhere Sierra goes, Spam follows.
Born in Guam, a US territory in the Pacific, she grew up with Spam as her family’s reliable typhoon food, sustaining them when power and water vanished. In Boston, Spam became her comfort after heartbreak, and even in the UK, it caused conflict with her husband, who refused to eat it. But Spam is more than just canned pork; it represents survival and connection. When an American roommate in college shows disdain for her Spam, Sierra feels the yawning chasm between Guam and the US, a land where the concept of survival food is foreign and far removed.
The heart of her story lies in the brutal truth beneath the so-called liberation of her island. The US claimed to have freed them from the Japanese, but never gave the people of Guam the right to vote. With the military base looming large on their land, Spam arrived with the soldiers, yet no one spoke of the price it demanded: culture, heritage, and even lives quietly eroded. To the powerful politicians across the ocean, Guam is merely a pawn on a vast, impersonal chessboard.
The emotional crescendo of her tale comes when she begins a countdown—a haunting 14 minutes, the time it would take for a missile to strike her homeland. In those imagined final moments before the devastation, she shares the faces of those she loves, the fragments of life that make it all worthwhile. She offers up memories, like tender offerings, and as the clock ticks down, she shows us how to cook her spam recipe—no power, no water—just heart and history, seared into every bite.
Creating an autobiographical storytelling show is always a challenge, as it requires weaving a cohesive thread through all the pieces. For the Love of Spam is especially ambitious, as it not only explores Sevilla’s personal life but also tackles the socio-economic and political issues of her home island—all through the lens of tins of Spam. At times, the show can feel a bit clumsy, as emotions shift too quickly for the audience to fully absorb them.
However, Sevilla’s passion and sincere performance make up for these minor emotional disconnections. She masterfully brings her story to life using props like Moana puppets, tins of Spam, a broom, coconut bras, and, most powerfully, her own body.
Blending satire with honesty, she fearlessly addresses the brutal truths of white privilege and the inherent unfairness in a society that claims to be a beacon of democracy. Yet, despite these hard truths, she pours her heart out to her audience, leaving them touched by her story. After such a beautiful performance, who wouldn’t crave a bit of Spam?
For the Love of Spam is running until 26 August (except 21) at Pleasance Courtyard – Beside.
Buy tickets here.
Image by Barbara Dudek provided to The Student for press use.