Noel Coward Theatre – until 13 May 2023
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Last week, the TV producers announced that GBBO will be going back to basics for the next series, and this musical reminds us just what magical moments those basics can create. This light and fluffy musical treat is so sweet and satisfying, you’ll want extra helpings.
Jake Brunger (book and lyrics) and Pippa Cleary (music and lyrics) have taken everything that makes GBBO appealing – eclectic characters, camaraderie, ridiculous challenges and tearful farewells – sprinkled with theatrical magic and baked a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.
Some favourite contestant types are all here competing for the big prize – the geek (Michael Cahill), the fiery Italian (Cat Sandison), the upper class student (Grace Mouat), the vegan hipster from London (Jay Saighal), the retired dinner lady (Claire Moore) and the student cooking with flair and instinct (Aharon Rayner) – with widowed police officer Ben (Damian Humbley) and stand-by contestant Gemma (Charlotte Wakefield) providing the romantic subplot. The contestants are hilarious, with each actor making the most of the quirks and baggage the characters bring to the tent. Ben’s daughter (played by Aanya Shah in the performance I saw) comes with him to the tent each week and their relationship is explored in some delightful songs, but this, and the romantic plot doesn’t detract from the competition in the tent, instead adding further layers.
Alice Power’s set is a twee recreation of “The” tent, with moveable workstations playing an integral part of Georgina Lamb’s charming choreography. There are multiple call-backs to iconic events from the TV series – obviously Bingate is referenced! – and these raise laughs from both fans of the series and newcomers to the GBBOverse. There are injuries, sabotage and of course the tension of eliminations – with big hugs all round, and the quest for a Hollinghurst handshake even has its own musical number. The musical numbers are all memorable – some rib-ticklingly funny and others tugging at your heart strings. The writers and director Rachel Kavanaugh clearly understand the material and the fanbase, cramming a series-worth of emotional highs and lows into two acts with ease.
The increasingly ridiculous TV introductions are lampooned brilliantly with Scott Paige and Zoe Birkett having a ball as hosts Jim and Kim. Paige’s one-liners and facial expressions are worth the ticket price alone. Judges Pam Lee (Haydn Gwynne) and Phil Hollinghurst (John Owen-Jones) are wonderfully affectionate and OTT versions of Prue and Paul, and Gwynne opens act two with a barnstorming performance celebrating aging disgracefully. Owen-Jones prowls around the tent with steely glee and provides an unforgettable NSFW lesson on dough in the number Slap It Like That.
Wonderfully light-hearted feel-good fun for all the family – the Great British Bake Off Musical is a must see show.