You don't have to love a production to have a lovely time at the theatre. It's sometimes accepting something for what it is, giving it a go and just enjoying a few hours in front of a talented cast and crew of performers and technical staff in a beautiful venue.
The Great British Bake Off Musical is based off the reality television behemoth of the same name. It follows the behind the scenes filming of a series as we're invited in to the baking tent and offered up all sorts of Bake Off staples we've come to know and love from the show. It's a little tricky to explain it any better than that - there's a number of minor plots interwoven through the process, but it's mostly just that.
Haydn Gwynne and John Owen Jones must be complimented for their roles as the Prue Leith/Paul Hollywood inspired 'Pam and Phil'. They pitched the performances just right, and it was definitely a highlight every time they appeared on stage. I equally loved Scott Paige and the one and only Zoe Birkett (!!) as our hosts also. Easily the most entertaining aspects of the show come from these four and I'll say they were all underutilised. I kept wanting more from them and felt slightly disappointed when we were left with the (mainly two-dimensional) contestant characters.
I wasn't sold on the structure of the show. It took a while to get going and the elimination of contestants takes a while to speed up (not properly until the second act) - it felt rather slow and often cluttered on stage. I did begin to worry we were going to experience every single bake but thankfully we were treated to some ‘behind the scenes’ experiences of contestants which made for more entertaining viewing.
What this show gets right is it's minor themes. There was a beautiful look at identity and what it means to be ‘British’ - from the perspectives of contestants who had found their new found home here. There was also a nice take on the ‘sob story’ - a tool we’ve come to expect from reality television contestants, but this was displayed tactfully and rather honestly which I grew a sincere appreciation for.
The video design left me with a few questions. I really struggled with it. Any semblance of theme that had been crafted by the design team was seemingly ignored by the video design. I will say that there was one moment in the show where it worked, and that was the images of the contestants beamed onto the screens, which disappeared one by one in their elimination order - it was simple, and effective. I wondered if there had been a continued theme (like the designs to be illustrated) throughout it may have been tolerable, but it didn't really and I just cringed at every projection. There were some fun automation moments however, featuring a motorbike and a garden sofa!
I can’t say I recall much (or any) of the music, but I did think that things really came together in the group numbers. I thought most of the solo songs were a little dull whereas things really came together when the cast had each other to bounce off. Highlights were the innuendo laden 'Slap It Like That' and the second act opener 'Keep On Keeping On' - a wonderful showcase of Haydn Gwynne's talent.
I enjoyed the easter egg trail of television show mentions hidden in the script. The mentions of many other programmes and pop culture references made sure that we knew that this show knows exactly what it is, and that’s a bit of fun.
What I've really taken away from my visit to the Bake Off tent was my interaction with my fellow theatre-goer next to me. After the gentleman initiated a chat in the interval with "Well, it's a bit of fun isn't it?" I quickly found out that he'd come to the theatre alone so he could go home and tell his recently disabled wife all about it so that she could enjoy it also. It reminded me to be appreciative for every opportunity we get to visit the theatre - regardless of your opinion of the show, it will always be a luxury.
🧁🧁🧁 / five.
Rich
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