After its world premiere at Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre, Great British Bake Off - The Musical looks set to become a real showstopper, with belly laughs and standing ovations from audiences - and positive reviews from critics, too.
Its cast of Olivier-nominated actors - headed by West End stars Rosemary Ashe, who played Carlotta in the original cast of Phantom of the Opera, and John Owen-Jones, who is most famous for his roles as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and the title role in Phantom - put on a spectacular show at the Gloucestershire venue, with impressive vocal performances, some hilarious lyrics and - as you'd expect - more than a sprinkling of innuendo!
SoGlos was at the official press night on Wednesday 3 August 2022, where we discovered that, as well as bearing an uncanny likeness to actual Bake Off judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, Ashe and Owen-Jones made a charming pair, with their eccentric duet 'I'd Never Be Me Without You', complete with top hats and canes, being one of the highlights of the show - as was judge Phil's arrival on a miniature motorbike...
'Slap It Like That' had the entire audience in stitches, as Owen-Jones led the cast in the saucy show tune, complete with suggestive pastry shapes and plenty of slapstick comedy.
Jay Saighal's plant-based activist-come-influencer Dezza got plenty of laughs; Claire Moore's Babs, a cockney bird with a crush on Phil was both funny and endearing; Catriana Sandison's Francesca, who turned to baking when struggling to conceive, was surprisingly earnest and emotive; while Simbi Akande's pretentious rich girl with an unstoppable desire to win, Izzy, was the perfect foil to the other cast members' wholesome personas.
The central love story was led by Gemma, played by Charlotte Wakefield, whose soaring vocals were reminiscent of Wicked and Frozen.
And while her saccharine happy ending wasn't quite to everyone's taste (SoGlos were rooting for Babs and Phil!), the national press reviews have been positive too, with WhatsOnStage giving the show four stars and The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times all giving it three stars.
Though there are no immediate plans for Bake Off - The Musical after it finishes its run at the Everyman Theatre, the producers hope to take the show to the West End, where we reckon it's got the potential to be a hit at the box office, too.
Great British Bake Off - The Musical is at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham until Saturday 6 August 2022.
For more information, or to book tickets, visit everymantheatre.org.uk.
