For me it's a hobby and an interest. Anyone else?
To kick off - a review of Bake Off - The Musical
Went to see this on Friday night just gone. For those not in the know, this shows takes the format of the Great British Bake Off but with 8 contestants, and uses it as the medium for a musical. I'll be honest, my expectations were *very* low, but the family wanted to go and see it, and to be honest I have a great fondness for "so bad it's funny" (I've seen a few of those, Leonardo and Lautrec spring to mind).
I was actually pleasantly surprised. The script is quite sharp and the writers have a truly excellent sense of when things could get mawkish. The cast were excellent and there are some big names in there. The Prue Leith character is played by Haydn Gwynne (Donna / Oolie in City of Angels and Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliott amongst other roles) and the Paul Hollywood character by John Owen Jones best known for Phantom in Phantom and Jean Val Jean in Les Mis). The other cast also very strong and for a change a really interesting diverse cast of all ages and sizes. Musically the songs are a little forgettable - I didn't come out singing any of the tunes. On the other hand, songs are not relentlessly beaten into you a la Andrew Lloyd Webber. Zoe Birkett and Scott Page were excellent as the Bake Off hosts and there are some nice laugh out loud moments.
The set is smart and functional but not exactly award winning. On the other hand there is a limit to what you can do and still reflect the TV show.
It's an enjoyable night out. If you are a fan of bake off on Channel 4 or have watched some Bake Off, then there are lots of bake off in jokes, but it is still accessible to non fans. There was an odd queuing system to get into the theatre and you can buy cupcakes for £5 as merchandise. The theatre is lovely and as usual great if you have short legs, but not so much if you are tall. We were second row stalls and had an excellent view of the action. You probably see a bit more of the kitchen set from the Dress Circle.
So all in all a recommend for a nice evening out. If you want world changing or thought provoking, then probably not for you.
To kick off - a review of Bake Off - The Musical
Went to see this on Friday night just gone. For those not in the know, this shows takes the format of the Great British Bake Off but with 8 contestants, and uses it as the medium for a musical. I'll be honest, my expectations were *very* low, but the family wanted to go and see it, and to be honest I have a great fondness for "so bad it's funny" (I've seen a few of those, Leonardo and Lautrec spring to mind).
I was actually pleasantly surprised. The script is quite sharp and the writers have a truly excellent sense of when things could get mawkish. The cast were excellent and there are some big names in there. The Prue Leith character is played by Haydn Gwynne (Donna / Oolie in City of Angels and Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliott amongst other roles) and the Paul Hollywood character by John Owen Jones best known for Phantom in Phantom and Jean Val Jean in Les Mis). The other cast also very strong and for a change a really interesting diverse cast of all ages and sizes. Musically the songs are a little forgettable - I didn't come out singing any of the tunes. On the other hand, songs are not relentlessly beaten into you a la Andrew Lloyd Webber. Zoe Birkett and Scott Page were excellent as the Bake Off hosts and there are some nice laugh out loud moments.
The set is smart and functional but not exactly award winning. On the other hand there is a limit to what you can do and still reflect the TV show.
It's an enjoyable night out. If you are a fan of bake off on Channel 4 or have watched some Bake Off, then there are lots of bake off in jokes, but it is still accessible to non fans. There was an odd queuing system to get into the theatre and you can buy cupcakes for £5 as merchandise. The theatre is lovely and as usual great if you have short legs, but not so much if you are tall. We were second row stalls and had an excellent view of the action. You probably see a bit more of the kitchen set from the Dress Circle.
So all in all a recommend for a nice evening out. If you want world changing or thought provoking, then probably not for you.
