If you want to escape the November blues, head into the warm comfort of York Stage’s The Great British Bake Off Musical at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre this week.
With book and lyrics by Jake Brunger, and music by Pippa Cleary, this great British musical had its world premiere in Cheltenham in 2022 before transferring to the West End in 2023.
Now it’s York’s turn to experience this sugary sweet treat of a show – and it feels like it couldn’t come at a better time.
The Great British Bake Off Musical is at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre from Wednesday 5 to Saturday 8 November.
Based on the baking competition TV show of the same name, The Great British Bake Off Musical, you’ll be pleased to know, feels just as much like getting into a warm oven of a hug as GBBO itself.
The simple-but-effective set conjures up the beloved Bake Off tent perfectly, complete with pastel-coloured baking stations and a plethora of mixing bowls and spatulas.
It follows eight bakers as they try and win – and sometimes wobble their way through – the competition. Similar to the TV programme it’s based on, what makes this show so great is its brilliant cast. In what feels like an incredible feat, they make you care about these fictional bakers in just two hours in comparison to the TV’s counterpart of 12 weeks – I found myself genuinely not wanting anyone to ‘go home’.
It’s fantastic to see so many powerful female characters on stage, who are all ‘towers of feminine energy’ in their own right. Amy Barrett gets every bite out of posh-mean-girl Izzy, who has her own popstar moment in ‘Obviously’ – and perhaps delivers the funniest rendition of the singular word ‘instant?!’ I’ve ever heard. Alana Blacker (Francesca) imbues emotional depth into the show with the poignant and metaphorical ‘Grow’, and York Stage favourite Joanne Theaker brings the house down as headstrong Babs in her 11 o’clock number ‘Babs’ Lament.’
At first I thought Tracey Rea could put a little more punch into Pam Lee – aka Prue Leith – but the act two opener ‘Keep On Keeping On’ complete with Fosse-style choreography showed this diva at her best. Rea wrings every comedic drop from each innuendo – and there are many – with aplomb.
I loved the You’re The Top-esque duet ‘I’d Never Be Me Without You’ between Rea and Chris Wilson (Phil Hollinghurst aka Paul Hollywood, bringing just the right amount of cocky gravitas), and the Hollinghurst handshake is almost as revered as the Hollywood version.
At the heart of the show is Gemma (Harriet Yorke), whose beautiful voice is as clear as a bell and gets to shine in numbers like ‘Somewhere In The Dough’ and ‘Rise’ – the ever-so-slightly Defying Gravity finish to the latter is only further illuminated by Yorke being bathed in green light (Adam Moore) for the final note.
The most touching relationship in the show is not the central romantic plotline between Gemma and Ben – a delight to see York Stage’s director/producer Nik Briggs back on stage after five years – but between Gemma and Ben’s daughter, Lily. It’s always a relief to see a subversion from the tired ‘wicked stepmother’ trope. The audience for opening night were lucky enough to see the shining star Eady Mensah as Lily (a role shared with Abigail Hodgson, Ella Laister, and Megan Pickard) whose future on the stage looks very bright.
The men get to have bags of fun too. Every time Stu Hutchinson (Russell) sashays onto the stage is a complete scene-stealer, and he brought most of the raucous laughter from the audience. Grant McIntyre as vegan hippy Dezza has one of the best voices in the cast, and it’s hard to believe this is Fredo’s (Hassan) musical theatre debut as he brings a confidence to the role that matches every person on stage.
The vocals presented in this show are some of the best I’ve ever heard, not just from York Stage but on a York stage. The excellent band were led expertly by musical director Stephen Hackshaw (Jessica Viner is also musical director for this show), and not a single note was out of place.
Any die-hard fans of Bake Off will appreciate all the nods to iconic lines and moments from the TV show, but even if you’ve never watched an episode there’s so much to tuck into here. And it’s even official-GBBO approved as season 16 contestant Nataliia Richardson was in the audience for opening night.
Don’t miss this showstopper of a musical – on your marks, get set, book!
The Great British Bake Off Musical is at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre until Saturday 8 November.
Tickets start from £18 and are available via the theatre website.
