The Great British Bake Off Musical - WAOS, Witham

 Guest Reviewer: Christine Davidson

It is always lovely to be asked to review a show from WAOS as the professionalism and entertainment that they produce is always top notch.  I guess I must be only one of a few that has never watched the tv show so maybe felt a bit disadvantaged but the thought of seeing a brand new musical made me excited to see how they would go about this.

Renowned Director Clare Carr always seems to add a special sparkle to any show she produces and certainly adding the dances, singers and tv crew to the mix made the ingredients much more interesting and fun. From just thirteen actors, the added ensemble of cast rose to a total of thirty and this gave the everyone the chance to add their own characterisation and development.

Also what I love about Clare is her attention to detail on the fantastic set. How she and the crew remembered all the different props used must have been a nightmare but somehow each show that we saw was seamless so well done to the crew.

 I realised that this iconic television show is not just about baking but about the hopes and dreams of the people on it.  This gives us a storyline throughout about each of them. All had worked on their own particular characterisation so we witnessed real people yearning to be the best baker.

We are introduced to the contestants by two presenters Kim and Jim.  (Jenny McNeillie and Rhianna Howard)  Both worked well together and gave us the fun and exuberance needed, talking to the competitors and giving us an insight into the tv show.

Judges Phill Hollinghurst and Pam Lee (Stuart Williams and Maeve Borges) were a  good choice.  I must admit to loving Pam with her outrageous outfits and huge glasses.  Together they definitely lit up the stage.  I especially loved the sequence when Pam came out in a fantastic red sparkly number with the dancing chorus to the song ‘Keep on Going on’ which opened Act 2.  Indeed all the costumes used were excellent. Great staging and one of the numbers that really stood out. Stuart as Phill was the silver fox adored by many who gave us a good solid performance.

Another fun performance was from Lee Downs as Dezza.  What a little star in the making. Totally over the top and full of confidence he filled the stage.  Such a shame that he was the first to be sent off from the show as he did really bring some laughter and light into his acting.  I hope I see him again on stage at a future production.

Gabriella Skinner as Italian Francesca had a backstory of infertility and still hoping to try for a baby gave us a few sad moments with her hopes and dreams  whilst Amy Marsh as Izzy was the hard faced girl who had always been at the top of her game and wanted to win at all costs. Both girls gave their all and had lovely crystal clear voices. Amy’s facial expressions were super giving us a clear impression of her thoughts throughout.

Tim Clarke as Russell was the  over the top, wonderfully dressed, light and soul father of the group.  Opening gay and proud he was insistent on getting his baking just right and  how everyone should dress! I have to admit it was great to see Tim characterise this role so well. So different to his last role in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Hassan (Joe Papalie) was the Syrian refugee living in London since he was nine. Afraid to tell anyone he showed us his real character as the show went on.  Very confident on stage although a few off key high notes but I’m sure this will rectify during the run.

I loved Babs (Fiona Bocking) who really had stage presence and was not afraid to really go for it. Her song ‘Babs Lament’ for her love of Phill the judge was really excellent.

Finally, we met Ben and his daughter Lily.  (Oli Budino) and on this night Lucy Grace in the role she shared with Ceci Morgan. Lily had put her father forward after he had lost his wife three years ago and he was using his wife’s recipes which she didn’t want changed. The two formed a bond that made it very believable.  It’s so lovely to see young talent on the stage who are truly confident.

Last but not least the fantastic Corrina Groombridge.  It’s so nice to see her return in a leading role. Not only can she really sing but she can act too.  I was caught up in the dowdy nervous girl who was the reserve contestant and seeing her change into the confident beautiful woman she became.  The love that gradually grew between her and Ben and the acceptance from young Lily who had adored her mother was lovely to see.

Lighting was a bit hit and miss sometimes with only half the actor being lit  and as usual stage left and right were occasionally in shadow.  But on the whole well done. I did love the videos right at the beginning before the show of each of the actors auditions.

Musical Director Karen Chinery with her six musicians gave us beautiful numbers which were never overplayed so we heard every song clearly.

So who won the Best Baker.  For that you will have to try and grab one of the few remaining tickets left as for the last two nights the theatre has been full.

Well done to everyone involved. Your hard work and commitment really showed that the audience really appreciated it.

.