The Fringe is a perfect breeding ground for theatre that dares to answer difficult
questions through art, challenge perceptions, and tackle controversial themes and
hard-hitting issues. A Jaffa Cake Musical broaches one of the key issues at the
forefront of British life in the 90s. One that has puzzled scholars for decades and is a
major point of disquiet in many households to this day. Is a Jaffa Cake a biscuit or a
cake?
The show was the brainchild of the incredible Gigglemug, who brought us the
critically acclaimed Scouts The Musical and Timpson’s The Musical. In Jaffa Cake
we’re taken back to 1990s Britain where we meet the charming baby-lawyer Kevin
who is working his first case against the dastardly taxman from HMRC and fellow student Katherine. With cast and stage bedecked in brown, orange and cream, the British humour is joyfully omnipresent throughout this courtroom comedy. The cast of five incredible actors
seamlessly juggle epic lyrical tongue twisters, innumerable cake and biscuit puns
and the largest Jaffa Cake I’ve ever seen. The result show is pure ridiculous bliss. If
that wasn’t enough of a feat, they also manage to treat us to a staggering 30 musical
numbers. My highlights were the tongue-in-cheek celebration of all things HMRC in
“Tax Man” performed with buckets full of physical hilarity by the incredible Katie
Pritchard. Equally as impressive was the deliciously naughty “Fork Song” and the
multi-reprised and rejoiced “Cake or Biscuit”.
Sam Cochrane plays the lead role of the young and innocent lawyer Kevin. He
delivers a strong performance and is clearly having the time of his life on stage. Not
only is he our leading man, but he is also the writer behind the musical. What a
talent! Sabrina Messer as the sneaky and snappy opposition lawyer Katherine,
showcased her intelligence and acrobatic skills to a dazzling degree.
A Jaffa Cake Musical is a joyously witty celebration of all things British that the entire family can enjoy. Even though I’m not a fan of the CAKE NOT BISCUIT (I obviously didn’t admit
to that on the night for fear of causing a scene)… I am a huge fan of this musical. If you
like musicals such as the West End smashes Operation Mincemeat or Kathy & Stella
Solve a Murder, then A Jaffa Cake Musical will definitely satisfy your cravings.
Here’s hoping we get a lot more chocolatey orange cakey treats in our future.
Comments