The Great British Bake Off Musical

I was unsure tonight whether I would be at a disadvantage having never seen even a partial episode of the show although being aware of the idea and some of the key players. The story and concept are straightforward enough to follow but some things elude a non-fan such as the impact of a handshake from Phil. But for the majority of the audience who were evidently show afficionados, tonight’s performance rose beautifully — no soggy bottoms, no collapsed centres, and only the occasional sprinkle of chaos (the good, scripted kind!).

The full company were obviously up for some fun in the tent tonight, each one delivering performances as light and fluffy as a perfectly whipped meringue. Gemma’s emotional arc had the audience rooting for her from the first fold, while Ben’s charm was spread generously like buttercream. The Judges were in fine form too — equal parts stern, silly, and spectacularly self‑aware. The show is a real feel good piece and NSOS delivered the joy in abundance!

The set was perfect, simply displaying the inside of the bake off tent with moveable stations that very much became part of the choreography. Having crew and stagehands as part of the show as TV production personnel, runners, make up and the like meant the action and scene changes were seamless. The direction (on both fronts) was shining through with the quality of the production particularly given all the movement, amount of props etc. Well directed, well rehearsed and it showed! Congratulations to the director, MD, musicians and everyone who shaped such a professionally presented production.

And the performances were sprinkled with hundreds and thousands too!

Gemma (Hannah Pearson) and Ben (Sam Parton) gave us our love story, two lonely hearts falling in love over a Victoria sponge. Lovely performances from both, particularly strong vocal from Hannah and good all-round vocals from Sam – there was some real depth portrayed in the development of their relationship despite the rather superficial overall themes of the piece.

Lily is Ben’s daughter and wants him to find happiness after the death of her Mum. Played by Eloise Tripp, this was a stand out vocal performance and it’s always good to see the future in safe hand with another great youth performer.

Izzy (Sally Clarke) is our influencer, chasing fame for fame’s sake and stopping at nothing to get it. Izzy gives us our redemption arc and Sally gave us some of the best facial acting of the night – even having to hold hands with another contestant made her look like she’d used sour milk in her whipped cream!

Babs (Sharon Lawton) provided more of the humour as the no nonsense Londoner harbouring a secret love for Phil, and Sharon relished every moment of her fantasy sequence. A great performance!

Russell (Dave Parton) could be seen as the character who most overtly plays for comedy and I think Dave managed to cram in a bit more overt in there! A fabulously overly dramatic performance and it has been great to see Dave really develop as a vocal performer over the years. And I don’t think any of us were quite expecting to see what was (or more to the point, not!) under that fur coat!

Hassan (George Broad) is the “baby” of the contestant group, a refugee who has made his home in the UK and relishes in his passion for baking. He’s a happy chappy with his lucky t shirt and George gave him a lovely warmth and sunniness.

Francesca (Charlie Stubbs) adds some poignancy to the character mix as a woman dealing with the issue of infertility and Charlie’s excellent vocal rendition of Grow was another moment of good emotional connection in amongst the humour.

Dezza (Matthew Turner) is a character who adds a twist as the tent’s only vegan baker (and I remember the furore when this did happen in real life!). He is very passionate about his activism which Matthew portrayed well but is sadly voted out early although that isn’t enough to keep him down for long!

Phil Hollinghurst (Rhys Gregory) & Dame Pam Lee (Wendy Manns) played the judges in a very true to life way. Great vocals throughout their time on stage although thanks to Phil I will never look at a baguette the same way again but Pam has definitely added to my excuses for a crafty tipple!

Jim (Matt Dale) and Kim (Charlie Marlow-Cull) act as the presenters of the whole thing and definitely add some more comedic elements and Matt and Charlie gave strong performances throughout.

The ensemble acted as the TV crew & assistants which works brilliantly and added their own baking magic to the mix!

For me personally, this musical is never going to rank amongst the greats. However, I genuinely couldn’t see how NSOS could have performed or presented it any better, it was a professional level execution in every way. And if you are a fan of the show and after a couple of hours of soufflé lifting entertainment, this absolutely greases your cake tin! Several audience members were overheard praising the humour, the warmth, and the sheer joy of the production. One declared it “just bloody brilliant” which feels like the highest British style compliment in this particular British Bake Off tent!

Many thanks for the kind invitation and hospitality and as always, I look forward to what you have in store for us next – at least you’ll be let off all the baking puns!!

Andrea Keady – Regional Representative, District 3

I clearly remember the announcement of a new musical based on The Great British Bake Off—it immediately felt like something not to miss, especially with the premiere so close by in Cheltenham Spa. The production later transferred to the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End, where I was fortunate enough to see it a couple of times during its short run.

Having seen this talented group perform before, my expectations were set extremely high—and they did not disappoint. From the moment I entered the auditorium, the atmosphere was perfectly established, with thoughtful pre-show lighting that set the tone beautifully.

Andrea’s earlier comments on each character are spot on, and I can only echo them. Every performer fully embodied their role from start to finish, maintaining consistency and energy throughout. It truly felt like a “handshake all around” kind of performance—polished, confident, and thoroughly enjoyable.

I’m already looking forward to seeing this society again. Firmly marked in my diary is Jesus Christ Superstar, running from 9–13 March 2026.

Andy Brown, Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

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