The Great British Bake Off Musical

 Review by Paul Towers, 13/10/26

The Great British Bake Off Musical book & lyrics by Jake Brunger, music & lyrics by Pippa Cleary

Directed by Vaughan Barton-Ashcroft

Produced by Leicester Amateur Operatic Society

At The Little Theatre til Saturday 17^th October 2026

What better way to escape the darker autumnal nights than a visit to the Bake Off tent at Leicester’s Little Theatre.

The story follows eight amateur bakers competing to impress the judges, Phil Hollinghurst (Steve Elliott) and Pam Lee (Karen Gordon), who are affectionate parodies of Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. They have to be parodies because, unlike the originals, they have a relationship away from the tent. The hosts of the fictitious show are Jim (Martin Green) and Kim (Charlotte Brown), all shiny outfits and cheesy quips.

The set is basically the various workstations that the bakers work on. They move around to accommodate the dance routines choreographed by Hollie Carrington.

Each of the contestants get their moment in the spotlight, some for longer than others. Gemma (Tasha Plummer) has the best story arc as she goes from insecure singleton to assured baker with a new love. The object of her affections, Ben (Russell Carrington) is a widower with a 6 year old daughter Lily (Amelie Vickers on Press Night). Alongside them is Izzy (Kyla Burton), an entitled brat, and Babs (Karen Hamilton). The baby of the competition is Hassan (Arlen Panesar) a naturalised Syrian wearing his lucky shirt, Francesca (Sarah Barton-Wales), Russell (Tom Mottram) the sole gay baker and has a spectacular moustache. Dezza (Dan Brewer) is the first to be voted off but continues to butt in and get hopes to get invited back on. There is also an ensemble of 11 who play various roles including the TV crew.

Musical director has done a fine job schooling the cast in a sometimes challenging score while a live band of 6 is hidden behind the set .

While most of the songs are instantly forgettable there are a couple that stand out. Pam & Phil singing I’d Never Be Me Without You has a pleasing old Broadway feel about it. Grow, sung by Francesca about her inability to conceive, is very like a similar song in Waitress and is equally heartrending.

If you want a warm and comforting evening of musical theatre you won’t go wrong with a visit to the Bake Off tent.

https://www.leicesteramateurs.com/

https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/ 

Peggs Comedy Club Oct 26

 11/10/26

Peggs Comedy Club

By Laffalot

Reviewed by Paul Towers

As autumn starts to close in it was a welcome return to Swadlincote’s best kept secret. Hidden away in the back streets is Peggs Bar & Street Food which hosts all sorts of entertainment on a regular basis. Their partnership with Laffalot comedy promoters is proving to be very popular.

This quarter we had a completely different lineup to last time but with equal success.

MC for the afternoon/evening (it starts at 6pm) was Harry Jenkins. Don’t let his callow youthfulness fool you. This outstanding comedian, who has just got into the semi-finals of British Comedian of the Year, led the audience by the hand all evening with his assured crowd work. He even managed to create a film club along the way!

First up was self-confessed blokey geezer Eddy Brimson. His quick fire, quite rude stories about his historic failures with the fairer sex went down well, especially with the female members of the audience.

Next up was Jake Steers, an unashamed sufferer of ADHD and anxiety. Probably not the ideal background for a stand-up comedian but he made good use of his short comings.

Top of the bill was self-assured comedian Nick Page, a master of acrobatic linguistics. Rather than a string of gags Page gave us increasingly hilarious stories that inevitably built to a great punch lines.

 

 

Educating Rita

 

Review by Paul Towers, 1/10/26

Educating Rita by Willy Russell

Directed by Cara Nolan

A Made At Curve production

At Curve til Saturday 17th October 2026

In 1980 Willy Russell’s Educating Rita premiered at London’s Donmar Warehouse and was an immediate hit. Just 3 years later it was filmed with Michael Caine and Julie Walters to BAFTA winning acclaim. In the intervening years it has been revived and the latest is yet another audience-pleasing hit at Curve.

Rita (Coronation Street’s Alexandra Mardell) is a 29 year old hairdresser who is convinced there is more to life than cutting old ladies’ hair and fighting with her feckless partner. In an effort to better herself she signs up to an Open University course in English Literature. To increase her chances of passing her exams she gets private tutorials with English lecturer Frank (TV and theatre stalwart Dominic Mafham), an alcoholic who takes on private pupils to pay for his drinking.

Right from the off this mismatched pair click and swiftly find they can be very beneficial to each other, if they let it. Where Rita sucks the knowledge and understanding of words and ideas from her mentor, Frank falls deeper and deeper into his hidden half bottles of scotch. Very much A Star Is Born of the educational world.

Of course, this is Willy Russell and the script fair zings with his Scouse humour as well as some rather course language.

The set by Michael Taylor is Frank’s musty study, sky-high shelves filled with books in alphabetical order to hide his booze. Everywhere there are piles of papers and debris indicative of his chaotic life. Up above are the brutalist concrete blocks of an inner city university.

Pics: Jonathan Pryke

www.curveonline.co.uk

https://ptheatre.blogspot.com/