EdFringe Review: A Jaffa Cake Musical

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Gigglemug’s A Jaffa Cake Musical centres around the 1991 tribunal between Jaffa Cakes and the tax man. We go through the trial and learn how the Jaffa Cake has the characteristics of both cakes and biscuits, culminating in the judge’s ruling. In a time-honoured Fringe tradition, the cast hands out stickers at the end so you can declare whether you are on team cake or team biscuit. I may have chosen team biscuit. In my defence, the voiceover at the end made me do it.

The musical delivers laughs in every aspect, from the songs and script to physical comedy and even a bit of thriller dancing! It’s all very cleverly written by Sam Cochrane and directed by Ali James into a near-perfect package. While the humor and creativity are undeniable, a bit more depth in character development could have elevated the emotional impact. Nevertheless, it’s an impressively crafted and highly entertaining show.

While there’s plenty of musical theatre aimed specifically at adults or kids, there is very little that actively targets the whole family. In the musical, they use the familiar trick of replacing swear words with other words, like using “fork.” But they take it further. Rather than it being a cliched solution, it segues immediately into what I can only refer to as the “fork song.” Sam Cochrane’s clever wordplay throughout the musical is very satisfying and adds to the enjoyment for both adults and kids.

I recognised quite a few of the songs, which were clever pastiches of known and loved tunes given a playful twist for the musical. This is a brilliant idea for a one-hour show, making the songs instantly more memorable and helping the audience connect with them faster. Notable examples include the humorous play on the Hamilton rap battle, where the contrast between Catherine and Kevin adds to the comedy, and the subversive use of “In a World of Pure Imagination” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as the intro to “Chocolate Covered Nightmare.” The closing argument for biscuit or cake is a reprise medley of the songs, which works particularly well because the audience is already familiar with them through the pastiches, a smart choice given the time constraints.

The relationship drama between Kevin and his client Jake is a nice addition. It was refreshing to see a friendship between two men be the point of tension rather than a romantic relationship. My only criticism is that it never really felt in peril – it came across as more of a mild annoyance.

That is the main flaw I found with the musical as a whole. We never really get emotionally invested in the characters. The closing song is a heartfelt number delivered very sincerely, but this lack of investment means it does not fully pay off. It doesn’t quite finish on the high that this musical really deserves. Building and developing emotional investment is challenging when everything in the musical is already so funny and jolly, and people are already very invested in whether the Jaffa Cake is a cake or biscuit. It’s hard to build in that other layer, especially in one hour. That’s not to say it couldn’t be done, but I think it would probably require a full-length production to realise satisfactorily.

All the roles are well cast, with the right voices chosen for each part. Everyone is clearly very talented musically and in acting. Alex Prescot plays most of the music on the keyboard, but his seamless handover to Katie Pritchard showcases their skill and the quality of Ali James’ direction. Another standout moment was when Katie Pritchard wore the tax man hat instead of the mum hat. Rather than being embarrassed, she played it for laughs, further demonstrating her professionalism.

Overall, A Jaffa Cake Musical is a delightful, well-crafted show that I highly recommend. Gigglemug has created a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I’m looking forward to their future work. Given Alex Prescot and Katie Pritchard’s standout performances, their solo shows are definitely worth checking out as well!

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