Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Turbine Theatre, London
Cast: Tom Bowen, Harry Chandler, Daniele Coombe, Paul Hazel, Sophie Hutchinson, Kim Ismay and Leo Udvarlaky
Take a bunch of tuneful strangers. Mix in a dollop of behind-the-scenes skulduggery, a Sound Man playing detective, a sprinkling of star-crossed love, and plenty of juicy arpeggios. Marinade, cook for 60 minutes... and serve hot. The result is a mouth-watering fusion dish, combining the beloved TV show and a sumptuous original score to form Come Dine With Me: The Musical – a winning recipe that will delight even the pickiest palate!
I was sceptical going in. We're seeing a rise in parody shows that, at first glance, make you cringe a little, thinking they should never make it out of fringe theatre. I’ve only ever seen snippets of the TV show it takes its name from, so if you’re in the same position as I was, fear not. There’s a great exposition at the start, providing all the details you’ll need. While it might seem slightly unnecessary, they included a joke to that effect once it was over.
It didn’t take long for me to change my mind. The standout feature of this show is the lyrics. Sam Norman (Book and Lyrics) is remarkable. The language, characters, and plot all seamlessly flow with clever touches throughout. Genius writing, I have not seen for a long time. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future productions.
David Shields (Designer) has kept the set minimal but functional. I think every aspect of the set and furniture was used for multiple purposes, such as a taxi becoming part of the table, and entrances changing for different characters.
Each character is very much a stereotype or the type of ‘normal’ person you might find on reality TV, and the cast does a wonderful job of making them believable. Kim Ismay plays Barbara, the posh one with a menu in French, while Leo Udvarlaky plays Ernest, a charismatic vegan. Sophie Hutchinson, in the role of Janey, has a challenging task of portraying the cutesy innocent girl who could also be a saboteur, but she does this well and keeps us guessing.
Running at just 60 minutes, they really do pack everything in. The end seems a little rushed, but I prefer that they kept it short rather than diluting the excellence with unnecessary scenes. Ticket prices are priced accordingly.
A Recipe for Success: Come Dine With Me: the Musical serves up clever writing and charming characters.
You can book tickets to Come Dine With Me: the Musical, here.
Review by Valentine
**photo credit: Mark Senior**
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