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A Jaffa Cake Musical

 
Alice Eaves Review by Alice Eaves 4 Published: 30 Jul 2025 Pleasance Courtyard Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-25 Aug 2025

Fluorescent costumes, catchy and sharp musical numbers, and a human-sized Jaffa Cake? If only all court cases were this much fun. Back for a second year after the success of their 2024 Fringe run, Gigglemug Theatre’s A Jaffa Cake Musical will leave you feeling joyful, a bit hungry, and likely confused about your stance on the UK’s most controversial sweet treat. Is it a cake? Is it a biscuit? I’m still not sure.

A top-notch family-friendly affair that is guaranteed to have your feet tapping along

A whirlwind musical retelling of the trial of United Biscuits Group vs HMRC – possibly the most ridiculous and quintessentially British legal case of modern times – A Jaffa Cake Musical follows freshly qualified defendant Kevin (Sam Cochrane) as he takes on the government, represented by old university frenemy Katherine (Sabrina Messer), in the ultimate choreographed ‘snackdown’ to decide the financial fate of the Jaffa Cake.

While the trial takes centre stage, subplots exploring Kevin and Katherine’s past clashes, and the blossoming friendship between Kevin and Jake (Harry Miller), the representative from Jaffa Cake, add further layers of intrigue and a point of connection for the audience. These could have been better developed, but doing so might risk the light-hearted and well-paced nature of the current Fringe offering.

Last year’s performance of A Jaffa Cake Musical was well and generously reviewed. While I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing the 2024 iteration, I’m convinced it has retained its crown as a Fringe show more than worthy of your time. Although it was the preview I saw, the cast and production crew were remarkably polished. Musical numbers, costume changes and audio-visual cues were executed without a hitch – as expected from a theatre company of this calibre.

The whole cast were engaging, with excellent singing voices, delivering their roles with flair and humour. Standout performances by Katie Pritchard and Sabrina Messer were magnetic and stole the show.

Wherever your allegiances lie on the definition of the Jaffa Cake, A Jaffa Cake Musical is a top-notch, family-friendly affair guaranteed to have your feet tapping along to the music and a smile on your face. Plus, now I officially have an answer to the age-old question on everyone’s lips: the Jaffa Cake is legally a… you’ll have to watch to find out.

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The Blurb:

Time to decide once and for all... cake or biscuit? Inspired by the 1991 tribunal which determined the true identity of a Jaffa Cake, multi award-winning family-friendly musical makers Gigglemug Theatre (Scouts! The Musical, RuneSical, Timpson: The Musical) return to the Fringe with their latest sell-out smash-hit comedy that really takes the biscuit (or cake?). 'Spectacularly fun' ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk). 'Pure delight' ***** (ThreeWeeksEdinburgh.com). 'Phenomenal' ***** (ThePhoenixRemix.com). 'Wildly funny' ***** (TheatreWeekly.com). 'A Jaffa Cake Musical is a hit!' ***** (TheatreAndTonic.co.uk). 'This show is ready for the West End' ***** (Fringesider.com). 'Ridiculously catchy songs' **** (Stage).