The Baker's Wife - Menier Chocolate Factory

Looking at the seating plan there'll be a lot more of this....

First preview tonight cancelled due to cast illness.

Pom Pom was throwing up big furballs. It's their professional debut and very nervous.

I hear it went ahead last night - was anyone off?

Was looking at this, after seeing Lucie Jones the other month.

I am tempted, but it's expensive and the seating looks so strange.

Could the voters so far give us an idea what this is like please?

I'm giving this four stars, as it is a five star production of a three star show.

The design and performances are wonderful. Stepping into the auditorium - a sun dappled French village square recreated to the smallest detail - in the middle of the greyest, wettest London summer in a long time - was just the tonic I needed.

I didn't feel like there was a weak link in the cast, although the sound balance between the vocals and the band meant that sometimes the actors sounded further away than they were when singing - something I'm sure can be tweaked, as this was only the second performance. Standout for me was Clive Rowe, who really is SO good and absolutely nails his character's journey effortlessly and joyfully. Lucie Jones is good too but because I feel the role is underwritten, and yet so important to the piece, I didn't quite buy into her character in the same way. But I think her performance will grow. But beyond them, this really is an ensemble character piece and each character and performance is clearly defined, natural and distinctive.

I had a few problems with the direction, principally because I'd booked a restricted view seat next to one of the pillars the Menier is famous for. I had seat B58 but was emailed on the day of performance to say this seat no longer existed and I'd been moved to F60. This meant the pillar was right in my line of sight and, very weirdly, at least three or four major scenes are played out immediately on the other side of said pillar, despite there being a huge empty stage space just beyond. It's really crazy, given that it means about 8 to 10 seats cannot see key parts of the action at all - and for no good reason.

Additionally, F60 is immediately next to the booth where the band are playing, and the door into it is used repeatedly for cast entrance/exits, meaning I was forever moving my legs so as not to trip over actors! That seat really should be removed from sale and I would strongly recommend not booking it by choice.

I'd seen the show once before - years ago at the Union - and have the OBC and OLC so know the score well. Schwartz (who was in attendance, across the other side) is possibly my favourite theatre composer,/lyricist more for his work in the seventies than after, but I've always found this score patchy. It veers from breath-taking beauty to somewhat clunky comic numbers. But here, throughout act one, I thought they'd finally nailed the show. The numbers I had previously found annoying were charming, vibrant, funny and performed with real wit and attention to detail. The numbers I already loved I loved even more. I was totally swept up by it.

Unfortunately it went off the rails for me a bit in act 2, largely because I feel they still haven't nailed the book and it just dribbles away. I suspect this is the fault of the original source material (a 1938 French film) but unless the creative team decide to veer wildly from the original plot, then this is always going to be a problem.


Anyway, I don't think this show is ever going to set the world alight, without such a radical overhaul that it is no longer the same show. It's a shame in a way because the score deserves a more developed, adult and psychologically insightful script. But, for all that, there is so much here to enjoy, as long as you don't book seat F60.

Don't want to quote the long review post but do want to say thank you for such a well put together review.  I adore Clive Rowe.

So on the seating plan A6-11 come with the warning “bench seating.” Rest of seats don’t.

Does that mean it’s now mainly normal seats in there?!

Does anyone know what kind of a band this production has? I love the score and the classical sound of the original orchestrations. I’ve never been to the Menier Chocolate Factory before so I don’t know what to expect. I’m pretty sure I saw a harp in one of the photos from the sitzprobe though!

Really looking forward to seeing this and many other shows at the end of the month! My last visit to London was a year ago so there’s a lot of catching up to do.

Nope still all same seating as before. (Except the cafe seats)

singingbird I have a ticket in D38 which was a £15 deal on Today Tix. It does say it was a restricted view but is it behind the same pillar you had?