Review: A Jaffa Cake Musical | Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025
- Lisa in the theatre
- Aug 9
- 3 min read
Gigglemug Theatre bring their 2024 Edinburgh Fringe hit A Jaffa Cake Musical back to the festival for one final outing in 2025. A Jaffa Cake Musical plays at the Pleasance Courtyard until 25th August 2025.
A Jaffa Cake Musical ★★★☆☆
review: 07 August 2025 | Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Gigglemug Theatre (creators of Fringe favourites Scouts! the Musical and RuneSical) had great success in 2024 with new musical comedy A Jaffa Cake Musical selling out the entire run at Edinburgh Fringe. It was so popular that they've brought it back to the festival for 2025.
A Jaffa Cake Musical is that rare thing at the Edinburgh festivals - traditional, safe, family-friendly fringe theatre. Constructed around the very real trial between Jaffa Cake owners McVities and "the taxman" HMRC in 1991, A Jaffa Cake Musical takes the format of a courtroom dramedy. This version of the trial however is all but sung-through, the talented actor-muso cast performing 33 songs in the 70 minute runtime.
A Jaffa Cake musical centres around lawyers Kevin (Sam Cochrane) and Katherine (Sabrina Messer) who are on opposing sides of the "Is it a biscuit or is it a cake?" debate. Through lively songs, the lawyers makes their cases for the Jaffa Cake being a biscuit (and thus taxable, boo!) or being an actual cake (and thus tax exempt, hurrah!)
The compelling evidence from both sides is lifted directly from the real court transcripts, and I will be honest, by the end of the trial I still couldn't decide if they are cakes or biscuits! It's such a fun concept for a theatre production with clear, real-life examples presented that the audience can discuss (or argue about!) afterwards.
Except for the two lead lawyers, the small company of seven play multiple characters and provide excellent backing keyboards, bass and percussion. Blink and you'll miss a wig or a hat change! But even more impressive is the speed at which they take over from one another on the keys and other instruments. It's seamless.
Both Lauren Jones' set pieces and the costumes are simple but well conceived - an abundance of jammy orange is the order of the day!
The courtroom plot is a little stretched - there's not enough thrills or tension to fill the 70 minutes. Attempts to expand the storyline by exploring the lawyers personal backstories felt unnecessary. The songs and their lyrics are a little mechanical, but there are one or two gems in the mix. The humor is gentle and pleasant rather than uproariously funny, but again there are a few very clever, laugh-out-loud moments.
A Jaffa Cake musical has an incredibly talented cast who all throw themselves into making the courtroom as exciting as possible with their enthusiasm and playful presentation. Sabrina Messer is sensational as confident, high-kicking lawyer Katherine. And comedian Katie Pritchard's turn as the Tax Man (and other characters) brought the biggest laughs of the night.
Well presented and certainly unique in its theme, A Jaffa Cake Musical is good, gentle, classic musical theatre fun with an enduring real-life argument at its core (or jammy centre.) ★★★☆☆
A Jaffa Cake Musical Cast
Sam Cochrane (Kevin), Sabrina Messer (Katherine), Harry Miller (Jake), Alex Prescot (Judge), Katie Pritchard (Tax Man), Emily Kitchingham (Ensemble/Bassist) & Toby De Salis (Ensemble/Percussionist)
Creatives:
Written by Sam Cochrane
Directed by Ali James
Musical Direction & Arrangements by Rob Gathercole
Lighting Design by Damian Robertson
Set by Lauren Jones
A Jaffa Cake Musical at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2PM (70 mins), 30 July - 25 August 2025 (not 12 Aug) @ Pleasance Courtyard
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