Sam Cochrane is no stranger to creating quirky musical comedies for the Edinburgh Fringe. As the Artistic Director of Gigglemug Theatre, he’s brought hits like Timpson: The Musical and RuneSical to enthusiastic festival audiences. Now he’s back with perhaps his most deliciously bizarre concept yet – A Jaffa Cake Musical.
“It’s based on the real life 1991 tribunal which saw McVitie’s face off against the Tax Man to prove that a Jaffa Cake is in fact a cake rather than a biscuit,” Cochrane explains. “It’s got everything from whacky debates to a 90s boy band to a chocolate covered nightmare!”
The show was inspired by Cochrane’s long-standing fascination with the infamous Jaffa Cake tax case. “I’ve always been fascinated by the tribunal and, as it’s a true story, it required me to use my history degree for the first time since graduating to do some serious research!” he says. That research has paid off, as the show aims to blend historical accuracy with musical mayhem.
“It’s all been inspired by the real arguments that were used in the court case (you can look them up afterwards!), but we have also gone off-recipe with some extra details sprinkled here and there,” Cochrane reveals. “For example, in the real story, nobody sung songs but in the musical, we do!!”
Gigglemug Theatre is known for creating what they call “seriously silly” musicals, often based on existing brands or pop culture phenomena. A Jaffa Cake Musical fits perfectly into that niche. “The great thing is that the real story sounds almost too good to be true,” Cochrane notes, “so we have harnessed that real-life silliness and injected it with Gigglemug’s trademark zaniness and musical fun.”
The show marks a slight departure from Gigglemug’s previous productions in its musical structure. “The show is pretty much sung through, so less chit chat and more sing song for your buck,” Cochrane explains. “We’ve never done a courtroom musical before either, so it’ll be fun to parody and play with the conventions of other courtroom dramas.”
Cochrane himself will be performing in the show as Kevin, alongside a talented cast including Sabrina Messer, Alex Prescot, Katie Pritchard, and Harry Miller. He’s particularly excited about some of the musical numbers. “The Tax Man song is a real showstopper, and I love The Confrontation too,” he shares.
For Cochrane and Gigglemug Theatre, the Edinburgh Fringe feels like the perfect place to debut this confectionery-based courtroom comedy. “A musical about Jaffa Cakes is made for the Fringe,” he says. “The festival champions daring new musicals, especially ones with zany subject matter. Having premiered Timpson: The Musical & RuneSical there previously it only made sense to debut this show where it all began for us as a company!”
When asked why audiences should book tickets for A Jaffa Cake Musical, Cochrane doesn’t hesitate: “It’s pure escapism which, let’s face it, we all need right now. It’s a feel-good musical comedy with absolute bangers and a stellar cast. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it!”
Whether you’re a die-hard Jaffa Cake fan or simply looking for a uniquely British musical comedy experience, A Jaffa Cake Musical promises to deliver plenty of laughs and catchy tunes. As Cochrane puts it, “It’s a perfect blend of catchy tunes and outrageous legal arguments – we think it’ll be an utter joy for the whole family.”
A Jaffa Cake Musical plays at Pleasance Courtyard from July 31st to August 26th (not 13th) at 3:10pm.
