In recent years we have seen many musicals based on pop culture or iconic TV shows, some have been better than others, adding it’s name to that list is Come Dine With Me: The Musical. 

The premise is simple, we are watching an episode of the show being filmed.  Four strangers take turns over the course of a week to make dinner in the hope of winning £1000. There is something afoot in this episode though, is it sabotage or just bad cooking?

We meet producer Mary (Danielle Coombe) who, with her cameraman Roy, (Tom Bowen) and hapless sound engineer Teddy (Harry Chandler) are trying to put together the 1000th episode and they want it to be special. Danielle Coombe is great in this role, she has a fantastic voice and brilliant characterisation as the overbearing controlling producer. Harry Chandler is wonderful as shy Teddy, he makes you feel for him when he finds himself in a sticky situation. Tom does well as cameraman Roy, it is a supporting role so we do not get to see much of Tom, but what we do see is certainly enjoyable.

We then meet the four contestants, Barbara (Kim Ismay), an incredibly posh woman who is obsessed with all things French cuisine. Kim shows off an impressive vocal talent here and stands out as incredibly talented in this cast. Duncan (Paul Hazel) is the self proclaimed 'King of Pork Pies'.  Paul is clearly a brilliant actor and it shows in this part, he looks like he is having a great time with the role. The next contestant up is Ernest (Leo Udvarlaky) who is bringing a vegan twist to his evening. Leo is hilarious in this role really playing up the comedy of the part. The final contestant is Janey (Sophie Hutchinson) who it turns out is an old friend of Teddy. We do not see enough of Sophie in this show, she has an exceptional talent but it is not utilised enough. 

This show leaves a lot to be desired to be honest.  There are some truly iconic moments from Come Dine With Me, but these have been completely left out (not a whisper of "what a sad little life Jane") which feels like a huge missed opportunity. The twist towards the end feels underwhelming and very run of the mill. It’s a shame, as I had high hopes for this show.  It is funny and the songs are well constructed, but over all I was sadly left disappointed. 

This show was reviewed on the 20th August 2024 at Underbelly, Bristo Square, Cowbarn, Edinburgh where it runs until the 25th August 2024.  Tickets here: Search | Edinburgh Festival Fringe (edfringe.com)

Review written by Rosie Browne

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