Show-stopping Sugary Goodness At WEST END BAKE OFF 2017
By: Cindy Marcolina May. 22, 2017
with winners 42nd Street
On a (thankfully) sunny Saturday afternoon, the thespians who usually inhabit London theatres turned bakers for the day. Benefitting Acting For Others, an umbrella name that represents 15 charities devoted to helping people in the theatre business, the West End Bake Off was a bounty of show-stopping sugary goodness.
Crowding the grounds of St Paul's Actor's Church in Covent Garden were teams from 16 shows currently playing in London's theatreland and from The Stage. The judges, choreographer Arlene Phillips and Olivier Award winner Janie Dee, waltzed among the stands, admiring the participants' creativity and variety of goods.
"I had no idea it was going to be like this," said Dee, complimenting all the contestants before announcing the winning team, 42nd Street. Their sweet and savoury products, named after the songs and characters from the musical, blew away Dee and Phillips - "Julian Mars Shortbread", "Abner Dillon-aire Shortbread" and "Getting Out of Town Banana Loaf" being some of the aptly named desserts.
Even though 42nd Street took home the grand prize, gorgeous displays were arranged all over. Among the highlights, there was The Great Gatsby's suitably thought-out decorate-your-own-cake stall, and the more classic and British-looking spread from The Girls, who were appropriately undressed beneath aprons. Their banquet was laid out with scones, cream, jam, M&S Victoria sponge (as mentioned in the show), and tiramisù served in a teacup (which you could keep for £3). "We know how to have a good time," they explained, describing their baked goods as "a real team effort".
Another hugely impressive table belonged to the cast and crew of Les Miserables, who dressed their gazebo as "Thénardiers' Popup Inn". Instead of going with clichéd French food and a barricade, they decided to take a locale from the show, Thénardiers' Inn, and created a menu worthy of such a place. Described as "gruesome but tasting good", their spread featured little cakes in the shape of fingers, a juicy bloody steak, an infamous "Masturd of the House", and a pig's head.
School of Rock presented, as expected, a musically inclined offering: "Jack Black Flapjacks" and a brownie keyboard accompanied the massive layer cake adorned with music notes. Their philosophy? "As long as it can be made into a pun, or a song, anything goes."
Phantom of the Opera was serving profiteroles, veggie rolls, nutty fudge, a tier cake, and everything that the cast and crew loved to make, while stealing the fog from the nearby stall belonging to The Book of Mormon. Their theme being hell, the ensemble prepared sinfully tasty cakes and complemented them with scary tunes and a smoke machine: coffee cakes, doughnuts, gingerbread demons, Welsh cakes sprinkled with "blood", and more.
Continuing the sin and controversy, Don Juan in Soho presented a naughty, avant-garde bunch of goodies: "We could have done vegan, but we thought, no, we're gonna go with indulgent". Whiskey and pecan cake, unicorn cake, and other booze-infused sweets were among the most memorable.
A cause close to Phillips's heart, Acting For Others started in the 1960s as the effort of Laurence Olivier, Noël Coward and Richard Attenborough, who held a single yearly fundraising event whose proceeds went to all the theatrical charities. The Combined Theatrical Charities Appeal Council was subsequently created to further their work.
In an industry that can be lonely and judgemental, it takes courage to raise a hand and admit you need help, noted Phillips. Today, Acting For Others is a lighthouse for actors, performers, front-of-house and backstage creatives.
A chance to come together for a great cause, West End Bake Off was a delicious celebration of theatre and the perfect reminder of the kindness (and culinary skills) that theatreland has to offer.
Photo credit: Camille Lapaix
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