Televising the good, the bad and the downright ugly when it comes to culinary competitiveness and unchecked hospitality, Come Dine With Me has the perfect ingredients for an irreverent musical with big laughs and a big heart. Playing at Edinburgh Fringe this summer, Come Dine With Me: The Musical will also come to The Turbine Theatre this September.
This new musical, written by Sam Norman and Aaron King, highlights the chaos that follows clashing chef personalities, and looks beyond the meltdowns, the sore losers and stroppy winners to delve deeper behind the scenes.
Based on the Multistory Media TV format, commissioned by Channel 4, Come Dine With Me: The Musical follows a film crew enter yet another weekly contest. Having a fictional episode play out before us, the show is unafraid to uncover the truth behind the beloved show. Co-created by TV producers Nell Butler (Airline; Celebrities Behaving Badly; You Be the Judge) and Genevieve Welch (Airline; I’m a Celebrity; MasterChef), who both directly worked on Come Dine With Me, this outlandish musical is a true insight into the heart – and hungry stomachs – of the show.
Casting includes Daniele Coombe (The Witches) as Mary, Kim Ismay (Wicked) as Barbara, Paul Hazel (Avenue Q) as Duncan, Harry Chandler (Les Misérable) as Teddy, Sophie Hutchinson (Heathers) as Janey, Leo Udvarlaky (Bhangra Nation) as Ernest and Tom Bowen (Get Up, Stand Up) as Roy.
Despite the raucous drama that comes with every three-course meal, Come Dine With Me: The Musical is about the magic of human connection. Through fly-on-the-wall glimpses into the every-day lives of strangers and people coming together (with the odd tantrum), it is a show that taps into the nosey instincts of audiences, whether they’re coach potatoes or theatregoers.
A national treasure of British TV, Come Dine With Me has been on air on Channel 4 in a variety of guises since 2005. Its glorious technicolour of cuisine and personality uplifts the lowly, skewers the pretentious, and has a huge following across many demographics. It is one of the world’s most popular formats, airing in 43 territories.
Come Dine With Me: The Musical debuted at the MTFestUK 2023, where it met sell-out audiences and standing ovations.
