Review: Chocolate Cake at Polka Theatre for a sweet family show

When we were at children’s theatre Polka Theatre in Wimbledon on Friday I couldn’t help feeling hungry. In fact, I wanted to head straight to Flavourtown Bakery on Fulham Road after the play to dig into a moist chocolate cake.

We had been invited to review the new musical stage adaptation of Michael Rosen’s poem Chocolate Cake, which was published as a separate picture book last year.

The poem is about a love for chocolate cake, describing the delicious treat, and the play tells the story about two brothers and a chocolate cake that goes missing in the night. The mum makes a chocolate cake for eldest brother Joe’s birthday party, but little brother Michael wakes up in the middle of the night to have a taste of the large cake that is stored in a kitchen cupboard.

When we watched Michael tip-toeing to the cake while the rest of the family was asleep, little ones in the audience were clearly worried for the birthday party the next day, and I heard ‘NO!’ being shouted as the giant cake prop pieces came apart.

The show, which is from the team behind the stage adaptation of Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, is recommended for over 4s, and I think many in the target age group can relate to the way the brothers feel about cake, as well as emphasise with the birthday boy who wakes up to no cake on his big day.

There were also several scenes that put a smile on our faces, such as when Michael was having a bath and lots of bubbles were floating around the colourful set. Another highlight for us was when the audience became part of Michael’s class and got to repeat one-word lines to answer questions from a school inspector.

With audience interaction, catchy songs, a story about siblings and a huge chocolate cake prop, Chocolate Cake makes for a sweet 50-minute family show.

Chocolate Cake is playing on the main stage at Polka Theatre until 13 May

Tags: Children's theatre, Chocolate cake, Michael Rosen, Polka Theatre, Review, Wimbledon