In preparation for seeing Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)<\/a>, this author spent a embarrassingly-long amount of time coming up with cake puns. Whether that was because she\u2019s a consummate professional who loves to be prepared, or because she fancies throwing her hat in the ring when Alison Hammond steps down from Bake Off<\/a>, it would be impossible to say.<\/p>\n However, there will be no soggy bottoms, or indeed star bakers, coming in this review, as I found myself leaving the theatre last night with mixed feelings towards Jim Barne and Kit Buchan\u2019s new musical.<\/p>\n On the one hand, Two Strangers<\/a> is fresh, funky, and a welcome addition to the West End\u2019s recent trend of smaller and more original shows making it into the spotlight \u2013 Operation Mincemeat<\/a>, Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder<\/a> and so on \u2013 on the other, it\u2019s a muddled and tonally confusing show that never quite seems to land on what it wants to be.<\/p>\n The musical transferred to London\u2019s Criterion Theatre after a sold-out run at the Kiln last year. It stars Sam Tutty as Dougal \u2013 a young British lad who arrives in New York to attend his estranged father\u2019s wedding \u2013 and Dujonna Gift as Robin \u2013 the sister of the bride who has been given more than a few tasks to complete before the big day. One of them, you guessed it, is to carry the wedding cake across New York.<\/p>\n Right off the bat, the two stars are exceptional. Tutty\u2019s performance as Dougal lovingly puts you in mind of a golden retriever crossed with Buddy the Elf (because apparently this is also a Christmas show?). With flawless comic timing and an infectiously happy grin, the character earns a spot in your heart before you even get to the first song.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Gift is just as hilarious and bounces off Tutty perfectly. As the American in front of an English audience, her character could have been so much harder to relate to had she not given it the emotional depth it needed. However, Robin\u2019s world weariness and heavy soul \u2013 best portrayed through the first-act song Be Happy \u2013 is something all of us can find similarities in, and absolutely sucker punches you in certain scenes.<\/p>\n Unfortunately though, the issues with the musical are out of the control of the two leads. For me, the show never decides on a single tone or message.<\/p>\n At the start, I would have said it\u2019s a fun and offbeat comedy (almost the on-stage version of something you\u2019d find on BBC Three). However, without much buildup it quickly swerves into something darker and more emotional (think a BBC One drama), before then shifting again to a cheeky, self-referential Broadway parody (we\u2019ve switched to Apple TV+ now).<\/p>\n In the second half especially, the story moves from happy to sad to silly and back again, and while I\u2019m not against a tonal shift, those in Two Strangers are so sudden and jarring that you can\u2019t really tell what the show is trying to say.<\/p>\n The moments of Broadway Parody, however, are when the show really hits its stride. Songs like American Express and Dearly Beloved see Gift and Tutty play with all the clich\u00e9s we\u2019ve come to know from musicals and subvert them in the best way. Putting us in mind of a Gen Z Fred and Ginger, the two appear in the classic black-tie attire only to get absolutely wasted on someone else\u2019s credit card, or swap dancing around in a ballroom for messing about in a drab Chinese takeaway.<\/p>\n If it had been like this the whole time, I would have left my seat full and satisfied, but sadly the show falls just short of a Hollywood handshake.<\/p>\n Buy Two Strangers tickets at TodayTix<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n For more theatre recommendations, here\u2019s our Hills of California review<\/a>, our Standing at Sky\u2019s Edge review<\/a>, and our For Black Boys review<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\n The show will run at the Criterion Theatre from 4th April to 14th July<\/strong>, so make sure you go see it while you can! Tickets start at just \u00a318.<\/p>\n Buy Two Strangers tickets at TodayTix<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n You should also check out the best musicals on tour UK<\/a> and the best open air theatre shows<\/a>. Plus, did you know Heathers<\/a> is coming back to the West End?<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n Barne and Buchan\u2019s new musical perhaps needed just a little bit longer in the oven. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Barne and Buchan\u2019s new musical perhaps needed just a little bit longer in the oven.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/50201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-24-102529-1fd8995.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" "\\"Screenshot")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>When and where can I see Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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