This musical French rural idyll offers enough light and shade to keep audiences guessing
Bienvenue! Welcome to Concorde, a village nestling in the French countryside that at first sight lives up to its name (harmony in French). A leisurely game of pétanque is underway in the square, the gentle clunk of silver balls sounding as a couple of men expertly roll, cheered on by villagers seated in the cafe.
I say villagers, but it’s immediately obvious that there’s a mix of both cast and audience members seated at the tables. The intimate Chocolate Factory, with its seats either side of a traverse stage, positively lends itself to such inclusivity. Stephen Schwartz, who wrote both music and lyrics for The Baker's Wife, lived in France as a child so grew up speaking French and loved the music of the region. The book, by Joseph Stein of Fiddler on the Roof fame, is based on a 1938 film of the same name by Marcel Pagnol and Jean Giono.
Concorde turns out to be a bit of a misnomer. In no time, the apparently neighbourly residents are squabbling, led by Denise, the café owner’s wife (Josefina Gabrielle), mistress of the put down. Perhaps they have an excuse – this is a village with no baker after all – equivalent to a British pub with no beer; everyone is on tenterhooks awaiting the arrival of the new chef. All they need is bread – and cake and croissants and any other bakery products they can get their hands on. So when the arrival of the well-named Aimable (magnificent Clive Rowe), who has bought the bakery, is heralded by the most enticing of smells and then trolleys of glorious rolls, loaves, patisserie and biscuits, there is a near riot to grab them.
Aimable’s beautiful, younger wife Genevieve causes almost as much of a stir. The men can't get over her beauty and, although she is a married woman, they are soon rivals for her affection, to the chagrin of their womenfolk, understandably piqued and prone to jealousy. In case you imagine Lucie Jones’ Genevieve to be a shameless flirt, her behaviour is blameless, and her main worry and affection is for Pom Pom the cat, who has a habit of going missing. But is she really lucky in love with Aimable, who is of an older generation?
As the tension rises like Aimable’s bread, longstanding rivals for superiority among the men square up to each other, notably the Marquis’s chauffeur, confidently sexy Dominique (Joaquin Pedro Valdez), who claims the spoils. Matthew Seadon-Young’s angrily disapproving village priest wars with the schoolteacher (Mark Extance). Michael Matus, excellent as the Marquis himself, goes nowhere without a trio of gorgeous gals – his three smiling glamorous ‘nieces’ – real 1930s belles with hair to toss and glam swirling skirts (Bobbie Chambers, Hana Ichijo and Robyn Rose). No wonder he looks smug, it’s all very politically incorrect and transgressive, yet sort of fun. And Finty Williams’ feisty Hortense has a goal to aim for, a new start if all goes well…
But what of Aimable and Lucie, the eponymous baker and his wife? It’s not for me to give away a game that leaves them with very different fates and agonies. Suffice to say, both are decent human beings who agonise before they act.
MD Dustin Conrad’s nine-piece band relish playing orchestrator Stuart Morley’s atmospheric arrangements. Gordon Greenberg elegantly directs all this on and around designer Paul Farnsworth’s delightful village square, with its balconies and flowerbeds, using the Menier’s inclusive space to perfect effect, bringing his cast and audience together so that the climax brings everyone to their feet.
By Judi Herman
Photos by Tristram Kenton
The Baker’s Wife runs until Saturday 14 September. 7.30pm, 3pm (Sat & Sun only). From £53.25. Menier Chocolate Factory, London, SE1 1RU. menierchocolatefactory.com