STALE CAKE - a debut at the Camden Fringe

Jeremy Simmonds
21 minutes ago
2 min read

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️and a half

A group of five friends gathered around a table which has a cake on top — The friends and the cake

Stale Cake is the debut theatrical work of Gabrielle Hofmann, and if this startling opening salvo is anything by which to go, then we might just expect more fireworks from this writer in the not-too-distant future – particularly given that Hofmann apparently draws heavily from her own life experiences to mine material that is both emotionally-charged and challenging.

The loss of a peer is naturally a very hard experience for any age group, let alone that of the young people who gather on set to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of their friend Jake, who perished in a tragic car accident a year previously. On first impression, Thomas (Gruff Gwyn), Noah (Habil Yaldaz), Olivia (Tara Korda Kolar) and Archie (Dennis Msatida) appear to represent a pretty standard collection of friends appreciating one another’s company at a difficult moment. Or so it might seem. Hofmann, however, wastes little time in exposing the fragile inter-group politics that this get-together is set to combust.

The arrival of an outlier in the shape of Thomas’s girlfriend Daisy (Alice Barker) – who perhaps unwisely brings the (soon to prove) symbolic birthday cake to the gathering – exacerbates proceedings, and the audience soon learns just how far the group’s mind-games and low-level deception have begun to fracture both friendships and relationships. Beneath the superficial sweetness of its icing, this ‘cake’ is rapidly deteriorating, growing ever-stale and riven with mould.

While further revelations regarding the action would act as spoilers, it is imperative that one sees Stale Cake for oneself to appreciate its level of commitment. What can be taken from this powerful production is the apparent potential for its extension: while the production stands alone admirably as an hour-long piece of theatre, this reviewer for one would be intrigued to discover how these five young people might progress – both in terms of their own development, as well as that of their seemingly-irreparably damaged relationships with one another. With its flawed characters and dark humour, perhaps Stale Cake even has potential to be expanded into a serialised drama?

Whether or not this might be the case, Hofmann’s play should nonetheless be digested in its current form: unlike the commodity described, Stale Cake is both fresh and enticing and – as unhealthy as it may seem – certainly leaves one keen for a further slice.

Written and directed by Gabrielle Hofmann

Co-produced by Laura Sheridan

Venue: The Libra Theatre Café, London

Festival: Camden Fringe 2025

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