Cabaret night at Bakewell Baking Festival

A small, supportive Friday night audience enjoyed an unpredictable night of wonderful, weird and wacky performances.

Headlining harmony trio The Bobby Pins captured the vintage feel of the festival with beautifully sung numbers from The Andrews Sisters including Bugle Boy and Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree. They highlighted the variety theme of the night in an imaginative reworking of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights and a delighful finale of Caro Emerald’s That Man.

Entering the marquee to the strains of the Twin Peaks theme tune, Cocoloco looked like they’d been sprung from a David Lynch movie. This bizarre Alice in Wonderland double act mirrored Through The Looking Glass with a performance that got curiouser and curiouser. Mimicking each other’s mannerisms, they spoke as one in delivering poetry with a comical twist in one of the weirdest, most fascinating acts ever seen.

Eric Presley (aka Mick Partridge) swept into the marquee dressed in white suit with EP emblazoned in gold letters on his cape to the theme music assocated with his infinitely more famous brother Elvis. This master of illusion entertained with magic tricks including a guillotine in which carrots were sliced but a volunteer’s neck escaped unscathed. He upheld the family honour by singing songs by The King including Teddy Bear and The Wonder of You.

Storyteller Tim Ralphs drew the audience into a folklore world of devilish deeds and Satan disguised as a snake lurking in exotic fruit in a supermarket. His was a mesmerising performance which proved storytelling can be as fascinating for adults as it is for children.

The show got off to a bright, lively start with the lovely voice of S.O.S, - otherwise known as Sophie from Bedford - who entertained with covers of Timber and Walking on Sunshine as well as showing that her own creations Jump and new single Beer Goggles were equally as good.

The unpredictable nature of the evening continued after the show was over when those leaving the festival site at Bakewell Showground found every exit locked up and had to wait for half an hour to be let out.

Baking demonstrations from the likes of Nadiya Hussain and Edd Kimber are among the festival highlights today and tomorrow.

There’s an evening of comedy tonight featuring Dominic Woodward, Bill Wooland and Iszi Lawrence.