Previous Productions - The Wedding Singer

This is a fun and lively piece of theatre, set in 1985 and based in New Jersey. We follow Robbie Hart, an enigmatic Wedding Singer, on his emotional journey, not only at work, but also during the highs and lows of his own love-life. Added into this mix, is the character Julia, who is a sweet and relatively innocent waitress, working at the same wedding settings. We watch these two characters experience triumph and loss in love, before they ultimately recognise a familiar desire within each other. They have a fabulous array of friends whom enhance the action further. The action takes place at weddings, in bedrooms, in a large open-plan office, bars and nightclubs and finally in Las Vegas. It is thoroughly American and the comedy is real, fresh and youthful. This is a show that celebrates what it was like to love and lose in the 80’s. It is a great choice for a young and vibrant company.

PRESENTATION/ SETTING – DESIGN AND DÉCOR: John Cousins. The set was kept simple and this was wise as it allowed the cast more room for this romping, physical show. Six attractive flats framed the space, and each was decorated with cut-out double skylines at waist height. The upper part of each flat was kept plain and used as blank canvas for the colourful lighting. To start, there was a large, square rostrum representing a side of a Rubik’s Cube centre stage. The cubes were painted in the recognisable primary colours. There was a small apron stage consisting of five blocks. The yellow and purple dumpster was fabulous, complete with a sign on it reading. ‘Food waste only’. A scene set in the bathrooms of a very smart restaurant, was portrayed by using blocks as mirrors and stools. This was effective and minimal. One rostrum was used to represent the shopping counter and another as the airline ticket sales desk. Tabs opened and closed at the back of the stage to represent various bedrooms, a veranda, a catwalk and a stage.

LIGHTING: Chris Horseman, Steve Clarke, James Ford. This was a beautifully-lit production. There were many opportunities for effects and enhancements and all of these were utilised with professionalism and flair. Most of the action was lit by the downlighters on the rig above, but there were other lighting elements at play; three glitter balls, flashing bulbs facing the auditorium, six footlights, sidelights, gobos projecting chequered patterns onto the floor, a Cop car’s blue lights flashing off stage and individual spotlights on the main characters during musical numbers. The favoured colours for this show were red, magenta and purple; these were often filtered together to create a heady mix of disco shades. Dry Ice added to the disco/party feel of the 80’s. Dollar signs were projected onto the flats at the start of Act 2. The input from this department was very pleasing.

SOUND AND EFFECTS: Martin Harper. This is a lively show and a good deal of noise is generated on stage with the cast in full-wedding mode several times and a good deal of emotion being played out. The Overture, although rousing, was very loud. There were occasions when the sound levels of the orchestra drowned out the action or singing on stage. In one song, Robbie’s mic didn’t function at all for a good part of the song; this even seemed to throw the actor, whose expression briefly showed a flicker of exasperation. There was a little feedback on Robbie’s mic during his wedding scene, which could have been avoided. Overall, a good input here, but do ensure that you check all sound levels.

COSTUME: Julia O’Neill. It is not an exaggeration to state that this production was a visual feast, and anyone who can remember the 80’s would have loved the styling. A huge amount of thought went into the look of this show and this department must be congratulated for getting it spot-on! The wedding scenes showed guests dressed in a rainbow of matching hues and shades of vibrant colours; peach, salmon, yellow, kingfisher blue… The textures were a lovely melange of sequin, satin, lycra, animal print, netting, puffed sleeves, ra-ra skirts, full skirts, tight boob-tubes, cropped denim jackets, T-shirts with slogans, jumpsuits, leather…The girls wore a mix of shoes, and although the majority of them wore beige, ‘New Yorkers’, it would have looked even better if they had all done so. The Groomsmen at the weddings wore sharp suits, thin ties and patent, shiny shoes. Robbie looked glitzy in his gold, sequinned bolero, white shirt and thin black tie combo, when we first met him singing. Later he wore various jackets and T-shirts common to the era, (‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Flash’). George looked iconic and ironic in his Boy George get-up. His skinny jeans, pointy flats, midnight blue velvet jacket, looped scarf and hat with dreadlocked hair were perfect. Julia looked demure in her waitress outfit and ‘socks and flats’, as opposed to Holly her friend, whose take on the same uniform included a boob tube exposed beneath her opened white shirt. Julia was later dressed in a pretty floral dress for her date with Glen. Linda’s wedding dress was a racy, PVC mini-skirted number, with leopard print pants underneath, which were unveiled as she sang into a strong breeze, in true rock-style fashion. She held a phallic-looking magenta-coloured bouquet. Glen always appeared ‘sharp’ in his racing green jacket and chinos combo, or his grey suit. Aunt Rose’s frumpy style saw her in a loose-fitting black dress, or a velour tracksuit when at home on the veranda. The office girls and boys looked immaculate and sexy in their attire; pencil skirts and crisp, white blouses for the girls and trousers for the boys and all complete with skinny, green ties and dark glasses. The Las Vegas Show girls looked stunning in their powder blue, fully-feathered regalia. Cher was stunning in head-to-toe lace and thigh boots. Liberace wore his signature high-collared, floor-length cape, complete with a black feather boa.

HAIR & MAKE-UP: Friends of BAOS: Each and every single member of the company looked as if they had been flown in via a time machine, from the 80’s. Hair was perfectly back-combed, side-flicked, and big!! Julia was an exception to this as she was made to remain fairly natural and innocent. This worked well. George’s ‘dreadlocks’ were a realistic replica of those sported by Boy George himself in the 80’s. His make-up was colourful and typical of the era; several pastel colours on his eyes and red lips. Holly’s wild, red wig was fabulous and Madonna-esque. Aunt Rose’s wig was fairly terrible, but she was not supposed to be a ‘looker’! The Grooms wore a decent coverage of fake tan. The impersonators were all fabulous and the wigs were of a high quality; in particular Marilyn and Tina Turner’s.

STAGE MANAGEMENT: Alex Simpson. The many cues for the sliding back flats must have been challenging, but this production was slick and timely. Only once, did a sliding flat get jammed and this was quickly rectified. The high speed of the dancing and the numbers on stage meant that exits and entrances had to be sharp and they were just that.
A quick note: several members of your audience were late into the auditorium for both Acts and this was off-putting for both the cast and the previously-seated audience members. I urge you to play a voiced message in the bar area, to encourage the members of the public to find/return to their seats promptly.

PROPS: Zoe Bartlett. The band had authentic instruments to play; a Cassio synthesiser and an electric guitar. Silver trays, cigarette papers and tobacco were all well represented. The paper shopping bags used by the couples were a nice detail and a nod to the American shopping style, but they would have been more effective if they hadn’t all been empty. Glen’s hefty ‘mobile’ phone was hilarious and terrifyingly authentic!

MUSIC/ORCHESTRA/MUSICAL DIRECTION: Harry Burt. The music for this production was provided by a ten-piece band. The music was tight and the expression was sassy, fun and at times ironic which was thoroughly entertaining. Special mention to the synthesiser and the electric guitar, as these instruments featured prominently during this rocking show, set in the 1980’s. The musical numbers were superbly rehearsed and polished.

SINGING: The Principals could all sing well and the company belted out the choral numbers with gusto and flair. This was full-bodied and powerful. The lyrics were clearly projected and all rhythms were maintained. There wasn’t a weak voice in this production and the extensive list of musical numbers was an absolute pleasure to listen to. Immediately, we felt in safe hands with all of the performers. The company did a fabulous job too. Not one cast member was unsure of lines and everyone sang up and out; belting out the fast and catchy numbers in this production. The Bride and Groom sang a lovely duet at the start of the show. There were lovely vocal harmonies in, ‘Single’. The rap was great. The duet, ‘Under Your Window’, was lovely and the music accompanying them was melodic and made the number complete.
DIRECTION: John Cousins
The section where Glen is on the phone to Julia DSR, and is on a double bed USC, frolicking with two scantily-clad females was very effective; the space had been used very well and our eyes were torn between the characters and their opposing emotions and motives in that singular moment of time.
The Company gave this show a huge amount of energy and focus and the result was a slick and professional production. Not once did their focus slip and they became the most attentive Wedding Guests and partying/drinking friends that the main cast could have hoped to have had.
The comic timing was superb throughout. A highlight was the, ‘He’s Gonna Pop’ scene. The couples’ lines were short and interspersed with music and each line was delivered with punch and attitude, “What took you so long?!?”And “Donny Junior is no longer going to be a bastard!” The loved-up waiters were full of bounce and purpose too.
‘Table 9’ was referred to as sitting out in the auditorium and this visual worked well. The lady with sideburns was another visual joke that worked well.
‘All About the Green’ was another fabulous number, which opened Act 2. The stage business was super, as girls mimed filing their nails and typing. The subdued and robotic style of this piece hinted at the monotony for the office workers and also highlighted the maniacal leadership of Glen.
The bar scene, including the number, ‘Happy Hour’ was very engaging. The chatter amongst the men was natural, “You need a prostitute”, was a very funny line. The following number, ‘Single’ was very well produced. The guys were all able to appear drunk, and this is not easy on stage! The finale was a blast of colour and the vocals were punchy.
The high energy levels were easily maintained throughout this production and it was easy to see why the audience loved it so much; because the entire company on stage clearly loved it too.

MOVEMENT AND DANCE: Choreographer: Charlie Cartwright. The choreography here was professional, exciting, highly stylised, (as you would expect for the era) and superbly executed by one and all. There were many ambitious routines and the ensemble danced with grace and flair. There was a fabulous energy on stage at all times. This is not easy to sustain, so well done. The choreography was challenging and ambitious; lots of lifts, rapid sequences, robotics and Street Dance. The tableaux scenes of the company posing for group wedding photos were technically pleasing. The attention to detail was superb. We saw high kicks, isolations, rotations; in essence, the carefree and overtly confident and sexy dance style of the 1980’s. Moonwalking, lassoing, body-popping…all the 80’s moves were here.
‘Casualties of Love’, saw the company dance their hearts out! Echoes of Michael Jackson’s, ‘Thriller’ were displayed in the ghoulish moves. The steps were fast, neatly executed and the whole number was fantastic. ‘Saturday Night in the City’ was another fabulous company number. ‘Right in Front of Your Eyes’ was energetic and fun and had a super ‘Material Girl’ Madonna, feel to it.

THE CAST
Robbie Hart: Lynden O’Neill. This is one challenging role to play! The title role needs to set both the tone and the pace of this piece and all the other characters revolve in some way around him. His range of emotions on display is extensive and the actor needs to truthfully convey Robbie’s deep-rooted feelings so that the audience is always on his side….this is quite a tall order. Not only that, but this character needs to sing well. Thankfully, Lynden O’Neill was more than capable at achieving this check list entirely. This was an extremely engaging performance. Lynden maintained superb eye-contact with the whole ensemble and this resulted in a tight and focussed performance. Lynden made this character totally likable, and we were able to feel for him when life got bumpy; we wanted it to work out for him and he certainly made us laugh out loud along the way. His pause when reading out Linda’s letter was perfectly executed, as was the song he sang on the ‘Wedding Bed’, which followed. He was apt at changing the tone of the song in a heartbeat; from sentimental strumming to rocking out, “It was all bullshit”, sang with deep aggression. The audience loved this. It was very funny. His brawl with the groom at the wedding led on to his time in a dumpster. Julia tried to coax him out and was met with his voice; all small and hurting now, “No, this is my house now”. Lynden enabled us to feel sorry for Robbie; even after he had trashed someone else’s wedding. Wedding gift list shopping with Julia, out on a Saturday night, drunk in a bar with the lads, entering the world of high business in the city; we watched Robbie go on this journey and we really wanted to be there with him.

Julia Sullivan: Kristy Bennett. Julia is a character who starts meekly as a waitress, but then we see her grow in strength and conviction in front of our eyes. Kristy looked perfect as Julia and her quiet determination to catch the Bride’s bouquet after her song about the perfection of the Bride was perfect. Her friendship with Robbie at the start was very innocent and believable. Her anticipation prior to, ‘He’s Gonna Pop’, was subtle and truthful and it was moments like these that enabled the audience to care about Julia and want her to come out a winner. When she directed Robbie to, “Get out of the Dumpster”, she was very sweet and sincere. She hit all the high notes in this song with power and grace. Her inebriation on the ‘Saturday Night Out’, was very realistic, as she twirled around on her heels and allowed Glen to prop her up. Her wedding dress scene with Ange was lovely; her insecurities were expressed so genuinely, which added to the dramatic irony as Robbie misinterpreted this scene from the street and sang, “Under your Window.” This scene provided a welcome change of tempo in the show. Her confrontation with Linda was calm. Her final wedding scene, the Finale, was such a happy one.

Sammy: Peter Cottell. This was a fabulously physical portrayal. His desperation to re-conquer Holly was evident in his every move. He was larger than life, but still very believable. This performance was full of energy. His accent was an exaggerated ‘New Jersey’ one. Peter Cottell never let this slip. The physical interactions between Sammy and Holly were always funny and entertaining; he span Holly around at which she slammed a silver serving tray in his face, which he then overtly rubbed on his own backside with a glint in his eye; the comic timing here was superb. Their movements were also entertaining during, ‘Right in Front of Your Eyes’. Sammy fell into what he thought was a ‘trust’ catch, only to find that his fellow male dancers didn’t actually catch him! Here is another actor who can act ‘under the influence’ well.

George: Alex Milner. What a fabulous role. This was played with a fresh and uninhibited flair, yet never was this portrayal overdone. Alex looked perfect as George and he used his tall, lean physicality to perfect effect. His stage business, such as swaying in time to his own synth playing, or rolling a cigarette, was always absorbing and natural…for this flamboyant creature, at least. He was very watchable. His shriek upon exiting as Robbie read aloud Linda’s letter was self-indulgent and fabulous. His solo song was utterly starry and he had the audience entranced…he completed this short burst with a passionate fling of glitter (kept in his bum bag)!! The audience understandably loved this. His actions throughout the song, ‘Single’ were subtle but hilarious. His sustained note in ’25 years’ was impressive. George’s rap with Aunt Rose was also highly comical. This performer has a powerful stage presence. It was used here to full effect. Great casting.

Glen Guglia: Lee Westney. He was always sharp, edgy and completely self-absorbed. His arrogance was easy to believe, yet his superb eye levels and energetic stage presence made us want to follow him. His proposal to Julia was fun and there was an air of excitement created on stage. He was still utterly self-absorbed, even when drunk, (which this actor was able to pull off well).

Aunt Rosie: Louise Couzens. Her ‘making’ of the ‘Wedding’ bed was very well achieved and all of her actions on stage were purposeful. This was a very warm portrayal and this was a very likable character. Her well-meaning hustle and bustle provided Robbie an anchor in his otherwise chaotic life. Her song, ‘A Note from Grandma’, was sweet and sincere. This was another competent solo. The contrast between the imploring tones at the start of this song, “You’ll find someone who loves you” to the final, “That Linda is a skanky Whore”, was totally brilliant! The audience loved this. Another moment which was well-received was her rap, complete with hip gestures towards her ‘Southern Regions’; “….But that don’t mean there aint a fire burnin’ down below”. This was brilliantly funny.

Linda: Christina Davies. What a role! Christina must be congratulated here. She embodied the character of Linda and gave her so much energy, that the audience cheered her every move! “Let Me Come Home”, was heavy, sexy, bordering on scary and totally brilliant A heavy rock number oozing desperate, overt sexual expression! This actor was able to physically bring this character to life with her gyrating and exaggerated moves.

Holly: Grace Macdonald. This is another actor in possession of a fine singing voice. It was a pleasure to listen to her sing. She could also dance beautifully and this was put to full effect in, ‘Right in Front of Your Eyes’, which was a fabulous number, with more than a hint of Madonna in it. Her chirpy energy and sassy moves made this a compelling performance. Again; we cared for this character.

Smaller parts worth a mention:
David: “I was truly honoured when Harold axed me to be his Best Man…Harold never ran away from re-hab”. These lines were delivered superbly by the drunken relative, who could not hide his underlying bitterness.

Brides and Grooms: Some lovely realistic playing here.

Ange: Julia’s best friend offers her advice at crucial times in her life. This was a sensitive portrayal.

The Impersonators were fabulous and performed little stand-up performances in their own right. Most memorable were Tina Turner and Freddie Mercury; they physically embodied these roles to perfection; Freddie’s reactions to the action on stage were incredulous and emphatic. Tina’s swagger was impressive! Cher’s drawl was good and clear. Elvis struck fabulous poses throughout. Marilyn was flouncy and Dorothy was wide-eyed.

EFFORT, ORIGINALITY AND ATTAINMENT:
This was a fantastic choice of production and the cast and crew stood up to the challenge brilliantly. It was laugh-out-loud funny, fresh and utterly entertaining.

Thank you for your most kind hospitality and I wish you every success with your next production,

CLARE TOGHILL

This was a welcome to the 1980’s and from the simple set which worked so well, to the colourful costumes this had all the hallmarks of a John Cousins production and John is not afraid to go out on a limb and present a show which was not that well known as a stage musical but more as a film. But never being deterred you put all your enthusiasm and energy into it and it paid off..From the perfect casting of Lynden as Robbie to all the other roles this was theatre at its best. From the beginning we knew we were in for some excellent theatre and we were not disappointed, everything had been honed to perfection

SET
There is always a problem when transferring film to stage because of the many scenes you need, which works with film but not on stage and if you are not careful can slow the action, this was however not the case here. The set was perfect, the outlines of New York, and with the various lighting effects it worked well. The Rubik Cube centre stage which became part of the set as chairs etc was a well thought out piece of theatre setting us firmly in period. Any scene changes were carried out so efficiently and smoothly. Congratulations to set designer John Cousins and to the hard worked stage crew.

COSTUMES
Congratulations to Julia O’Neill and her team for the many colourful costumes which put us firmly in the ‘80’s. The matching costumes for “Green” were a triumph and gave the right impression of office life in that type of large corporation. A lot of thought had gone into costuming the show and it paid off.

SOUNDS
Congratulations to Sound Engineer Martin Harper who made sure that at all times the cast could be clearly heard whether singing or speaking.

ORCHESTRA
I don’t envy the Orchestra being hidden under the stage, and when the cast acknowledged you I expected to see Harry Burt rise up from underneath to take a bow! At all times the orchestra under the capable baton of Harry Burt played at the right levels and created the right atmosphere for the period. And at all times the pace was never allowed to drop and it showed that the cast had been well rehearsed.

CHOREOGRAPHY
Choreographer Charlie Cartwright had excelled herself with the many different and energetic routines which the cast handled with ease. and at all times worked well as a team and were obviously enjoying themselves.

LIGHTING
Lighting designer Chris Horseman and his crew Steve Clarke and James Ford made sure that at all times everyone was well lit and you created some very atmospheric effects. Congratulations on all your hard work.

THE CAST

ROBBIE HART (Lynden O’Neill)
Having last seen Lynden as yet another worn out policeman, this then was quite a departure, but Lynden rose to the challenge and this was from start to finish an outstanding performance. Always staying in character Lynden had created his own personal “Robbie” from the powerful singing voice to the excellent acting this was a performance to be proud of. We felt all the emotions that Robbie was going through and there was good interaction between Robbie and Julia. You had obviously thought about the character and you brought out all the facets of the role, you must have been worn out by the end of the show. Congratulations on an impressive and outstanding performance.

JULIA SULLIVAN (Kristy Bennett)
In Julia, Kirsty had created a well rounded character, and we glimpsed all the various emotions that she was going through, from her first meeting with Robbie there was obvious chemistry between them, and that she would have liked things to have gone in a different direction. You have a clear singing voice and made the most of all your songs. A natural performance and at all times in character this was convincing performance. Congratulations on a first class and confident performance.

SAMMY (Peter Cottell)
This was another role that suits Peter and as the foil to Robbie and his best pal you had thought out this characters traits and faults, it is always good to see Peter on stage not only is he a natural actor but also a first rate Director. You always mange to bring out the comedy without going over the top and you have good comedy timing and facial reactions. There was good interaction with Robbie and the other members of the cast. Congratulations on a confident performance.

GEORGE (Alex Milner)
Modelled on Boy George, Alex created a brilliant character and threw himself wholeheartedly into the role. With a superb range in your singing, you created just the right type of character and at all times seemed at home in the role. Your song with Aunt Rose was one of the highlights of the show, this was a memorable performance and you worked well with Both Robbie and Sammy. Congratulations on an excellent performance.

GLEN GUGLIA (Lee Westney)
Here we saw the serious side of Lee, after playing the brilliant “Nicely-Nicely” in Guys and Dolls and you had created just the right type of person in Glen. There was the “I’m better than thou” attitude when you interacted with both Julia and Robbie. This was a first rate performance, well done.

AUNT ROSIE (Louise Couzens)
Only a small role,( but there are no small parts only small actors) you made sure that each time you were on stage that the audience noticed you from your first song “A Note from Aunt Rose” which was excellent to your superb interpretation of “Move that thing” which you did with ease, with Alex both outstanding songs, congratulations on a first rate performance.

LINDA (Christina Davies)
A gem of a role and Christina made the most of each entrance, you looked as though you were really enjoying yourself and one of the highlights of the evening was your song “A note from Linda” and you had created a one off type of role which was excellent. Congratulations.

HOLLY (Grace Macdonald)
Grace always manages to throw herself into any role she takes and this was no exception
You have good stage presence and an excellent voice and lit up the stage each time you appeared. There was good interaction with the other members of the cast.Congratulations.

COMPANY
This versatile company worked hard as a team to create the many different roles that they were expected to play and at all times you stayed in character always part of the action. You helped to create an evening in the “80’s”. I must mention the “Las Vegas Impersonators” only a brief time on stage but you all manged to impress. There was as always so much enthusiasm and energy coming from all of you, with excellent dancing and singing. Congratulations to all of you on a professional performance.

Director John Cousins, Choreographer Charlie Cartwright and Musical Director Harry Burt had obviously worked hard as a team to create this brilliant insight into the world of the Wedding Singer and the 1980’s. and assisted by an outstanding cast and crew presented us once again with a professional style show.

Thank you for your kind invitation and for the warm welcome as always front of house, and I look forward to being invited to your next production.

Tony Winstone
Regional Representative – District 13