The comedy and quips came rolling in within the first few lines of dialogue as the smooth-talking, hapless romantic, Robbie Hart (Matt Romasiuk) attempts to gloss over a nightmarish best-man’s speech. Along with rose coloured lighting and a vibrant set that they really have gone all out on, the cast burst into ‘It’s Your Wedding Day’. Seconds in, however, and the set was the last thing I was looking at. Sharp, tight, and well-choreographed, they had me utterly stunned. In fact, I worried they had raised the bar too high with that opening song!
But I was proved gloriously wrong. Not a single number failed to impress, either with refreshing talent, awesome choreography, or just proving how much fun the tight-knit cast were having! Mostly, though, it was all three. Some fabulous dancers in the ensemble shone, adding that little je ne sais quoi with acrobatics, arial dancing and lots of energy. For an amateur production, the quality was exceptional.
This gorgeous classic reinvented stayed true to the 80s and to the characters we know and love, from the sweet and innocent Julia to her not-so-subtly-slutty friend Holly. If anything, the characters were taken to a whole new depth as the actors gushed emotion, passion, and heartbreak through some truly exhilarating songs. Along with music performed by the incredible onstage band, naïve and slightly dipsy bride-to-be suddenly turned angsty Heathers character in ‘A note from Linda’ which had the audience cheering. In contrast, we watch poor Robbie become more corrupted by the chord during the hilarious number ‘All About the Green’ as he’s taken under the wing of Julia’s fiancé, who's character was played to perfection. (Beware parents, some sex references).
It was wonderful to watch the predominantly young cast stick together and gloss professionally over minor mishaps (which were few and far between); as well as putting on a stellar performance, they also looked to be having an amazing time. It was a delight.
According to Daisy and Matt playing Linda and Robbie: ‘If you love the film you’ll love the musical”. Well, I can’t argue. They’ve certainly done it justice.
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