Wedding Singer
March 11, 2008
The Wedding Singer
Venue: Theatre Royal
Date Reviewed: 10th March, 2008
At last a new musical, ok its based on the hit film of the same name (starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore) but its not a revival in the way we know every song before the show starts.
In the male lead, we have the excellent Jonathan Wilkes as the wedding singer Robbie Hart and Natalie Casey as Julia, the waitress who will change his life.
We have all the ingredients of a typical show with nasty and annoying partners for the main characters, best friends who have the best of intentions for their friends and a lovable grandma, but somewhere along the line the romance that should be at the heart of the show gets lost.
The songs are instantly forgettable and while there, a few, ensemble numbers that keep things moving along they are not enough. There is a opportunity to clap along towards the end but there is no sign of the audience rising to their feet to spend the last few minutes dancing along, which is a real pity.
The story revolves around Robbie, a wedding singer who is getting married himself, until his bride fails to turn up at the alter. As he descends in to a pool of self-pity, it is left to his friends and grandmother to try and save him.
But the real person able to turn him around is Julia, a waitress who he has met at various weddings. Although Julia herself has a boyfriend, deep down she knows it is not the right relationship for her as she falls in love with Robbie. As her partner jets her off to be married in Las Vegas it is down to Robbie to stop the wedding and admit his true feelings, as we know from the start a happy ending will always win through.
While Wilkes gives a competent performance as usual and is always in control, there is no sign of any stage chemistry with his co-star Casey. I had hoped this was the role he could create and really put his stamp on, but it is not. Over the years he has proved to be a great performer, in touring revivals such as Grease and the Rocky Horror show and he deserves more.
Meanwhile Casey fulfils her role as Julia well enough but her vocals do not match that of her co-stars and she fails to deliver the comic touch her part needs. Unfortunately, you really do not care if she stays with her rotten boyfriend or sends him packing to go with Robbie.
The one person who does deliver the required comedy is Tricia Deighton as Grandma Rosie. Her role allows the frail Grandma to switch between looking after her grandson with sound advice to slipping out a few swear words with comic results. However, it is her Grandma Rap, with Nick Hayes playing Robbie’s friend George that lifts the show. This number is a real crowd pleaser and I only wish there had been a few more moments like this.
Unfortunately, the set design by Isla Shaw does not help proceedings, it looks basic and inexpensive, which when you are setting a show in various weddings and an exclusive roof top revolving restaurant is not what you expect. Likewise, Karen Bruce’s choreography only reaches its full potential on a couple of occasions and comes nowhere near matching the work she has done previously on Footloose or Pacific Overture.
Towards the end of the show Wilkes is on a plane surrounded by Maggie Thatcher, Ronald Regan, Mr T, Billy Fury and Tina Turner impersonators. I was expecting a Robbie Williams one to join in, as Wilkes is renowned for being the best friend of the real Robbie Williams and it would have added a nice comic touch.
Sadly, while the Wedding Singer may meet the needs of the coach parties and deliver a two and half hours of entertainment, it fails to reach its full potential, with a long tour ahead there maybe a chance to rectify these problems.
Comments
-
Recent Posts
Advertisement
Other Regional Sites