The Wedding Singer

After postponing their performance in October, Burtonwood AMADS brought their version of ‘The Wedding Singer’ to the stage, directed by Alli Owen in her directorial debut. The use of the stage is always impressive at Burtonwood. With a small stage, they are able to create different locations, using flats that spin, which was totally effective. There were some lovely moments of direction from Alli, such as the pre-show moment with the best man of the first wedding and his partner (played very well by Jim McMillan and Bianca Tranter), the use of junior members throughout, and the comedic elements integrated into the production. The blocking and stage positions were good throughout and it was clear that Alli had thought about this in her direction. Generally speaking, the pace of the production was good. There were a few moments with late entrances and the cast waiting for the lights to come on where the pace slowed. Costumes were very good, and brought the audience straight to the eighties.

Jayne Harnick was the musical director, with assistance from Izzy Nash. The cast performed to backing tracks and did well with this. The vocals were generally strong from the cast, especially the female characters. The ensemble were well drilled with the songs, adding some nice harmonies.

Bianca Tranter choreographed the production with assistance from Bronte Tranter and the tap routine was choreographed by Marie Gleave. There was much to admire from the choreography, which was performed well, especially in such a small space. There were moments of comedy choreographed in numbers, and the stylised choreography in ‘All About the Green’ was a nice change. This number also included a short section of tap, which was well performed, adding a further texture to the choreography.

Technical elements were generally good throughout. The lighting used was good, with clear areas denoted, which were all lit well. There were some problems with sound, with interference to the cast microphones. When the sound was behaving, the balance between backing tracks and microphones was good. There were a few moments where microphones were left on backstage.

Zack Smith played the titular wedding singer, Robbie. Zack created a believable relationship with Jayne, and their scenes were sincere and truthful. There were some good comedic moments from Zack. There were moments that Zack appeared unsure with what he was doing, but he did a good job overall.

Jayne Harnick impressed as Julia. It was the standout performance of the production, with great vocals and a strong acting performance. There were sincere moments from Jayne, such as the moment where she was trying on her wedding dress and imaging herself marrying Robbie, as well as moments of comedy. It was a joy to watch Jayne on stage.

Bronte Tranter played Holly, Julia’s best friend. This was a confident performance from Bronte and she seemed completely at ease on stage. It was an entertaining performance, and Bronte showed lots of layers to the character. ‘Right in Front of Your Eyes’ was a particular standout number.

After appearing in the same role with another society, the character Sammy was in the capable hands of Tom Ray. Tom created a believable friendship with Zack and Arran – you believed they were actually part of the band. Tom’s vocals were good, and there was a good relationship with Bronte.

Arran Abbey seemed to be affected most by the microphone issues as George. Arran certainly looked the part and played the concerned friend well. It was such a shame about Arran’s microphone, as a lot of his dialogue and songs were missed.

Herb Moore took on the role of Glen. Herb gave a confident portrayal of Glen, and he played the money driven Glen as a complete narcissist that worked for the character. Herb never once came out of the character.

Hannah Smith was suitably funny and over the top as Grandma Rosie. It was clear that Hannah knew the script inside out, and was able to have fun with the role, with little quips here and there.

Chloe Hughes played Linda, Robbie’s fiancée who breaks his heart at the altar. This was a strong performance from Chloe who commanded the space as soon as she appeared. Her vocals were powerful, and she brought great comedy to the production.

Leigh Nash had a nice cameo role as Angie, Julia’s mother. There were some nice comic moments in Leigh’s performance, making a small character standout.

The ensemble was a standout in this production. The use of younger members was great as bridesmaids and guests for the different weddings. The ensemble attacked the numbers with great energy and created some great characters, which added to the overall comedy. Some highlights were the Losers at Table 9, who were all full of character and committed to these characters created, and the celebrity lookalikes.

Overall, this was a good production. The staging was inventive, the ensemble was particularly strong, and there some pleasing principal performances.

A big thank you to everyone at Burtonwood AMADS for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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