The Wedding Singer

How lovely to see a youth group performing a new, young and fresh show full of original songs and laugh-out-loud moments. The Wedding Singer, with music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin and book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, is based on the 1998 film of the same name.
The comedic talents of Adam Sandler, who appeared in the film as wedding singer Robbie Hart, who is jilted at the altar and then falls for the attached but confused Julia, is a hard act to follow. Daniel Jackson gave the part his all and produced an effective performance. His good looks, strong singing voice and comic timing ably portrayed the sweet-natured but heartbroken Robbie.
As hopelessly romantic waitress Julia, Gabrielle Tyler shone as a leading lady and her clear vocals complemented Daniel’s, giving us two very pleasing and confident leads.
Strong support was provided by Meredith Jones as Julia’s best friend, the wisecracking
and flirtatious Holly, a great foil for the rather more starry-eyed Julia.
Robbie’s bandmates, the hapless Sammy (Joshua Chapman) and the gentle and sensitive George (Tyler Harbin), added humour to the show and both boys gave convincing and enjoyable performances.
Phoebe Wiggett delivered a delightful cameo as the shallow and hard-hearted Linda, while Fiona Chatten gave us a very sprightly and humorous Rosie; a difficult task to portray an old person effectively, at such a young age.
As Julia’s dishonourable boyfriend, Glen, Samuel Thompson looked very much the part and showed Glen’s arrogant, swaggering persona. Only occasionally his delivery was a touch fast, meaning dialogue was missed.
A whole host of supporting characters were portrayed with relish by members of the cast; some of them playing two or three each! Notably, Ashley Gander, Georgia Rose, Peter Mccarron, Abigail Guthrie, Courtney Cooper-Gleave and Jerome Adams-Hall.
The whole ensemble sang and danced with energy and enthusiasm, to lively choreography, which, with proficient light and sound made for an overall visually interesting production. Having the band on stage worked brilliantly and contributed greatly to the authentic feel of the show.
Appropriate styled costumes, with crimped hairstyles, and bright make-up were in-keeping and added significantly to the 1980s setting. Only the boys’ make-up was rather overdone and somewhat detracted from their laddish characters, (except perhaps in George’s case!).
This talented young cast were well directed by Chris Bareham and clearly enjoyed every moment; their team-working was evident. Having seen two of this group’s previous shows I would say that they have all grown in confidence and talent, and will continue to do so. This was certainly, for me, their best show yet.

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