THEATRE REVIEW: The Wedding
27.20.2022 Basement Theatre, Auckland
We rushed into The Wedding just as the doors were shutting (we accidentally ordered our pre-show dinner during a rush) and were thrust into a Latnovian church where we would be spending the next hour or so. I had no idea what to expect, let alone the thunderous announcement that “The Beast has awoken!”.
The Wedding has the explosive energy of an improv show, but with a sharp-shooter delivery. It voiced many of my own feelings about the church and marriage, all while making me laugh non-stop.
The plot of the show works like the base of one of those wacky inflatable tube-men, being the foundational structure for the characters to come alive in. Without the base and fan, the fun would simply lie dormant; with a decent plot, the actors spring to life, waving their arms around (which actually does happen - the waving arms, I mean).
Much like a Monty Python sketch, the set-up tells you exactly why these people are all in the same room together and gives them reasons to remain interacting with each other - but this tactic is only effective if the actors can pull their weight. And boy, do A Fool’s Company deliver an incredibly captivating and very, very, silly performance. Plotwise, I particularly liked the restraint in slowly revealing The Beast - keeping the audience tense while making them laugh made all the laughing feel dangerous, which made everything funnier somehow. I love a good Hallelujah audio gag too, so I’m glad that was there.
Subversion is the name of the game here. There are double-entendre phrases that show up as a consistent motif, several Spanish Inquisition-styled character reveals, and non-stop plot twists that never get confusing. The 4th-wall breaks are all done very tastefully and in the right moments, diegetically commending the hard work of the art department, expressing the stress of playing multiple characters, or lamenting the lack of funding the show had to get made. Even down to character details such as the gay romance, the uptight character hiding lingerie under her ankle-length dress, or having the bride hold decent feminist views off-stage but later show up as a dollar-store Gwenyth Paltrow - every subverted expectation pushes the story forward while also developing the characters. It’s beyond what I expected from this kind of genre, but the effort is well worth it and I really respect A Fool’s Company for taking the time to take their silliness seriously.
The satirical elements were also delivered exceedingly well - to the point where I wasn’t sure if they were satirizing the church/marriage, or if they were satirizing other acts satirizing the church/marriage! I really loved them blurring this line, since they managed to avoid feeling stale and became their own thing.
Ultimately, the cast/crew did a fantastic job with this show and I’m looking forward to what they produce next. The art department is due a lot of credit, as everything felt high quality on, what I imagine, was quite a tight budget. The performers all did a fantastic job bouncing off of each other, particularly the duo acts of Georgie Llewellyn/Emily Hurley and Melissa Cameron/Aaron Richardson - as well as Kyle Shields playing against everyone not as rich as The Father is.
Definitely catch this tonight or tomorrow if you can, and be sure to plan your dinner with enough time!
■
Book your tickets to The Wedding here!
Cast: Kyle Shields, Aaron Richardson, Mellissa Cameron, Emily Hurley, Georgie Llewellyn
Stage Manager: Elizabeth Turner
Director: Grace Augustine
Lighting Design/Op: Tim Jansen
Producer: Charlie Underhill
