The Wedding Singer sees Inverness Musical Theatre present their best show yet
Inverness Musical Theatre: The Wedding Singer
Eden Court
5 stars
Watching lead character Robbie Hart have his heart broken shouldn't be as much fun as Inverness Musical Theatre makes The Wedding Singer!
His tragi-comic love story is their latest production with three more shows still to go – including Saturday’s matinee. That’s three more chances to buy in to catch a team at the top of their talent, creativity and commitment in easily their best show yet at Eden Court.
Based on the 1998 movie starring Adam Sandler, the story was already awash with a tide of 80s references, but there's a lot of fun with props (Lisa Senior) – clunky mobile phone etc – and wardrobe (Dawn Murray) – mullet haircuts, big shoulders etc – in this show. And the real-life band in the orchestra pit helps play you there with the signature arrangements of the era.
The time is also captured in the authentic but slightly wince-making attitude to women of Wall Street greed-merchant and serial cheater Glen Guglia, a baddie wonderfully loathsome in the hands of David Saunders.
And maybe the whole show also gets you questioning what is really important in life, reflected through the mirror of those days, all about making it big, material girls and boys and big life plans.
After all, it’s because wedding singer Robbie has parked his dreams of being a real rock star to settle for wedding band life, that rock babe fiancée Linda gets cold feet, dumps him on their wedding day and sets the whole story in motion.
The Inverness Musical Theatre creative team earns plenty of gold stars for their super-confident handling of this production, and uncannily good casting is one of the most important starting-points.
Matthias Kremer was made to play Robbie, as the emotional, life-loving hero whose broken heart gives him the chance to ramp up the comedy and reach for the pathos when he gets a chance at true love.
Making the perfect love interest for Robbie as the sincerely sweet Julia, is Natalie Sutherland. Ruth Foster is spot on as her big-hearted cousin Holly, maybe destined to get back with dorky ex Sammy after all. And as Sammy, Matt Tyrer milks the potential of the loveable, over-the-top guitarist.
Two star performances which just add to the fun come from Caroline MacPherson, ageing up to play Robbie’s sexually liberated, rapping gran Rosie. And as Linda, the raunchy rock babe who trashes Robbie’s romantic hopes of married life, Sian Noble has a ball.
The audience also loved the crew of lookalikes, from Fake Cyndi Lauper and Fake Elvis to Fake President Reagan and Fake Abba!
Even musical director Alan Mackintosh popped up from the orchestra pit for a micro mini-performancette…
And as the story of Robbie – risking all to capture Julia’s heart with his ultimate love song – took the action to Vegas, there was no let up in the pace and energy of the athletic set of move-perfect dance numbers, such as Saturday Night In The City which ends the first half, to All About The Green.
And favourite song performances were hard to choose between, contenders came throughout, including the wedding band celebrating bachelor life in Single, Julia and Robbie with Come Out Of The Dumpster and the same two with Grow Old With You.
