A comedic piece of thought-provoking theatre, Wedlock covers all the angles on marriage and the big day in our modern era.
Opening the morning of the wedding day of Gary and Kate, members of the bridal party stagger to the church in the wake of an eventful rehearsal dinner, wondering if the event will go ahead. Miles, the Best Man, is sporting a black eye and the bride is missing. Dana, the Maid of Honour, is on the warpath, dragging her husband Howard along with her. Dustin is simply enjoying the ride, while Stacey tries to put her tragic past behind her to make peace – and does Renee have all the big answers in the midst of her clueless haplessness? The tangled storyline, with its sudden reversals and cliffhangers, is strongly-structured and compellingly-paced. James Marzec has written a sound script, more than ably brought to life by all members of the ensemble cast and their sympathetic director.
The varying characters’ perspectives are used to examine a range of views on marriage, love and commitment. The ways that marriage can change a person, its utility in this day and age, traditional ideals and the purity of love between friends and lovers are all considered. Despite the big concepts, Wedlock never gets bogged down, with the story pushing the pace and comic lines flying thick, fast and sometimes frustratingly close together, so that the cast had to pause to be heard for the following piece of repartee to enjoy full effect.
All actors displayed admirable comic timing while making the most of gentler moments. Elijah Melvin as Miles had us engaged from his first stagger through the rear doors as he, careful of black eye and aching limbs, dressed himself in full formal wear. Later in the play was the lovely self-realisation that what Miles had taken for the courage of his convictions was actually fear of losing his friends, and Melvin demonstrated calculated dramatic restraint in the moment of epiphany. Anna Hedgcock and Joe Romano as Dana and Howard played a stereotypical couple with a subtle twist under the layers of henpecked hilarity. Rachel Watson and Kristian Barron were perfect foils to each other as daffy Renee and hipster Dustin, both seemingly hopeless cases but each possessed of more insight than expected. Jess Wilkinson (Stacey) gave a strong performance, balancing the sweet nature and sad backstory against the dynamics of the day and a strong personality. Laura Djanegara and Kieran Clancy-Lowe brought the bride and groom to multifaceted life, enjoying some of the most passionate outbursts of the production and making the most of the dramatic opportunities presented.
The limited setting served as a versatile staging point for the action, while firmly establishing the nuptial scene. Sound and lighting complemented the performance, which was so gripping that it was difficult to notice the technical details, a sign of smooth running behind the scenes.
Wedlock is a clever comedy that deserves a wider audience, and we wait with anticipation to see what Showroom Theatre serves up next.
Wedlock
Presented by Showroom Theatre
Director: James Marzec
Assistant Director / Executive Producer: Spencer Davis
Stage Manage: Rosie Phillips
Assistant Producer: Toni Heymanson
Lighting & Sound: Tegan Gregory
Set & Costumes: Lea Klein
Media & Graphic Design: Chris Andrawes
Performed by Elijah Melvin, Jess Wilkinson, Kristian Barron, Rachel Watson, Joe Romano, Laura Djanegara, Kieran Clancy-Lowe and Anna Hedgcock
Subiaco Arts Centre, Subiaco
14 – 18 May 2013
Rating: four stars
