Perfect Wedding

Farce goes together with community theatre like fish and chips. They’re a natural. Audiences love them, actors love being in them, and theatre companies love their box-office appeal. Perfect Wedding was a perfect example of the genre and a perfect start to Ipswich Little Theatre’s 2015 season.

Set in a hotel in the English countryside the convoluted plot is one we’ve seen many variations of through the years - a groom wakes up hung-over on his wedding morning in bed with another woman and the panic begins as the groom tries to hide his transgression - mistaken identities, doors slamming, characters hiding, and lots of shouting and confusion as the plot unravels in the best West End/Whitehall farce style.

Timing is the essence of any farce and director Doug Moses had drilled his cast to perfection. The laughs came thick and fast and they never missed a beat.

Harry Risson as the hapless groom Bill was a natural physical comic. He had the art of falling over a couch down pat. Josh Nixon as the best man Tom was also adept with his physical business and spot-on with his line delivery. The girls, Crystal Green as the chambermaid Julie, Courtney Murrin as the bride Rachel, and Kate Mallory as the other girl Judy, were equal to the guys in every department. They all turned in massively funny and on-the-money performances. The late arrival of Tracey Spence’s bewildered mother-of-the-bride only added to the fun.

Set, costumes and lighting were all plusses in a show that was a riot of laughs. It may not have been the Perfect Wedding but it was certainly perfect entertainment as the capacity house acknowledged with uproarious laughter time and time again.

Peter Pinne