The Wedding Singer as presented by North East Musical & Dramatic Society

Public Adjudication 

North East Musical and Dramatic Society 

The Wedding Singer 

Wednesday 20th November 2024 

The Wedding Singer is one of those shows which rarely fails to leave a smile on my face. A very funny book peppered with 80s references galore and a thumping score that reflects the era perfectly, combine for a lovely blend of nostalgia and hilarity. North East Musical and Dramatic Society (NEMS) gave us a very funny production, with stunning choreography and superbly innovative and creative visuals. 

This was my first visit to the fabulous Iontas Theatre in Castleblayney and what an unexpected delight the venue was. Of course, ‘Iontas’ means ‘wonder’ as Gaeilge and what a wonder this theatre is. There can’t be too many towns in Ireland that can sustain a dedicated theatre space which can hold nearly 10% of its population. The large, spacious foyer was busy and we were warmly welcomed before taking our seats in the auditorium to the sound of 80s bangers which set the tone perfectly for the night’s entertainment ahead. 

Director Gavin Quigley’s vision was bold and brave, incorporating a stunningly creative visual element to the show through the use of multiple video walls. This element integrated perfectly with physical set pieces, allowing for great fluidity between scenes. Mr. Quigley had a very good sense of pace and continuity. Cast skilfully moved trucks around the stage, in slickly choreographed transitions. There were some lovely, original directorial touches too. The Pac Man animation sequence during the entr’acte, featuring the show’s characters being gobbled up, was hilarious. An excellent job pulling so many elements together to create such an entertaining production. 

Musical Director Shane McVicker worked closely with chorus mistress Tomasina McGinnity to ensure that all of the musical elements of the show were of a high standard. Mr. McVicker conducted an excellent eight-piece band from his keyboard. I felt that vocals were overpowered in the opening number, ‘It’s Your Wedding Day.’ However, levels appeared to settle as the show progressed and the balance between band and stage improved greatly. Principal singing was of a high standard throughout the show. Ms. McGinnity’s choral work shone, with excellent harmonies and good balance in the ensemble numbers. ‘All About the Green’ was excellent and there was a stunning choral sound in the finale. 

Leah Meagher’s choreography was dynamic, sharp, and inventive. Routines were very well rehearsed and exhilarating in their execution. The wonderfully slick opening, ‘It’s Your Wedding Day,’ set the bar very high, with its high energy and deft precision. Performance levels were off the charts from a cast that was clearly enjoying every second. ‘Saturday Night in the City’ was exhilarating and the fabulous finale was simply euphoric. But it was the amazing ‘All About the Green’ that stole the show with a perfect combination of exciting, laser visuals, superb vocals and brilliantly performed, high energy choreography. 

Sean Harkin was perfectly cast as a wonderfully charismatic Robbie Hart. There was an energy and exuberance about him that drew the audience in from the very start, as we followed the bumpy rollercoaster ride of his complicated love life. Mr. Harkin’s delivery was very strong and his comic timing was exceptionally good. He had a natural understanding of comedy that is very difficult to teach and a range of hilarious facial expressions that were perfect for the comic style of the piece. He was a very strong singer too, which may not have been so evident in the hilariously roared ‘Somebody Kill Me.’‘If I Told You’ was a gorgeous highlight of the show, beautifully delivered. 

Paige Cunningham was a laid-back Julia. Comic timing was good and dialogue was generally strong but I felt that some further work on subtext would have really helped to explore her conflicted state of mind at her complicated love life. She was at her best in scenes with Mr. Harkin, in which there was a nice, natural connection between the two. Ms. Cunningham was a fine singer too, shining in ‘Someday’ and the wonderful ‘If I Told You.’ 

Dearbhla McCreesh enjoyed every minute playing the exuberant, flirtatious Holly, owning the stage with confidence and excellent presence. Ms. McCreesh’s intelligent delivery and great comic timing were all over her portrayal, in a very humorous performance. However, it was her powerhouse vocals that really blew the audience away. The brilliant ‘Saturday Night in the City’ at the end of Act 1, with its face-melting upper register, really showcased Ms. McCreesh’s vocal prowess. An excellent all-round performance. 

Brian Harty was a very funny Sammy, Robbie’s ‘loser’ bandmate; an airheaded dude who was always in the shade when it comes to relationship success. He was a strong comedian with a great sense of goofiness which was never overplayed. Diction and delivery were excellent and I was really impressed by his very convincing bass ‘playing’ too. Mr. Harty’s vocals were really strong; at their best in ‘Today You’re a Man.’ 

The band’s keytar player, George, was played by Adam Lynagh. He was flamboyant, without being overly camp, avoiding the trap of overplaying this very funny character. Mr. Lynagh had strong stage presence and good comic chops. He sang well and really nailed the wonderful ‘Move That Thang’ with Rosie in what was a superb performance. 

Dean Mulraney was the perfect villain that everyone loves to hate as the sleazy Glen Guglia. His smug charm and arrogance was so well played, leaving the audience in no doubt as to who we wanted Julia to end up with. It’s not often that the most reprehensible individual character in a show gets to lead its standout ensemble number. However, Mr. Mulraney got to lead from the front and let rip in the hugely exhilarating ‘All About the Green,’ showing what a brilliant mover he was too. An excellent job all round! 

Mags Kirk was hilarious as Robbie’s Grandma Rosie. Without insulting Ms. Kirk, it was so refreshing to see someone with a credible ‘playing age’ in this role. Her comic timing was exceptionally good, as she delivered one innuendo-laden quip after another. She inhabited the role with an incredible physicality. And what a mover she was too. The incongruity of this arthritically hampered, elderly character busting a move with the energy levels and flexibility of limb that a thirty-year-old would die for, was side-splittingly funny in the hilarious ‘Move That Thang.’ A simply outstanding performance. 

The biggest compliment that I can pay Louise Steele, who played the role of Linda, is that I wished it was a bigger part. I loved her brilliantly performed ‘A Note From Linda’ as she was so cleverly revealed on a spinning truck. Her high-energy, no holds barred ‘Let Me Come Home’ was a wildly seductive tour-de-force delivered with an impressively powerhouse voice and a compelling, psychotic edge. A fabulous, rock chick performance and a really fun portrayal.

Carol McCourt gave an entertaining performance as Angie, Julia’s divorced and bitter mother who is more than a little shallow when it comes to her daughter’s marital prospects, wanting her to marry Glen for financial gain. Strong comic timing added greatly to Ms. McCourt’s portrayal. 

All supporting characters were well cast and provided great support for the principal cast. Standout amongst these were Cillian Cromwell as Fake Billy Idol, Peter Phillips as Fake Ronald Reagan, Carmel Harte as Fake Cher, Eva McMahon as Fake Cyndi Lauper and Isaac John as Fake Mr. T. Mr. John also excelled in his incredibly impressive pole dancing routine. 

A very strong ensemble, bursting with talent, sang, danced, and acted their socks off throughout. They were at their very best in big production numbers like ‘It’s Your Wedding Day,’ ‘Pop’ and ‘Single.’ Of course, All About the Green, complete with TS wristbands, stole the show with its electric enthusiasm, unbridled energy, and exquisite precision. There was good work too in other scenes as wedding guests, shoppers, and office workers. Care did need to be taken, however, to be more disciplined going into the very effective freezes. 

Stage Management worked very well from the point of view of movement of physical set pieces. Multifunctional trucks were moved quickly and efficiently by cast, allowing for slick transitions between scenes, integrating superbly with the screens and greatly helping with pace and continuity throughout. However, there were some issues which really jarred on the night that I attended. Tabs being moved/adjusted during scenes were distracting. So too were the bedclothes on the pull-out bed, which took on a life of their own as a crew member had to adjust them up to thirty seconds before a scene change to ensure that the bed cleared the opening. 

Set design very cleverly integrated large video walls with physical pieces in a seamlessly effective, visually stunning way. The raised levels provided great staging options for Mr. Quigley, allowing him to split the action from one location to another very quickly with the aid of a fast change of image. The images and animations were brilliant, perfectly evoking the 1980s era. The sink trucks looked well, as did the toilet cubicles, the latter proving difficult for the lighting department when cast were inside. The shopping mall looked amazing, cleverly reusing the multifunctional trucks, and the bridal shop looked fabulous. A superbly realised visual overall. 

Many aspects of the lighting design and operation were superb. Some were not. The big production numbers were colourful and dynamic, with great use of moving lights to really bring out the vibrancy and colour of the 1980s. Follow spot operation needed attention. It was extremely shaky. It also caught backs of audience members’ heads during ‘If I Told You,’ as it picked up the choreography which was set too far downstage to catch in follow spot. More key light was needed for faces on the stage left upper level, which was patchy and too dark at times. Lighting was superb in the Pink Flamingo, giving that perfect nightclub feel. The angry, chasing red spots in ‘Somebody Kill Me’ were a very creative touch, as were the dramatic red movers in Linda’s extremely wild ‘Let Me Come Home.’ 

Sound was generally very good. As previously mentioned, band levels overpowered the cast vocals during the opening ‘It’s Your Wedding Day.’ However, this did settle as the show went on, giving us a much better balance between band and stage. Vocals were warm and full throughout. Cueing of microphones was slick and sound effects were well chosen. 

There was superb attention to detail in the props department. The tiered wedding cake was most impressive. Glen’s 2-D printed car was a scream. The five bridal mannequins looked fabulous and I really want to know who had the very authentic looking Sanyo cardboard box lying around their attic! An excellent job by all.

Costumes were excellent, capturing the colourful zaniness of the 1980s era perfectly. The different changes of coloured jackets for the band, worked very well. The office attire for ‘All About the Green’ was sharp and very cool. Sammy’s leather trousers were well painted on to him and George’s look was delightfully flamboyant. 

Make up was colourful and fun, again reflecting that 80s vibe. Eye shadows and lipsticks were perfectly chosen…and that was just for George! There was super attention to detail with the 80s hairstyles and wigs were well chosen for the ‘fake’ characters of Tina Turner, Ronald Reagan, and Billy Idol. It was funny when Tina lost hers but perfectly appropriate as she was a ‘Fake Tina’ – her wig malfunction could almost have been written into the show. 

This was a hugely enjoyable production with superb visual elements, very strong direction, top notch choreography, and some exceptional performances. It was an absolute pleasure to attend. NEMS is still very much in its infancy but what a well-deserved reputation the group has gained in its short existence. The sky is the limit. As Julia and Robbie might put it, “awesome.”

Some photos kindly provided by the society; Photographer: Betty Brennan