A reflection on Perfect Wedding - our production from 2010.
Ten years ago this week, we staged Perfect Wedding in The Studio Theatre. To mark the anniversary, we asked cast members and director Tony Vokes for their memories of being in the play.
Coralie Farmer - Judy
I think Perfect Wedding might be my favourite of the plays I was involved in. I remember it as silly, slapsticky fun and the cast were fun as well. There were wedding dresses, toilet brushes, mistaken identities, one night stands - and I found out that I would make a rubbish chamber maid. This quote says it all:
"There are people chasing people round the corridors, there are people trying to kill people with carving knives, there are people strangling people on the furniture!"
Dave Cochrane - Tom
Unfortunately, my memory of Perfect Wedding is fairly patchy - the neurologist says this may be as a result of the blunt force trauma of Dawn slapping me in the face, full force, twice every night. I think the audience appreciated our commitment to our parts. I also remember running around on a bed, throwing a toilet brush at Jerome's face (and leaving a mark), and generally doing things that would not be allowed under current health and safety legislation. My one regret is not recognising a chance for a classic double take until about the third performance, and not having enough time to practice it.
I also felt a great deal of sympathy for Jerome for taking on the lead role, but not appearing on the poster. I often wondered if the audience were confused : "The chap on the poster has changed his hair! And lost weight. And height..."
Isi Dixon - Rachel
I loved being a part of Perfect Wedding. Can’t believe it’s already been 10 years! My memories include Jerome jumping in and learning the lines in record time when the original actor couldn’t do it any longer, having to learn to create an elegant bridal up-do with beady decorations while on stage, and who can forget Dave’s epic line “I’ll cut off his dipstick with a carving knife!” My girls quoted that line for years.
Oh, and I had a scene where I had to whistle loudly to interrupt a shouting match between rest of the cast, and I’d never been able to do that. So, I had to learn to finger whistle which YouTube helped me with. On the first night this failed so I ended up stomping my feet instead. But to this day I impress people with my ear-splitting whistling skills.
Jacky Tivers - Daphne
The main thing I can remember is what fun it was. It was such a friendly, happy cast. I was only in Act 2 so I didn’t have to attend all the rehearsals. I was Isi’s Mum, having been her aunt in a previous play. I remember using my ‘posh RP’ voice, but I can’t remember anything else about the part, except that I think she was a bit of a fool.
Tony Vokes (Director)
I think my abiding memory will be the interplay between all the characters. The sheer exhaustion of watching every performance, Dave Cochrane chasing Jerome Foley around the stage, jumping over the bed and running through the doors. It's quite uncanny that in one or two of my productions Jerome has been the hapless victim of being pursued around the stage! Jerome also had to learn the part in record time as he took over the role a few weeks into rehearsals due to the original actor being side-lined through illness.
Happy days in The Studio, hopefully not too long before they return!
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