Director Clive Cullen put together a brilliant, well balanced cast for this show, and brought out the best in each of them.
Tayla Steele (Ali) and Samantha Hatcher (Lisa) were the perfect foil to Sarah Bird's Sophie, playing the giggly young bridesmaids with a great energy that fizzed off each other and really set the pace for their scenes.
Sarah herself was an exceptional Sophie. She managed to give her character real depth without taking away from the youthfulness and naivety of the role.
Pairing Sarah with Paula Frearson as Sophie's mother Donna was a case of excellent casting choices, with the duo creating some truly emotionally powerful moments as they navigated through their relationship. Their duet "Slipping Through My Fingers" was a real highlight of the show, combining a beautiful, emotional part of the plot with some great vocals.
Donna's sidekicks Rosie and Tanya, played by Deb Thomas and Emily Davidson respectively, were great fun to watch, especially in their individual moments on stage, with Deb's performance of "Take a Chance on Me" bringing some of the best comedy, along with excellent vocal skills, of the night. Emily's moment to shine came in her performance of "Does Your Mother Know", again matching comedic timing with a great voice.
Both of these numbers were elevated by the choreography put together by choreographer Greer Anderson, who has used her considerable talent to create some excellent scenes in this production. From the energetic, dancing, flipper-wearing group of young men, to the brilliantly performed dream scene featuring plenty of glow in the dark gloves, Greer has created watchable routines that capture the energy of the show perfectly.
While many theatre companies will tell of the difficulties in finding leading men for their plays, Hāwera Repertory has managed to find not just one, nor two leading men for this show, but a talented quartet of actors, all of whom did a sterling job.
Hayden Baylis, Shaun Campbell and Richard Baylis, (Sam, Harry and Bill) were all on top form in their roles, while Regan Tate gave his character Sky a bit more depth than the role sometimes has. They were well matched by Cody Ogle (Pepper) and Aries Poutu (Eddie) who also brought some great energy, and talent, to the stage.
With plenty of big numbers, this show needs a strong ensemble to keep the energy and pace going, and the ensemble cast do not disappoint. It is safe to say Clive Cullen was spoilt for choice when it came to talent, because the ensemble features some stand-out performers, many of whom are well known to Taranaki audiences. There's also some great up-and-coming talent to be seen in the ensemble, indicating years to come of excellent future productions from Hāwera Repertory judging by the talent they have coming through the ranks.
This show is amateur theatre at its very best, packed with talent, energy and some great songs that will have you singing in the car all the way home.