Reviewed by Richard Lane
August 2014
Do the bridesmaids of a soon –to- be bride, tell her that her intended groom has been unfaithful? That basically is the plot of “Secret Bridesmaids’ Business,”
It’s the night before Meg Bacon’s (Peta Martin) wedding and in a champagne –filled, last gasp hens’ night party one of the bridesmaids spills the beans that the bridegroom has been shacking up with Naomi Bartlett(Ellen Davies). To tell or not to tell, that is the question!
Elizabeth Coleman’s comedy offers some fascinating insights into love, sex, friendship, loyalty and weddings, interspersed with some funny situations. Yet this production under the direction of Kristin Telfer doesn’t quite cut it. The actors are allowed far too much slack by the director to overact .There are countless opportunities for throw aways and underplaying but these are more often than not passed over for the heavily planted “here comes a funny line” approach.
The characters had known each other since schooldays, yet there was little evidence of this. However, redemptively, when giving their monologue in a single spot down front, each player showed real skill, demonstrating insights into their character and behaviour.
Kerrie Klinsic (Angela Dixon) was the stand out of the night and also played a clever drunk. Peta was a rather giggly bride and as Lucy Dean, who dobbed in James (Benjamin Orchard) the philandering groom, Tess O’Flaherty was sexy but not sufficiently worldly-wise. Ellen will learn from her maiden outing, and, Kathy Strauts needed to invest Meg’s mother Coleen Bacon with more dominance and less frustration. Benjamin needed more cunning as Meg’s paramour.
The multi–purpose set worked satisfactorily but the very crooked tablecloth offended the eye.
