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Australian playwright Elizabeth Coleman has etched out a successful writing career in both television, theatre and film. Her play SECRET BRIDESMAIDS’ BUSINESS (2000) is one of her early works and it has stood the test of time. There has been a television adaptation, which has been aired on the ABC, and a Japanese musical version of the play. Over twenty years later it is still regularly performed by community theatre groups around Australia and New Zealand.
This current Hunters Hill Theatre Company revival is an entertaining and touching production.
It is the day before Meg is getting married and she and her mother Colleen are in a hotel room putting all the finicky finishing touches to the wedding. Meg is stressed by her mum’s obsessiveness and perfectionism but goes into apoplexy when her best friend and bridesmaid Lucy tells her the secret (of the title) that her fiance James has been unfaithful.
Lucy is confronted with the dilemma. Does she go ahead with her marriage in the morning, which her heart has been set on, or does she pull out at the last minute?!
I couldn’t fault Vivien Wood’s direction. The play itself could be trimmed a bit in length and perhaps has dated a little however it is so well crafted that this doesn’t really matter.
Annie Desjardins gives a very empathetic performance as Meg who is living her life on adrenaline until she is derailed by the bad new that she receives from her mother.
Lois Marsh plays Meg’s cringe worthy mother, Colleen, who is in a tizz about everything. Most of all she can’t get over the fact that she hasn’t been able to invite a distant uncle to the wedding, which she keeps on reminding Meg about, Marsh has the role down pat.
Kirsty McDonald plays Meg’s friend Angela who is at the hotel to help Meg with last minute hiccups but becomes increasingly frustrated by how slowly things are getting done.
Laura Stead impresses as Meg’s other close friend, Lucy, who is the more sassier and outgoing of the pair. Stead gives a fine performance and does something which proves how good a friend she is to Meg.
Carol Keeble, who was also the Stage Manager, played a brief role as a hotel housemaid.
Dan Ferris played Meg’s mixed up, immature husband to be James, and rounding out the cast was Chloe Horne who plays Naomi who has had the fling with James.
Coleman cleverly lets the audience know which is going each characters head by giving each character a monologue where they address the audience directly as to how they are feeling. Wayne Chee’s expert lighting adds to the dramatic effect.
Leigh Scanlon wasthe Assistant to the Director, Ross Alexander and Christopher Hamilton designed the set, costume design was by Wendy Walker and sound design was also by Wayne Chee.
The play pivot around Meg’ dilemma as to whether to go ahead with the wedding. I am sure that some of the women in the audience (an older age group) were thinking about what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation.
A pleasure to watch, SECRET BRIDESMAIDS’ BUSINESS is playing their theatre inside Club Ryde until 27 November 2022.
Featured image : The cast takes a bow Hunter’s Hill Theatre Company’s production of SECRET BRIDESMAIDS’ BUSINESS
