One Slight Hitch

There’s not a hitch or a hiccup in Galleon Theatre Group’s Australian premiere production of Lewis Black’s wedding day farce, One Slight Hitch.

Set in the 1980’s in a middle-class American household, the characters in the play are deliberately portrayed as larger-than-life, which fits the chaos and improbable scenarios that beset them. Three young adult daughters all live at home with parents Doc and Delia Coleman and on this day, middle child Courtney is to marry dull and nerdy Harper following an unsuccessful relationship with Ryan, a free-thinking drifter.

Does the ending seem predictable? Well, it’s not, at least for me; not until nearly the end anyway.

Laura Antoniazzi is absolutely delightful as the youngest daughter, teenager ‘PB’, who is also narrator of the story from her point of view. Antoniazzi is a fresh and fantastic talent.

Maxine Grubel is hysterically funny as the flustered mother of the bride, Delia Coleman. She increases the laughs with skill as her character becomes more and more substance-affected. Her scene with her daughters towards the end of the play when she poignantly describes her personal wedding experience is a highlight of her performance.

Andrew Clark is a consummate comic actor and gives a performance that would hold its own in any good American Sitcom. He is wonderful as Doc Coleman, a man who loves his daughters dearly but who is always one step behind the pace when it comes to their shenanigans.

Megan Langford is hilarious as the worldly eldest daughter Melanie, who takes immense enjoyment from the chaos brought to her parents’ household when her sister’s (the bride’s) former boyfriend Ryan arrives unexpectedly.

As Ryan, Jabez Retallick is slightly out of sync with the acting style of the other performers. His approach is more subdued and naturalistic. He also needs more voice projection. Because of these minor issues he is not larger-than-life and doesn’t quite carry off Ryan’s radical, off-beat personality.

As middle daughter and bride Courtney, Molly McCormack is fantastic, while Luke Budgen is very fine as the bridegroom Harper. Budgen is terrific as a man trying to ingratiate himself with the family of his bride.

Kym Clayton keeps the energy and pace at full throttle. This experienced director is clearly completely at home with the difficult art of successful farce.

The set is up to the high standard audiences can always expect from Galleon, as is Judy Rogers’ attention to detail in the dressing of it. Sound and lighting are also very good, while costumes and eighties hairstyles are well-researched and executed.

Feel free to sit back, laugh and relax and know there’s a fun time in store from Galleon’s production of One Slight Hitch.

Not too many ‘wedding days from Hell’ could upstage this one.

Lesley Reed