AND THE BRIDE WORE RED - Jane Dickerson

It struck me on my honeymoon that I was perhaps a little more than preoccupied with amateur theatre. Those that know me well will not be surprised to know that I stood up and made a speech on our wedding day - try and keep me quiet - but I think some would be more than a little amused by the content. I have reproduced the speech below, for those that are interested.

Not content with a speech based around theatre, I then proceeded to try and recruit one of our evening guests for our January's pantomime. I think it worked, let's put it this way, I put the audition details in his thank you card.

And the final straw? I took a laptop computer on honeymoon with us so that I could keep the amdram.co.uk website up to date. Every new bed and breakfast we visited, the first line was "Is there somewhere I can plug the computer in?" Luckily I have a very understand husband, who, whilst he doesn't tread the boards himself, does help out backstage.

In a way, organising and planning a wedding is very similar to producing a play. Costumes have to be sorted, makeup and hair arranged, venues and lighting organised, cast decided upon and even lines learnt. In this way, my speech was perhaps a little closer to the truth than I realised when I first wrote it. There are so many people involved in producing both types of productions and perhaps sometimes the actors in the limelight are not as appreciative or understanding as perhaps we could be.

The same can be said about our wedding, so many people made the day special for the both of us and we will never be able to thank those involved enough for making it a one-off production for us - they know who they are!

And the speech:

Ladies and Gentlemen: I know that it is unusual for the Bride to speak at such an occasion - especially when the Groom has already said his piece, but I couldn't sit here and be quiet anymore! As I think all of you are aware, one of my many fingers in pies, as my husband would say, includes writing and editing Curtain Call. For those that don't know, Curtain Call is a magazine for amateur theatre people and includes reviews of productions. I was handed a review a few minutes ago and I would like to share it with you - I think you'll understand why.

And The Bride Wore Red
Frankly Bizarre
16th June 2001

… Or at least that is what the Groom thought until he saw his Bride at 1pm. This was probably one of Frankly Bizarre's most lavish productions to date. Most of the regulars had been cast, and it was nice to see Chris Shinn who usually hides backstage taking the limelight for a change. Chris is a fantastic set maker, but on this occasion he took the role of the Groom, and resplendent in frock coat and cravat he was too. The Bride's Father was played by Joe Dickerson, who is no stranger to an audience, he regularly entertains his neighbours with his singing skills. These skills were certainly needed in this production. His voice could be heard loud and clear belting out the old classics Praise My Soul The King of Heaven and my personal favourite Jerusalem.

But back to the plot. This was a play of three Acts. Act 1, the civil ceremony, was held at Taverham Hall. What a splendid venue, the combination of two rooms was a nice touch and the staff at the hall had dressed the set beautifully and the sherry almost looked real. Every actress likes to make a grand entrance and Jane Dickerson, taking the role of the Bride, was no exception. She was escorted down the spectacular staircase by her father, ably supported by Kathy Jackson, Ali Kirby and Kathryn Shinn. And did she wear red? No. Her gown was an ivory off the shoulder number with sparkling sequins and pearls which she assures me she and her mother did not spend hours sewing on. The dress had a tightly fitted bodice and then fell to the ground as a full skirt with a rather excessive train. The Bridesmaids were equally well costumed in burgundy full-length off the shoulder dresses. Why did the Groom think she would wear red? Well in the run up to this production Jane had teased Chris into thinking that was the colour she was going to wear.

The civil ceremony went reasonably well, although the Groom needed to speak up, people at the back had problems hearing his lines. Matt Abbs, a newcomer to Frankly Bizarre, supported the Groom well, although I understand that his preparation lacked a stag night. The Ushers, Chris Peach and Richard Shinn, worked well together, making sure the audience were where they should be at the right time. Special mention must go to Chris Peach, a Curtain Call regular, not only was he on stage for most of the production, but he was also responsible for the sound. Another newcomer, Martin MaCaffry, coped especially well with his short monologue, a special reading at the end of the service. The Bride's Mother was played by Amanda Dickerson, and what can I say … what a trouper. Despite breaking her leg three and half weeks before the production, in true theatre style, the show had to go on. She arrived at the venue in a wheelchair, but managed to stand up right for the photographs, however I understand rumours abound about her being plastered for most of the production.

Act 2 called for a completely different set. It's not easy to find all the right props for a Church, but Reverend Michael Stagg had surpassed himself. This Act involved the Church Blessing and again the proceedings went more or less as planned. Please Directors, when a member of the cast has to deliver their lines with their back to the audience, make sure they can be heard. Jane had no problem projecting her voice, but again this is a skill Chris needs to develop. I liked the unusual touch of the Bridesmaids walking down the isle before the Bride and Groom instead of afterwards. I understand that the script was changed slightly to allow a helping hand to be given to make sure the bride's train sat correctly on stage.

Finally, on to Act 3. By this time it became obvious that the main cast were tiring, but then this was a lengthy production. Again the set had been well dressed and the backstage crew consisting of the chef and waiters and waitresses performed their tasks admirably. Chris was obviously very nervous when delivering his first monologue, but I am confident that with practice these skills can be improved, however I do question this particular actor's understanding of the term scripts down. The Groom's parents were played by Pauline and Stanley Shinn. Newcomers to a production of this size I was particularly impressed with the way Stanley assisted with the singing. I understand that they will be performing in a similar production in October, so hopefully this "rehearsal" has been useful for them.

I understand that this was one occasion where some of the players broke the rule about drinking before a production, but as things went according to the script, one can forgive them, just this once. Finally, would I recommend this production? Certainly, though this was the only chance you had of watching this particular performance. A resounding well done to all involved and those who made it such a remarkable success.

Ladies and Gentlemen would you kindly raise your glasses and toast the cast - the cast!