It’s time for Nat and Alex to tie the knot, but weddings make their families go a bit crazy. The Surrey side are doing terrible Yorkshire accents, the Sheffield-ers have their own family drama to fix, and the bride in question is getting cold feet. Can the wedding be saved by a well-pulled-off after party at a recently closed community centre with a men’s knitting group, pompous TV chef, the most dramatic of all drama kids and a six-piece punk rock/ French/ Gen Z indie band? It most certainly can!
Written and directed by Tess Seddon, Something Old, Something New is a heartwarming celebration of the city's rich history and the diversity of the people who shape it. This feel-good play, performed by intergenerational theatre company Sheffield People’s Theatre, radiates with joy and community spirit.
We’re welcomed into the space as guests of the wedding, with groomsmen Jono (George Glasby) and Hughie (Ashley Gregory) mocking anyone who’s from “Sheh–feeld” and satirically establishing their Southern elitism. It’s not long before we learn the groom Alex (Mark Kenny) has been married before, with his ex-wife Mia (Jacq Exton) trying her best to plant doubts in the mind of bride Nat (Ezzie Nettleingham).
Meanwhile, mother of the bride Trish (Debbie Audus) finds herself in a love-triangle with the hopelessly romantic and definitely-not-too-young for her Raj (hilariously played by Praneeth Vellala) and ex Gary (Ian France). Hughie’s trying to eye flirt with bridesmaid Jen (Alison Mitchell) but she’s got the hots for the groom’s sister Toni (Hannah Wade). Nat’s mate Andre (Mark Kelwick) is trying to pull the photographer while her cynical friend Sami (Shani Madden) finds every reason to complain. The groom’s gran Dorothy (Lyn Armstrong), on the other hand, is spurting out sporadic Sherry-infused wisdom when she sees fit.
Once news of losing the reception venue breaks loose while Nat and the groom’s Mum and Dad (Rachael Hope and Gary Rossiter) are sorting a fine for their Jaguar ‘parked’ in the Peace Gardens, both sides of the family decide to band together and host a surprise after party at the closed down community centre that Nat used to work at, using members of the local community to help execute their ambitious plan.
It's safe to say Seddon’s script isn’t short of strong storylines, with multiple sub-plots weaving their way in and fluidly tying into Nat and Alex’s big day. It’s jam packed with jokes, clever nods to the city, and story-telling tools which champion every pocket of the theatre company’s cast (and it’s a large one!).
The drama kids (Grace Bower, Holly Boyer, Gabrielle England, Rory Harneis, George Ingall, Dylan Jones and Will Memmott) deserve a special mention: a forgotten youth group of the Burton community centre, dressed in neon green and blue and adding a sprinkle of over-the-top-ness to every possible moment they’re on stage, adding more hilarity to the already comical writing.
The abundance of mishaps and misunderstandings in a wedding context reflect elements of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, but with a modern relevance for a time of Government cuts, an ever-present north/south divide and an urgent need for community.
Rūta Irbīte’s set is truly stunning and completely transforms the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse Blackbox space, matching the epic-ness of the cast’s variety and myriads of storylines.
What shone the brightest was the utter joy from all the cast throughout, especially during the finale where all 50 of them danced in sync to a joyous live number from the band (Billy Dickinson, Finlay Fairfax, Charlie Rushforth, Lily Sinthukhet, Urszula Sobczak, Izzie Wildin and Frankie Wiltshire), accompanied by confetti canons and a standing ovation from the audience before the bows had even begun. The finale was a true merit of the process of this standout community production (workshops with over 200 local people inspired the script), which is arguably just as important as, if not more than, the finished product.
Something Old, Something New is a beautiful ode to the people of Sheffield that’ll send you dancing in the streets and ever proud to call the city home. It runs at the Playhouse until 17th August - for more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Chris Saunders
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