2011 Edinburgh Fringe
Wedding Band: A Comedy by Charlie Baker review
The phrase 'triple threat' has come to prominence recently - for the uninitiated, it refers to a performer's capacity to sing, dance and act. Throw in stand-up as well and you've got yourself a quadruple threat, and that's clearly what Charlie Baker is going for. As well as acting in this comedy play (and writing it - we're up to five), he's probably best known as a comic, plus he's got a marvellous set of pipes on him, and as for the dancing, he won the most recent series of Let's Dance for Comic Relief.
Most of these qualities - minus the dancing, I'm sorry to say - are on show in Wedding Band, which follows a jazz singer and pianist as they await yet another gig at a stranger's reception. It's a world Baker knows well, having performed at over 400 weddings himself, and it's a slightly bizarre one that certainly warrants taking a look at.
The issue is with the plot, which is pretty slight. If this were just an hour of banter, that would be fine, but there are storylines set up here which are then either resolved too easily, or simply left hanging. The play touches on just how odd it is to be part of so many couples' most special day, the frustration of the musician who feels he should be doing much better, and the mischief you can get up to when you have a lot of time on your hands, but while there's potential in all these strands, there's not much pay-off, and it all leaves you feeling rather flat.
Thankfully, Wedding Band has a big positive in the shape of its talented cast. Baker himself plays the ambitious singer who is by turns cheeky, charming and racked with anxiety - and he puts in one hell of a vocal performance for a smooth jazz rendition of an 80s classic. Spencer Jones is a lot of fun as deadpan keyboardist Craig Taylor, and they both get great support from Lee Fenwick and Sam Battersea. These performers ensure it's an enjoyable hour then, but you're left with the feeling that this could have been something a whole lot more substantial and satisfying.
Wedding Band: A Comedy by Charlie Baker listing