As I walked into the Corpus Playroom last night, I might have thought the steward had pointed me through the wrong door, and I’d stumbled into a back room where large crates lined the walls and cardboard boxes littered the stage. In fact, it was the perfect setting for a play that takes place in the cramped basement of an Italian restaurant. In true Corpus Playroom fashion, the actors were already on stage before the show began, and, although it sometimes seems like a waste of energy for the actor to remain composed while an audience sidles in, it worked for Wedding of the Century. Filtering into the dimly-lit and intimate theatre, it felt as though the audience had joined the characters in the claustrophobic basement, where their secrets and pains were about to be revealed.

Wedding of the Century centres on Ro (Gabriella Shennan) and Mac (Macsen Llewelyn), now ex-best friends after their relationship was torn apart by a very messy ‘love quadrilateral’. Instead of being at their friend’s wedding, they were accidentally trapped in a dingy basement. And, to make things more complicated, the groom is Ro’s ex from a long-term relationship, and Mac has dated both the groom and the bride: the groom having left Ro for Mac, and Mac leaving the bride for him until the wedding pair finally got together. If that sounds as complicated and dramatic as a ‘Marvel fanfiction’, then you’ll be sure to enjoy this relationship-drama fueled play.

“Shennan and Llewelyn are fantastic opposite each other, and bring very different energies that merge well on stage”

Wedding of the Century is one of my favourite sorts of plays - one time, one place, with little plot that leaves the writing and actors very exposed. Both Shennan and Llewelyn deftly carry the simple yet poignant story all the way through to its close. Mac and Ro are contrasting characters - Mac’s a little too relaxed at the idea of this wedding, while Ro’s overly excited. Together, they work through their very complicated feelings about the wedding. Both portrayals suited their characters perfectly. Llewelyn as Mac is awkwardly outspoken as a sort of Richard Ayoade / James Acaster type figure who pipes up with very funny and occasionally strange comments and anecdotes that keep the audience giggling. Shennan as Ro is more reserved and quick-witted with her lines, helping to ground the play when the writing ran away with Mac’s strangeness. Shennan and Llewelyn are fantastic opposite each other, and bring very different energies that merge well on stage.

"Wedding of the Century balances comedy and tenderness to deliver some sweet notions about love and exes”

Such a simple play inevitably rests almost entirely on a tight script, and Lucy Sargent excellently demonstrated her writing prowess. Wedding of the Century balances comedy and tenderness to deliver some sweet notions about love and exes, something most can relate to. Though the story is occasionally slow and convoluted, that is forgiven by some very funny jokes, most of which landed well with the audience. Sargent’s exploration of the complicated ‘transience of love’ creates sympathetic and realistic characters that demonstrate to the audience the art and dignity in moving on.

I found the use of the set to be particularly effective, both capitalising on the small space and the use of few but essential props. Early on, Ro explains the complicated quadrilateral using themselves and two crates to stand in as the wedding pair. Then for the rest of the play, the crates sit centre stage - as a constant reminder of this over-crowded relationship that adds to the claustrophobic feel of the set. I also enjoyed the fake bottle smash, purely as a fun set design element that was incredibly satisfying.

Overall, the setting and production create the perfect intimate setting for a very complicated story about love, exes, and moving on. Sargent’s writing is highly enjoyable, and Shennan and Llewelyn really bring the story to life.

Wedding of the Century is showing at 9:30pm at the Corpus Playroom from 24-28th May