"Hazzah! Hazzah!" We cheered from the head table, privileged guests at the wedding feast of Prince Soren of England and Queen Isabel of France. The time: a nebulous slice of the middle ages. The place: England, presumably. The setting: A Royal Wedding, a raucous jaunt down the aisle staged by Font & Centre productions. Touted as a cross between Tony & Tina's Wedding and The Princess Bride, this show had all of the highs and none of the lows of typical nuptial-themed shows. The plot starts out simply enough. The Queen of England and King of France hope to peaceably unite their countries in wedlock -- only the princess is anything but enthused given the foppish disposition of her betrothed along with the fact that her heart belongs to another. From there the story takes so many delightful twists and turns that I boggle at the thought of explaning it all. Instead I will make mention of one or two standout performances: James Brooks as Kip the Bodacious, the knight who arrives at the wedding incognito ala in drag and who is bent on freeing Isabel from her bondage is nothing short of superb. Visions of Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot flitted through my head watching Kip sachet his way through enemy territory. Equally noteworthy were Beth Titus as England's ballsy queen Beatrice and Christopher Lung as her sniveling son Soren. Perhaps the most engaging aspect of the show is its opportunity for interaction. As wedding guests we were asked "bride or groom" and then seated accordingly. Hats and instruments and gifts and all other sorts of theatrical trinkets were offered to those who wanted to participate, which we did! I attended the show with a group of fellow Renthusiasts (translation for the unilluminated: Rennaisance enthusiasts), all of us in full regalia. At first we stood out like the fools that we are, but soon into the affair you could hear murmurs among the audience of "I wish we'd come in costume!" We sang songs in the round and danced courtly jigs and even went through the receiving line. For someone who's been to many a medieval re-enactment, this affair was the most fun.
. In addition to a fine show and clever writing, the food and setting were perfect with a makeshift altar set against a picturesque vista mural. A Royal Wedding was royal fun and a must-see for all lovers of England's days of yoreTo Front & Centre productions, Hip Hip Hazzah!