★★★★
Time to get dressed up and put on your glad rags because Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding – the immersive hit Broadway show from America – has arrived in London!
This unique live theatrical experience – during which the audience and cast interact together during a ‘live wedding’ is on at the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, with spectacular views overlooking the London skyline.
The show
The show takes the format of an Italian-American wedding where audience members become guests for the evening and enjoy a sit-down dinner whilst following star-eyed lovebirds Tony and Tina on their chaotic wedding day. Actors mingle with the audience directly as if everybody is part of the wedding itself.
The hilarious production is being launched in the UK by veteran theatre impresario Paul Gregg, the man who originally brought The Lion King to the Lyceum Theatre in London’s West End. It includes a three-course Italian wedding dinner, which is enjoyed whilst the show unfolds all around you.
The production is directed by the rather lovely Larry Pellegrini, who directed and wrote the original Broadway version of the show. After more than 25 years since first opening its doors in New York, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding is still loved by multiple generations worldwide and Larry has the challenge of bringing this to life for a London audience.
There is a LOT going on around you. You will immersed in an authentic Italian atmosphere – complete with tossing the bouquets, cutting the cake, traditional music, food, and of course plenty of dancing. The team behind this classic comedy – which started the genre of interactive theatre, chose London as the perfect city for its debut in Europe. The ArcelorMittal Orbit venue was also selected due to its location and amazing panoramic views that it offers.
The cast
The 20 strong cast is made of up of a solid West End team of actors who are really having a great time out there. The interaction with the audience is natural, funny and really engaging. This is a show where you need to really focus on the different actors as there are a lot of distractions around you. We almost wished the audience spent more time sitting down to focus on the talent of the actors and then dancing at the end.
In between Ben Featherstone’s stunning vocals and George Morley’s genuinely brilliant awkwardness as Michael, Alabama Boatman stole the show as Tina with her passion and energy. Making his professional acting debut is a familiar face from UK screens (The Apprentice, Celebs Go Dating) Ryan-Mark Parsons, who puts in a hilarious performance as the rather colourful brother of the bride Joey Vitale. He is a talented actor destined for hopefully many more stages.
The show has been seen around the world since its start in the 1980s — from Las Vegas to Hawaii, on cruise ships and everywhere in-between. If you love a wedding, this is the show for you.
Tickets priced at £95 plus booking fee, includes show three-course dinner and complimentary glass of bubbles.
For details go to ticketline.co.uk/tony-n-tinas-wedding
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All imagery courtesy of the production.