Monty Python's Spamalot

Although I was not familiar with the story line, it didn’t take me long to work out that it was a collection of Python’s songs and other material captured in a condensed plot of their Holy Grail movie.  Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend but differing from the film in its parodies of Broadway musical theatre.  Matthew Coulter was brilliant as King Arthur travelling the land to recruit his Knights of the Round Table with his servant Patsy, ably played by Darren Strang, who followed him around banging two coconut shells together to make the sound of a horse's hooves providing great amusement.  When Arthur and his band of misfit knights finally gather in Camelot, they receive a charge from God to find the Holy Grail which takes them to obscure places and into the company of extremely strange and weird characters.  Joe Totten and Brian Shallow provided excellent amusement as Sir Lancelot and Sir Robin.  Rachael Totten was an absolutely fabulous Lady of the Lake displaying great versatility in her approach to differing song styles which included the ‘Divas Lament’, Find Your Grail’ and ‘A Song that Goes Like This’.  A young Finlay Cook characterised the effeminate young Prince Herbert with great ease with Jim McGhee as his father.  This production was performed slickly by a highly talented company who collectively and skilfully captured the true essence of Python under the guidance of a highly creative production team leaving the audience rolling in the aisles with laughter.

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