Spamalot

An acquaintance associated with this production which is based on the film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ referred to Monty Python as ‘marmite’. To some degree this statement is spot on and while not exactly a ‘hater’ I must confess to a previous, uneducated ‘indifference’ to the subject matter. The director however knew his subject well, making excellent use of every characteristic agitation from the original series by including huge comedy involvement, most of which was completely off the deep end and very funny. The ‘arms for the poor’ conglomeration was an example of the ongoing comedy and was definitely my type of humour!

This production brought a wealth of talent to the stage including a cameo appearance from ‘birds of a feather’ star Pauline Quirke, who was holidaying in the area and agreed to appear in the final performance as ‘Sir not attending’. Her brief appearance created a stirring reaction from the audience, as would be expected and provided a huge coup for the society! Of course special mention must be made of the other guests who appeared in the part at other performances, including District Councillors and the Town Mayor.

It would be unfair to split a cast of quality when all are deserving of equal billing, being perfectly balanced as a whole, but suffice to say that a solid King Arthur and his Patsy (Richard Walters and Ian Craig) and a vocally majestic Lady of the Lake (Nicky Sweetland) headed the talented cast with an abundance of confidence and alacrity. Comedy timing was pitched just right with every line and physical stunt fired directly at the audience in a clearly understood, fast paced manner. Movement and choreography was expertly crafted to sit within the subject matter of the scene and was beautifully accomplished including the men’s tap dance which showed a monumental amount of commitment from mostly untrained feet!

Musical support was provided by backing tracks, always a difficult process to perfect, top marks to Judith Izzard who managed the synchronisation and balance in its entireness, keeping It low file and apparently faultless! Lighting helped to create some spectacular moments such as the entrance of the Lady of the Lake which was just one of the several visual delights presented.

It is always the expectation when visiting this society, to anticipate a top notch, eye-catching set, lovingly created in their own workshop facilities and needless to say the team came up trumps again! A three dimensional castle front with turrets, useable bridge and portcullis entrance, all of which allowed total comprehension of the story, being ideally proportioned so as not to appear overbearing. Props were outstanding and included a ‘Trojan horse’ bunny, large legs set akimbo and an outsized pointing finger amongst others, all made with outstanding attention to detail! Continuing with the exceptional presentation, costumes flaunted a rich quality and style, particularly seen on the ladies and dancers.

To be picky and merely ranking as a small speck in the great scheme of things, it could be said the occasional crowd scene appeared to be over busy and a little fervent, causing audience focus to be curtailed.  Sometimes a little less is more! That being said, without doubt, this production would have gratified the most ardent of theatre goers, it was slick, stylish and a hell of a lot of fun!

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