Spamalot

What better reason to ditch the dross of an evening of boring television that to go and see an hilarious adaptation of, what can almost be described as a comedy institution, in the form of Monty Python.  As most will already know, Spamalot is a very loose, but lovingly ripped-off, version of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail – encompassing all the Pythonesque humour which whether you love or hate, is impossible not to laugh out loud during the escapades of King Arthur and his Knights.

This Society always stage some excellent productions and this was absolutely no exception.  The set was quite superb and worked, and was used, so very well for every person on the stage.  Many congratulations to the Director, Mark Howard for some excellent casting and generally putting the whole piece together in a very funny and enjoyable way to produce a lively and entertaining evening of pure theatre.  

Lighting effects were, as always, good and effective and costumes superb and very colourful. The orchestra were superb – although my usual caveat that the sound balance meant that some of the words, especially in the ‘words over music’ were lost and so they became very much, music over Words.  Always a real shame but the overall show is so funny that it really does not spoil the whole thing.

Of course, the original ‘Python Team’ were all male which inevitably means that the jokes and the show in general works best if the cast is predominantly male – and this one was.  I confess I was a bit confused at the ‘show-girls’ who appeared throughout the show – but as large parts of the show are really just taking the mickey out of musicals, as clearly (and SO very well performed) ‘The Song that goes like this’ demonstrates, whilst ‘Whatever Happened to my Part’ was just hysterical and sung SO very well, mean that almost anything can be accepted and forgiven instantly. 

There are so very many laugh-out loud moments that it would be impossible to name them all – its rather like a stage farce – you go from one ridiculous situation to another with hardly a breath between. The ‘flying cow’ and the knights of Ni (well done on the stilts they looked great) to name but two of the ones I personally enjoyed the most, although everyone will have their own particular favourite Python moment.  

My warmest congratulations to the talented and ‘multi-character playing’ cast for a super show – very slick – exactly as farce should be – but no matter how many people, or should that be ‘beings’ seeing that God is one of them, are taken the rip out of or shamelessly stereotypically portrayed, together with the fact the whole thing strikes at our hobby, it is all good-natured and in no way unpleasant or even offensive (although it sort of feels as if it should be).  

Very well done to everyone connected in any way with this production, it was lively, funny, irreverent very, very slick and exactly as it should be.  My warmest thanks for a great evening out and your kind hospitality.   

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