Spamalot

Spamalot is based on the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”.  King Arthur and his trusty squire Patsy, embark on a voyage to find and enlist knights to join them in the quest to find the Holy Grail. As the show travels, they enlist the brave Sir Lancelot, the not so brave Sir Robin, Sir Galahad and the very flatulent Sir Bedevere. The adventure to find the Holy Grail brings us many interesting characters, Legendary lady of the Lake, Knights who say “NI”, Killer Bunny rabbits, French Taunters and the Black Knight. A hilarious story which certainly pays tribute to the iconic characters from the Monty Python legacy.

Comments are generally made that one would need to be a fan of the movie to understand and appreciate the jokes, however the wonderful direction of the show meant this was not the case. Curtain Call Productions brought to life a script full of innuendo and Laugh Out Loud moments.

On entering the auditorium we were greeted with a large multi-layered static set, consisting of high stone walls with towers, which were used by players throughout to great effect. Throughout the show, additional pieces were added to this main structure including a beautiful swan boat and a “very expensive forest”.

The direction throughout was of a very high standard and every character was delivered so well. As there is very little in the line of actual business in this show and little set to distract us, a director must have a clear vision for the production. Joel Montague must be commended for his flair and finesse in delivering this piece. The quality did not stop here, his choreography was also a very good standard, with the tap number being a real stand out moment. Other numbers that should be mentioned are the Laker Girls, and “His name is Lancelot”. Both great crowd pleasers.

King Arthur portrayed by Simon Porter was a fine actor and had a lovely command of the stage.  His singing voice worked for this role combined with a good comic timing throughout. A very enjoyable performance delivered by Simon.

Pasty- Sean Clark -Wilkinson, what an endearing performer he is. Equipped with a beautiful vocal tone, his rendition of “Always look on the bright side of life” was a real crowd pleaser. He worked very well with Simon, and the song “I’m all alone” was very funny, great comic timing.  An actor who didn’t need words to make us laugh, great facial expressions throughout and in addition he impressed with his dancing capabilities.

Lady of the Lake- Jodie Jacobs, a voice that brought the house down! A beautiful performance and I felt very at ease throughout her scenes. Her performance of “Whatever happened to my part” was exceptional and really highlighted the vocal and dramatic quality she possesses. One would expect nothing less from someone who performs professionally. Her interaction with the cast was lovely and warm, I am sure they have learned so much from having her on board.

Sir Robin- Charlie Gobbett.  Another good performance here. I did struggle to hear some of his vocal at times, but I am convinced from what I did hear that he has a nice tone. A fine comic actor and his reaction to the minstrels in “Brave Sir Robin” was very funny. Equally matching this was his performance of “You won’t succeed on Broadway.”

Sir Lancelot- Adam Goode. A great performance which really came into his own once he met Prince Herbert and we heard “His name is Lancelot.”  Good comic timing again from this actor and a nice voice to accompany this.

Sir Galahad- Mike Bradley. Wonderful performance form this actor. Reaping everything this part had to offer, especially within the number “The song that goes like this”. He interacted very well in this number with the Lady of the Lake. A very enjoyable performance.

Bedevere- Michael Bates. Although this character didn’t have a solo as such and his role is on the smaller side when compared with the other Knights, I still felt this character came through well. He remained in character throughout the performance and was visibly ‘living the moment’ throughout!

Herbert- Sean Johnson. Possibly the character with the best dialogue and comic role within the piece and he lapped it up for all it was worth, getting every inch of comedy from it. This young man has a fabulous tone to his voice with a very convincing range. He gave once of the best comedic performances of the evening. Very well done!

Chris Ridge- a great character actor playing various roles throughout the piece, was a good crowd pleaser.

Simon Dean- again another very good character actor playing various roles but his standout role was the Black Knight. Job well done.

Jacobe Taylor- He played his various roles well and a great rendition of “I am not dead yet”, a good accent for this role also. Well done.

Sam Retford- Well this young man certainly processed a great Scottish accent and I enjoyed his interpretation of Tim Enchanter very much. He gave each role a completely different identity, and for which he should be commended.

Danny Froud, another good actor which played his roles well.

If I can take the opportunity to congratulate each player within this production as you excelled in all that was asked of you by your production team. Your interaction with each other on stage was very good. My only suggestion for you is to sing out during the chorus numbers. You looked as though you were having a wonderful time giving very energetic and enthusiastic performances, however the vocal line during some chorus numbers was lost slightly.

The visual aspect of the show was great, the attention to detail for each costume really paid off. It was a feast for the eyes. The addition of the show girl’s wigs added glamour and I really liked that they were changed from ‘up style’ to long luscious curls.

Lighting was good with colour chasers and a high raised disco ball for the more flamboyant numbers. Follow spots were good and accurate. On occasion, I had a little difficulty with the sound- Some characters were difficult to hear, whereas some were always perfect. I did wonder if it was a projection issue or a set-up issue. It was only very occasional, so it didn’t detract from the production.

Stage crew were slick and I think they loved their five seconds of fame when removing the Swan Boat. They really did engage in this and got a good audience reaction.

Musical Direction under the baton of Malcolm Forbes- Peckham was polished. A very good sound came from the band and they even got in on the stage action. Good balance of band and stage, from where I was sat it was a prefect level. The only thing I would nit- pick at is the chorus singing was at times not quite loud enough.

Over all a very good and slick delivery of a funny show. A mighty task to undertake but you certainly did the job well. Many congratulations to you all and thank you for a very enjoyable evening!

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