Spamalot

I won’t mess you around if you are offended by endless platitudes and rampant sycophantic ramblings, combining strings of pretentious superlatives … look away now, you are going to hate this review!

Monty Python fan or not, it would be hard to fault this spectacular production of Spamalot. What a brilliant evening! This show was fun from beginning to end and the smile never left my face. From the opening to the final bows I don’t think there was a minute of the show when someone wasn’t giggling or laughing out loud. For those who remembered and loved Monty Python it was a great blast from the past and for those too young to remember, it must have been a welcome introduction as King Arthur and his Knights set off in search of the Holy Grail.

This production was big … very, very big. The set was extremely good and functional and wasn’t over complicated, which helped with the pace of the production.  Sound appeared to be on pre-recorded backing tracks (a shame as I’m a real advocate for live music but can totally understand why in this venue) worked well with the lighting and the singing under the tutelage of Janice Regan was magnificent, even if the balancing of the sound took a while to settle. The costumes were both colourful and at times quite magnificent. It wasn’t just the quantity that was remarkable, it was the quality as well, with each scene and every dance routine introducing a new set of kit.

Last but by no means least, the chorus and dancers (a variety of age ranges which is a pleasure to see) and all those extra minor leads deserve unstinting praise. The choreography was at times both inventive and intricate and everyone performed with such energy and enthusiasm throughout.

It is difficult to know where the supporting cast ends and the leads start in a production like this, but in a show that gives almost every performer a chance to take centre stage, and in a production when everyone of those performers seemed to be delivering their very best, deciding the best of the best was always going to be difficult.

All the performances were brilliant but I have to mention Stuart Clements (King Arthur) an assured and consummate performer, who knows how to work an audience and with Harcus Copper (Patsy) they gave great performances and were a joy to watch, I am not sure how they kept straight faces. The “Knights”, Guy Underwood, Neil Paterson, Lloyd Newstead and Lee McQueen again all great individual performances. Neil Paterson totally understood his character and worked his wig to full comedy effect. His singing was beautiful to listen to. Lee McQueen was very impressive both as Sir Bedevere as well as the array of other roles he managed to squeeze into the show. A natural on stage, he wasn’t afraid to use his face to get the laugh. Pure magic.

However, the performance of the night, for me was Molly Knight as the Lady of the Lake whose vocal contributions and sheer exuberance stole the show. Her duet ( Song That Goes Like This)  with Sir Galahad was hammed up by them to perfection  as was her second act number ”Whatever Happened to my Part”, this was an outstanding performance. Molly has a very bright stage future ahead of her.

This production deserves high praise indeed, seeing so many shows on the circuit it does become increasingly difficult to relax and simply enjoy a show but for the first time in quite a while, I forgot I was watching a show as an adjudicator and just couldn’t help but enjoy and get swept up in the excitement of the performance so for that, I thank you and congratulate you all on a truly terrific production.
 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.