Spamalot

A warm welcome from the lovely front of house team at the Civic Theatre in Chelmsford, and a display of photographs greeted me in the foyer.   The programme was great, very informative and colourful.

I had no idea what to expect when I went to see Spamalot, having never really watched a lot of Monty Python. But fan or not, I was treated to a fantastic production! From the moment the trumpeter was shot in the overture to the company bow it was full of fun, laughter and energy.

The pivotal role of King Arthur, played by Colin Shoard, was suitably regal with his strong voice as he ‘rode’ around with his trusty sidekick Patsy played by Peter Spilling.  Peter played the hard done by, coconut clacking squire brilliantly with great comic timing and excellent delivery of the iconic ‘Always Look On The Bright Side’. A great comedy duo, and I loved ‘All Alone’, with some brilliant facial expressions from Peter.

The lineup of Knights was equally as strong. Sir Robin played by Bradley Cole was very natural, with good stage presence and clear diction. His expressiveness was noticeable particularly when seeing the terror growing on his face as his minstrels sang to him in the wood! His Broadway number was a highlight of the show, with great support from the rest of the company. Jay Fargeot gave a great comedy performance as Sir Lancelot, with superb timing and a confident style. Jay gave Sir Lancelot a really sarcastic tone, and despite being a strong knight we saw a softer side in his interactions with Prince Herbert. Ian Pavelin played Sir Dennis Gallahad with real confidence. It was funny to see the change from the political ‘old woman’ to the gallant knight singing in the ‘Song That Goes Like This’. Ian had great physicality, and portrayed the change to knight fantastically, making the most of his new hairdo!  And finally, Dan Smith as Sir Bedevere and also the song stopping Prince Herbert’s father, performed well in these two roles which demanded different characterisation. I was impressed with the tapping numbers featuring all the knights as well - great job!

As the leading lady, Olivia Pearson gave a confident performance as The Lady of the Lake, with strong vocals and some serious attitude. Olivia commanded the audience’s attention in her big numbers, making the most of her opportunities in Camelot!

A special mention should be given to Kieran Young in the roles of Not Dead Fred and Prince Herbert; what a great performer with lots of energy and enthusiasm on the stage.  Kieran was particularly memorable as Not Dead Fred; the song is still in my head now!  And also a mention to Justin Clarke who was truly spectacular as the French taunter!  He managed to give a fantastically exaggerated accent, while keeping it clear enough for the audience to understand everything that he was saying. Not an easy task, well done!

Last, but by no means least, the ensemble worked tirelessly to support the principals in so many of the company numbers with numerous quick changes.  There was some brilliant choreography, with so many different styles of dance giving everyone the opportunity to be involved. I was particularly impressed by ‘Camelot’. It was great to see some of the ensemble giving it everything they had, some stood out throughout as being completely focused. It was great that the non-movers in the company also had their time on the stage, and even got to use the flames on stage for ‘Find Your Grail’. 

There were some incredible costumes, and so many changes! There were a couple of moments where detail was missed and a member of the matching ensemble stood out but generally they were all brilliant.

On a few occasions we didn’t quite hear the lines, possibly due to diction or possibly due to rushing through them.  This could have been opening night nerves though.  The terrifying beast in the woods (the rabbit) scene didn’t quite work on the night I watched, with the poor soul’s head falling off too soon, and then the rabbit operator stepping out from behind the scenery to retrieve the puppet mid scene! 

There were some sound issues on the night, which may have been down to it being opening night but it meant that some of the first lines from people were missed. The lighting was generally good, although a couple of times actors were not lit – not the purposeful moment as with The Lady of the Lake!

There were also some issues with the set, but I assume that this was due to the lack of practice. I understand that there were some problems at the venue in the lead up to opening night putting additional pressure on the crew.  The problems might have been less obvious if the stage crew had done the changes either in costume, blacks, or with less light focused on them.   

Congratulations to Barry Miles and Ian Myers for a great production.  The orchestra sounded great throughout. You should be really proud of all the company.  Company Bow, you definitely deserved the reception you got from your audience.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.