In 2008 I ventured to New York City and saw Monty Python’s Spamalot on Broadway – although not the original cast, which featured the likes of Tim Curry as King Arthur, David Hyde Pearce as Sir Robin, and Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot (what I would have given to see that cast). The multiple-time Tony Award winner (2005) was a big show filled with elaborate moving sets. I was curious to see how Stage West would translate it to their smaller space. I can safely say that this is a production that the team there has knocked out of the park.
Referred to as "lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail", Spamalot was created by Eric Idle and brings many of the most popular parts of the film to life. The French guards at the castle and Trojan rabbit? Brilliantly delivered. The knights that say "ni"? They are there. The Black Knight? He is there too. Fans of the film will absolutely love this, with its many inside jokes and references.
That doesn’t mean you have to worship Monty Python or the Holy Grail film or be left out in the cold. The show’s laughs are big and broad, and the musical aspect adds new dimensions to the story. From a Vegas nightclub setup for Camelot to many funny moments involving the Lady of the Lake, your full stomach ends up quite sore from laughing.
Casting has always been a strong point of Stage West productions, and the 18-member cast all seemed to relish playing and having fun in the show. Keiran Martin Murphy’s clueless King Arthur is delivered with the exact style the scripting calls for; Katie Beetham nails the Lady of the Lake, both vocally and in the character itself. Ian Ronningen is a busy man backstage frantically changing from Sir Lancelot to characters like the lead French Taunter and Tim The Enchanter. Mark Allen as Sir Robin is excellent. Not only do the actors play the main characters like Sir Galahad and Patsy, they also play several other characters. It’s a whirlwind and one that only skilled performers could pull off. Despite it being early in the run there seemed to be no missed cues. Nothing felt lacking from the larger scale Broadway show – I can only imagine how cramped the backstage area is!
Like last year’s Avenue Q, Spamalot is the type of show that appeals to a younger audience and will likely sell out the run shortly with demand. It is a great thing to get a new audience out to theatre of any kind, and Spamalot is the short of show that gets those people to buy more tickets to shows. Easily one of the best productions at Stage West in recent memory, do not waste time. Grab your coconut husks, shine up your armour and clippity-clop your way to Stage West to see this show.
