September
16
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Spamalot – The bright side of life.
Wyong Grove Theatre – Sunday 17 – 23 September
You can grab your tickets here.
Images: Wyong Musical Theatre Company
I always knew Monty Python and the Holy Grail was absurd and brilliant but I did not know the stage version would lend itself so completely to local theatre. Spamalot seems to be made for the smaller, regional stage, despite its etymology in film. At least, this version performed by Wyong Musical Theatre Company falls into that category. Why is that? This version of Spamalot is very good. However, more likely it is the sauciness of Python itself that appears so at home here. Monty Pythons’ irreverence is on full display in The Holy Grail. A natural extension of that irreverence is Spamalot performed in regional theatre.
Spamalot at its core is an irreverent takedown of medieval history. Why that feels so relevant is possibly because much of the romantic glamour of our understanding of Medieval Times was developed and expanded in the Victorian era.[1] When we read about Arthur, The Lady of the Lake, and the Knights of old, the stories have been ‘modernized’ to correspond with the British colonial era.[2]
Python’s ‘takedown’ is best revealed in the conversation between Arthur, Denis, and Mrs. Gallahad. We laugh at Denis calling the lady of the lake a ‘watery tart’ because the insult is directed toward the Victorian era. The medieval stories as we know them are more recent than Shakespeare. Anyone at school in the 1950’s (as the Monty Python team were) in a country colonized by the English is part of a new era that refused the Victorianism of their parents. The mocking of authority figures and the questioning of historical accuracies was emerging as a platform upon which British culture would transform.
So here we are, in 2023, delighting in these brilliant jokes again and feeling warmth in the mystery of their relevancy. The bathos of Spamalot presupposes some familiarity with Victorian era high tone and offers up the juxtaposition of inappropriate things. This high tone requires some foundational understanding. Because of our British-ness, we understand Tim is a ridiculous name for a wizard and a shrubbery a silly request by a knight. When Daryl Kirkness depicts Spamalot at the Wyong Musical Theatre Company, we have another juxtaposition of high theatre positioned against low-tone theatre, and the main stage posited against local players. In this way, Spamalot favors the local theatre society, exemplifies it, and venerates it.
If you think seeing the film a thousand times, quoting the jokes for half a decade and owning the record was enough Holy Grail for you, you’re wrong. The British cultural take-down is more relevant now than it was in the 1970’s. In addition, this production is well put together with the generous performances of a troupe having a marvelous time. Nothing can take a cool work-weary audience out of their intensity like a journey into the world of Monty Python well executed. And this is a Spamalot very well executed.
Director Daryl Kirkness is well known for his intuitive relationship with local theatre. While Spamalot contains the joyful nature of local theatre, Daryl Kirkness calls forth many exceptional moments where timing, strength of performance, and beauty of voice are as good as any main stage. Constantly playing to the companies’ strengths, this director knows what to focus on, and it is this that forms the overarching success of Spamalot.
He is well served in this great success by assistance from the professional musical direction of Simone George and the choreography of Darren Disney. With the well-honed production efficiency of Anna Carter, the production falls into place with a tremendous amount of joi de vivre.
The enigmatic Marc Calwell plays King Arthur, keeping the straight-man aesthetic as much as possible for theatre of this nature. With dignity and strength, he hops around on his steed, his Patsy, a very Sancho Panza like Andrew McLennan, by his side. Despite the pair’s roles, their timing, both straight and comic, never misses. Their dual performance forms a kind of sure base that allows for the absurdity to free-fall around them. Glamour and energy are brought to the piece by Jess Ferraro, who, perfectly costumed, brings elegance and chic to her role as Lady of the Lake/Geneviève. Jess Ferraro has command of a beautiful voice, and It is well used for the joy of the audience in this production.
Standouts are Jacob Ramm as Sir Galahad, Jarrod Francis as Sir Robin, and Raif Colbert Smith as Sir Lancelot. Each has a tremendous amount of fun with their role and can handle a song and dance number. They each draw us into their stage presence and bring their own tone and flavour to the roles made very famous by the Monty Python team. This is important, because homage is far more exciting and valuable than mimicry, but you have an audience filled with memories that need to be gratified. The three actors are up to the difficult task with no exception.
Gavin Fryer brings a strong stage presence that is exciting to watch, while Steven Cumming’s silent guard is the perfect partner to Chris Martin’s talking guard in one of my favorite scenes. Chris Martin has great comic timing and the scenes back and forth between him and Anthony George with Steven looking on is a highlight of the show. I would watch the on-stage exuberance of Sara McDonald who shone every moment many times over, as I could the glamorous tap dancing of Emmakate De Henau.
Kylie Ismail has a superb face for theatre coupled with an ability to draw the audience into her scenes, and the comic excellence of Felicity Margery is one of this show’s great attributes. Fleur Melody’s role as Prince Herbert is another that manages to offer a homage to the great Terry Jones that warmed my heart as I cried laughing, and Kipling Kear’s narrator does a splendid job of tying it all together. Further adding their comic cleverness to the show are Abbey Hands, Allyson Turner, Ash Moody, and Peter Pendleton who deliver their lines and run their paces with absurd joy.
Add a dash of Terry Gilliam’s cartoons, excellent costumes thought out by Daryl Kirkness and brought to life by a support team of makers, and the tossing of stuffed animals and you have all you need for a happy night you’ll be so glad you attended. Every cast member shines in this funny, cheerful ode to those Python guys. Grab your tickets if you can still get them.
Enjoy.
[1] Bartlett, R, The Middle Ages and the Movies: Eight Key Films, Reaktion Books, Limited, 2022
[2] For more on this, please read Bartlett’s book.
Lisa Thatcher 