Review: Monty Python’s Spamalot Rides Into Town
Sarah Sinclair struggled to keep a straight face as KAOS brought the legendary tale of Spamalot to the stage.
I’m not going to lie. I’m not a Monty Python fan, it’s just never been my cup of tea. So when I heard that the well-loved Keswick Amateur Operatic Society (KAOS) were bringing Spamalot – a musical lovingly ripped off from the 1975 motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail – to Theatre by the Lake for their annual production, I was, well, dubious.
Written by Python legend Eric Idle with the score by John Du Prez, Spamalot tells the tale of Arthur, King of the Britons, and his hapless Knights of the (very) Round Table on their quest to find the Holy Grail. It features a whole host of mad-cap characters, from tap-dancing knights and a killer rabbit to rude Frenchmen and peasants who know their constitutional rights, who all (somehow?) become entwined in Arthur’s quest. Add to this a roster of quite frankly, bonkers musical numbers and it had the audience belly-laughing from the very beginning.
The 2018 season is the 45th year a stage show has been presented by KAOS, the accomplished amateur operatic society founded in 1971. Putting Keswick’s own talent front and centre stage, Spamalot follows last year’s hit show Chess and looks set to be yet another highly praised production.
What is really remarkable though, is the people behind these polished performances. The time and effort that goes into bringing an evening of raucous entertainment to a packed-out main house is all volunteered, done simply for the love it. The company learn their lines and show up to rehearsals after work, stitch the costumes in their own time and give one hundred and ten percent both backstage and front.
This year they even learnt to tap dance, taught by KAOS chairwoman, Jenni Hutchinson and wowed with the high standard of choreography. The acting was energetic, the set imaginative and Costume Designer Laura Grundy pulled off an impressive feat, bringing together so many innovative and flawless ensembles.
There were hysterical performances all round in the portrayal of these utterly ridiculous but ultimately, loveable characters. From Owen Evans, who pulled off Sir Lancelot – and his gold hot pants – spectacularly, to Fay Cardigan’s Lady of the Lake and the ‘Knights who say Ni’. And a special mention must also go to Stephanie Bradshaw, as Patsy’s clip-clopping coconuts kept the crowd in stitches throughout.
It was the second act however, when the show really came into its own. As the story got into full swing and the cast belted out a score full to the brim with familiar songs including of course, everyone’s favourite, ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, the enthusiasm, both onstage and off was infectious. The audience even had a key role to play in securing Arthur’s success in his quest for the Holy Grail – an addition which really was the icing on the (wedding) cake.
Yes Spamalot is silly, over the top and erring on the eccentric, but that’s what makes it so enjoyable. As the audience sang their hearts out to that famous final number, it felt like a poignant reminder that we absolutely should ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’.
Spamalot is playing at Theatre by the Lake until Saturday 5 May.
Click here for more information on KAOS
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