REVIEW: THEATRE ANCASTER'S "SPAMALOT" IS A MUCH- NEEDED ESCAPE INTO SILLINESS AND SPECTACLE

Nov 15

Monty Python’s Spamalot is a musical comedy “lovingly ripped off” from the 1975 film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the movie, the musical is a cheeky spoof of the Arthurian legend. The musical, however, goes one step further parodying the Broadway musical process as well as flushing out some of the well-known Python-esque humour.

Eric Idle, a member of the Monty Python team, wrote the musical’s book and lyrics and the show went on to win three Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical of the 2004–2005 season. The British troupe’s devotion to wordplay, absurdity and bodily function permeates the show and lends all its silliness to a much-needed escape from the realities of life. As Theatre Ancaster’s director Sam Frisk describes, the musical “gives you something to laugh about” and his vision for the show does so in abundance with a combination of spectacular set, projection and costume design, committed performances and a delightful blending of comedy and heart.

The set and projections for Ancaster’s Spamalot are top notch. Where normally the reliance on projected images can be distracting or unnecessarily complex, here it works to actually add to the narrative and provides many of the show’s visual gags. There are great moments where fans of the film will recognize the animation style used to great effect and very rarely takes away from the action on stage. It aids in the spectacular absurdity and designer Tiffany Wice should be very proud of their efforts here.

The set itself, designed by Dan Koehler and team, is a wonder and, sometimes, a cumbersome one. Enormous castle pieces come together multiple times and with a rotating centre piece as well as effective use of levels, it is one of Ancaster’s cleverest designs yet. There were only a few moments when the crew had to work extra hard to ensure the transitions worked. There are many fun and unexpected set elements throughout, my favourite being the swan chariot.

The costumes are another highlight of the production, designed by Jaida Lapsley. They are flashy, functional and great homages to the original costumes from both the film and original Broadway version. The ensemble changes costumes so frequently from villagers to “Laker Girls” to monks and guards that there’s undoubtedly a huge team effort backstage, so kudos to everyone involved making those costume and wig transitions impressively smooth.

Performance wise, Spamalot is a family affair with multiple family members being involved across the cast and crew. All of the performances are well directed but don’t stray too far from the original Broadway production. Colin Lapsley shines as Arthur (King of the Britons). He is a lovable fool with rich vocals and brings a wealth of comedic experience to the role. Likewise, Zain Lapsley as Sir Lancelot is eager, enthusiastic and shies away from nothing. He shares a memorable number in the second act with the hilarious Rylie Santos as sweet, effeminate Herbert and the dizzying gay triumph of it all is one of the show’s highlights.

Most notably, the spectacularly voiced newcomer Taylor Frisina excels as the scenery chewing Lady of the Lake, a new character to the story whose main purpose is to urge on the plot and provide a bulk of the show’s parodying of the Broadway experience. Frisina hams it up effortlessly as she vocally riffs and even parodies recognizable performers like Liza Minnelli and Taylor Swift throughout. Also phenomenal was Mackenzie Brown as Arthur’s working-class assistant, Patsy, who has incredible chemistry with Lapsley’s Arthur while doing wonderful double duty as a strong actor and singer. Their duets “I’m All Alone” and “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” were standout performances that had the opening night audience cheering and singing along.

There are so many memorable moments within this production I won’t spoil them here. The entire cast is truly committed to the Monty Python brand of absurdist comedy. Watch for Mark Carreiro portraying multiple iconic Holy Grail characters. Fans of the film will be especially impressed by his unrelenting and infectious energy. Matt Miller’s Sir Galahad is a pretty boy delight in the first act. Krista Cranston is wonderful as Sir Robin, the Not So Brave and she confidently delivers the purposefully controversial but hilarious “Succeed on Broadway” number. Truly, everyone involved has at least one moment to shine on stage and the production is stronger for it. Bravo all.

The importance of laughter and escapism has always been a large part of a musical theatre experience and the team at Theatre Ancaster has done a terrific job bringing this now 20 year old show to the stage. The audience laughed enthusiastically at the jokes, even though it was apparent that most audience members knew the bits well from numerous viewings of the classic film. Is everything within the show still relevant? Kind of. Is it unashamedly hilarious and full of charm? Absolutely. I encourage audiences to find their grail at Theatre Ancaster. This production provides much-needed silliness and spectacle in equal measure. Don’t miss it!

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