I only made one trip to Stratford this summer to catch a show at the Stratford Festival, and I did it in late September after my trip to England. For me it was a wise decision; I try to avoid big crowds nowadays since COVID and especially since I caught it upon my return from my trip in September.
When deciding on a show to attend this year I opted for funny above all else. I promised myself this would be a summer of fun, or as I put it at the beginning the Summer of Mike. I wanted to put the past heartaches behind me and just have a fun summer by myself. By all accounts, it was a success!
Monty Python's Spamalot is the brainchild of Python alumnus Eric Idle, who wrote the score with long-time musical collaborator John Du Prez. Together, they have woven new material mixed with Python classics, such as "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from "Life of Brian'. It's witty, wacky, nonsensical and brilliant.
Now having said that, I am at a loss to say much about the musical itself, as I must admit I have never been a huge Monty Python fan to begin with. Oh there have been pockets of their comedy I have enjoyed but most of the time, it just seems too far off the mark for my particular tastes. That, of course, is intentional, as this is clearly a farce in every sense of the word and in its purest form. That can be an acquired taste, I admit.
I have nothing but admiration for the cast and crew, their sense of timing and comic acumen. They are all brilliant. Still, there were times I just sat there and said to myself, "why?!" But maybe that's just me.
In a nutshell, Spamalot is a comic send-up of the classic Camelot tale, with King Arthur in search at first for candidates to become Knights of the Round Table, and together they are sent looking for the Holy Grail. Along the way they encounter an evil bunny rabbit and a bunch of sarcastic French soldiers who toss stuffed cattle from the castle ramparts.
They also encounter the enchanting Lady of the Lake, performed with great zest by Kimberly-Ann Truong. She thrills the assembled multitude in the dark and expensive forest as well as the audience with both her voice and her stage presence. Yet in much of the second act, where is she?! That's when she bursts upon the scene again with the fun number "Whatever Happened to My Part"?, otherwise known as "The Diva's Lament".
All of this nonsense seems to at times be lost on King Arthur himself, played by Jonathan Goad, although he knows a good Lady of the Lake when he sees one...
From top to bottom the rest of the cast is all exceptional as well and even though the set design looks rather low-rent, it is intentional and it all works admirably well. Director Lezlie Wade and Music Director Laura Burton mine the musical for every ounce of fun, as does Choreographer Jesse Robb.
I would not recommend only seeing Spamalot this year if you can get to more show than one, but if like me you just do the one trip, you will not be disappointed. But perhaps, like me, you might scratch your head from time to time if you're not a die-hard Monty Python fan, as most in the audience clearly were the day I attended recently.
Spamalot rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars and continues at the Avon Theatre downtown until November 18th. For tickets and information go to www.stratfordfestival.ca.
Have a great weekend!
October 21st, 2023.
