Spamalot, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham - review
Side-splitting and bonkers, Spamalot proved to be much more than just a stage adaption of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was a full-blown musical telling the tale of King Arthur, played excellently by Bob Harms, and his Knights of the Round Table as they seek to locate the Holy Grail.
Witty routines such as the fish slapping dance, the French knights taunting the Knights of the Round Table, and the Knights that say Ni were all present and proved hilarious in the live environment. There were also updates to the script; bringing it into the modern day with references to Donald Trump and Taylor Swift.
Hysterically funny and upbeat, the show acted as a pastiche of musical theatre; highlighted best on the song ‘The Song That Goes Like This', while even giving a nod to the fact that this current production lacks a celebrity cast on the song ‘You Won’t Succeed In Showbiz’.
Whether their lack of stars in the show was the reason that the theatre was relatively empty for an opening night performance is debatable, however the strength of the cast and production by time the show drew to a close, proved they did not need famous actors to make it a success.
The four-piece band did well to bring the songs to life, with the famous ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ and ‘Knights Of The Round Table’ sounding vibrant and larger than one would expect from just four people.
Standout performances from Sarah Harlington as Lady of the Lake and Rhys Owen as Patsy provided both strong vocal performances, as well as effective comedic timing.
This production certainly does the show a huge credit to allow it to stand on its own as a piece of fantastic theatre, rather than inviting people in to watch for the inclusion of a star actor.
And as the crowd left the theatre whistling the tune of ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, it’s clear that the show had succeeded in its mission of making the audience smile.
Lovely Spaaam! Wonderful Spaaam!
Spamalot runs at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham until Saturday.
