SPAMALOT

Weymouth Operatic Society

Weymouth Pavilion

SPAMALOT? They ought to rename it Laughalot, for this is a show that gets the audience rolling in the aisles throughout the evening with its crazy complex plot and manic jokes, all bound up in a colourful musical full of fun.

Weymouth Operatic Society has pulled out all the stops for this Monty Python production and in doing so has given the town an outstanding show full of sparkling talent at every level.

Eric Idle’s parody of the quest by King Arthur for the Holy Grail leaps from Finland to England, France and even Wey-Mouth in its fruitless search, meeting sundry Knights, a killer rabbit and a gorgeous lady from the lake, a diva who makes a career out of attention seeking and showing off.

The large cast are beautifully dressed, the staging is imaginative and the big band is of a high professional standard under the direction of Lee Redwood who also directs the show, a remarkable achievement by an extremely talented man.

Damaris Fowler’s choreography never misses a beat and the cast clearly have a great time singing, dancing and going wildly over the top from beginning to end in handsome costumes and with sensational special effects.

As King Arthur, Paul Brewster takes to the stage in suitably kingly fashion , aided by Darrell Hounsome as his willing slave Patsy whose coconut bashing skills are second to none while Shakira Brading is a stunning Lady of the Lake with an amazing stage presence and superb voice to match.

The large cast never miss a beat as they gallop around on imaginary horses, fight each other, fend off a variety of farmyard animals, exchange abuse with Frenchmen and tackle a big problem in the trouser area, all told in the worst possible taste.

With a video link to God, alias Eric Idle, who nags the Knights – “If you don’t hurry up I will invent America” – the five wild ones are played by Tim Howden, Ralph Ricardo, James Neilson, Sally Chittick and Graham Elliott along with the bouncy Neville Grant as Not Dead Yet, John May in drag and Paul Beecroft as Prince Herbert who bats for the other side.

With lots of songs, including the iconic Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, this is a show that sends the audience home doing exactly that. The production continues for the rest of the week.Be there.

MARION COX