All the jokes, songs and twists alive in Spamalot

Spamalot, by Monty Python.
Performed by the Manawatu Theatre Society, directed by Scott Andrew.
Reviewed by LEE MATTHEWS.

What, as King Arthur comments, an eccentric performance! And what a great show.

Cast and crew of the Manawatu Theatre Society pulled out all the stops last night with the New Zealand premiere of Monty Python's Spamalot.

The near-capacity audience at the Globe Theatre rocked laughing, mouthing along with favourite parts of the show and being surprised by the twists.

Highlights were the African Swallow opening sequence, Dennis's proletariat political lecture, the unplanned travels of Sir Bedevere's bristling black Movember-style moustache and the energy and Vegas-glitz in Sir Lancelot's dancealot number. And we were just loving Patsy (Michael Forrest) and the Lady of the Lake (Kate Johnson), with her glamour, great voice and fabulous costumes. A moistened bint indeed! And the rabbit. This is the stage version of Monty Python and The Holy Grail, so the rabbit and its nasty big pointy teeth takes up deservedly serious stage time.

Two nights before the show opened, veteran Palmerston North actor Mark Kilsby broke a bone in his foot. His parts of Sir Bedevere, Mrs Galahad and Concorde were picked up at short notice by director Scott Andrew, who didn't miss a beat.

Kilsby said in the show's interval that the high-energy nature of the parts meant they couldn't be done by somebody unable to dance with full weight through one foot, but he regretted having to step off-stage for the first time in his 105-show run. His foot will take several weeks to heal.

It's a big cast, whose members worked hard and delivered the goods.

Also onstage were Bruce Sinclair, playing King Arthur, Jared Gardner as Sir Robin and Brother Maynad, Richard Scott as the political Dennis who rapidly morphed into Sir Galahad, Michael Jones showing Sir Lancelot's search for his softer self, and Sean Sexton as the oh-so-musical Prince Herbert. Wrapping round them were the ensemble, each of whom took several parts: James Ashton, Kessave Beany, Jacob Dale, Simon Herbert, Jason Poon, Lindsey Yeo, Phil White, Bridget Betz-Stablein, Kerry Betz-Stablein, Jemima Marshall, Narina Riddle, Laura Signal and Paige Yorston-Little.

Backing them were hours of painstaking costume work, by designers Githa Warrington and Adrienne Weatherley and their team, and a huge set design by Alistair Manning and build by his team.

One prop utterly essential to this show is of course the Knights of Ni's shrubbery, and its little pink fuschias were a particularly inspired touch.

Monty Python fans will enjoy this one. So will people not familiar with the show. It's irreverent, funny, action-packed and colourful, and a great warm-up for the Christmas festive season.