GALLERY: Soham’s Spamalot is feel-good fun

Spamalot at Soham Village College (Image: Archant)

Spamalot is probably a baffling show if you don’t ‘get’ the Monty Python style of humour, but there was no problem ‘getting’ Soham Village College’s take on it. Under the direction of Peter Hedge and Mikey Kowalczyk, with Gemma Perry’s musical direction and the live orchestra, this was a rollicking fun-filled ensemble production that brought the packed performing arts centre to its feet in appreciation.

King Arthur and his motley band of knights are on a quest for The Holy Grail, encountering some very odd characters and bizarre dangers on the way.

Max Palmer was absolutely superb in capturing Arthur’s noble earnest frustration and in the utterly captivating, sweet-voiced Zara Minns, he had the perfect foil and together they seamlessly and confidently linked the action.

His knights were well-balanced - dramatically, if not psychologically - with Nathan Brown exactly catching the boneheaded gallantry of Sir Lancelot, Tom Farrance making the most of Sir Bedevere, while Jonty Freeman displayed an assured comic touch as Sir Robin.

Olly Manley was a confident Sir Galahad and excelled in his duet with the Lady of the Lake in The Song that Goes Something Like This, which was one of the musical highlights of the show.

As the Lady of the Lake, Rebecca Storey was radiant and not afraid to send up the leading lady role demonstrating her superb vocal range in a stellar performance. Everyone seized their moments from Henry Braggins as an assured TV-style historian, to Matt Whitaker’s Not Dead Fred, Lawrence Whitworth’s stage struck Prince Herbert, Nils Carr as the French Taunter, Mariana Carvalho as Guard 1, Emily Brown as Dennis and Karolina Matyga as his mum.

Young performers like Torin Fahy, the Head Knight of Ni, and Megan Phillips, as Concorde, also confidently held the stage.

As for seizing the moment, Jessica Rowe, as The One who doesn’t get a Part, gave a show stopping solo with Whatever Happened to My Part?

Essentially though this was a colourful company performance in front of Oliver Ellerton’s practical castle set enhanced by David Edens’ video effects and projection, with Blueshed Studios providing lighting and sound.

The Laker Girls: Maddie Palmer, Summer Locke, Phoebe Miller, Tilly Lewis, Mariana Carvalho, Jessica Rowe and Lana Bruce smiled and danced their way through some inventive and varied dance routines by Nikki Dyer, Nadine Crane and Hannah Theobald, the latter two also making stylish appearances, while the whole cast filled the stage with energy and humour in the large production numbers.

There was certainly no problem with Always Looking on the Bright Side of Life in this feel good production.