bellinghman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bellinghman) wrote2011-02-24 11:53 am
bellinghman) wrote2011-02-24 11:53 am
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Spamalot
We went to the Phill Jupitus-led production of Spamalot at the Corn Exchange last night. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
uitlander had secured us tickets J16-18, which meant pretty much in the middle of the second row, a point close enough to the stage that we could easily make out the badges the performers were wearing as their coats of arms (Jupitus was wearing the arms of Cambridge University, perhaps as a tribute to the venue).
A great show, based on the Monty Python and the Holy Grail story, but with certain meta aspects addressing the form of the musical itself, including the point where King Arthur has to stage a musical, and has to find a star to perform in it or it won't work. This does, of course, reflect the way that Jupitus is a known name in an otherwise pretty well unknown ensemble cast.
The first half was good, but I think it got even better for the second half. It was relatively short, finishing about two hours after it started (and there's a half hour for the interval), but the density of the comedy made it feel longer.
Overall, well recommended, even to those like me who would normally steer well clear of musicals.
uitlander had secured us tickets J16-18, which meant pretty much in the middle of the second row, a point close enough to the stage that we could easily make out the badges the performers were wearing as their coats of arms (Jupitus was wearing the arms of Cambridge University, perhaps as a tribute to the venue).A great show, based on the Monty Python and the Holy Grail story, but with certain meta aspects addressing the form of the musical itself, including the point where King Arthur has to stage a musical, and has to find a star to perform in it or it won't work. This does, of course, reflect the way that Jupitus is a known name in an otherwise pretty well unknown ensemble cast.
The first half was good, but I think it got even better for the second half. It was relatively short, finishing about two hours after it started (and there's a half hour for the interval), but the density of the comedy made it feel longer.
Overall, well recommended, even to those like me who would normally steer well clear of musicals.
no subject
(One change noted was the changing of one of the songs. If the original fell flat at that point, that wouldn't have helped.)
The acting was fine - at least from the front of the auditorium. It might be different at the back of a big West End theatre, but I suspect that the cast has become quite polished over the period.
As for the recycling, whah!? It's supposed to be a stage version of Holy Grail. Does the stage version of LotR not also recycle stuff from its previous versions?