The Oswald’s Players Theatre Company’s production of Spamalot is camp, chaotic and creative. What’s more, programme sales are donated to St Cuthbert’s Hospice, so you can feel virtuous while watching can-can dancers fight Arthurian knights.

My first impression was of a relaxed, informal space where actors milled around the audience with a soundtrack of instrumental pop songs that brought me back to covid-era matriculation in a tent on the racecourse. I will admit, however, that this was slightly overshadowed by the instrumental rendition of ‘All I Want for Christmas’ during the interval. The set (Elize Collins), props (Clem Charles) and costumes (Ruby Briggs) were charming and entertaining in equal measures. Highlights included creative uses of castle windows, a giant wooden statue and an adorably terrifying killer bunny.

The lead actors were all incredible, and the dynamic between Fred Walmsley’s King Arthur and Lottie Goldthorpe’s Patsy was captivating. Goldthorpe’s coconut skills – no, I won’t elaborate – were seriously impressive, while Walmsley’s masterful use of comedic timing complemented Goldthorpe’s animated performance. Elize Collins was a truly stunning Lady of the Lake, performing a perfect mix of femme fatale and Broadway diva. In addition, the dance break during ‘Knights of the Round Table / The Song That Goes Like This (Reprise)’ performed by Louis Graham and Yasmin Daniel was beautiful, injecting a note of authentic skill into the absurd lyrics.
Abbie Wells’ Angel also deserves a special mention as possibly the most impressive vocal performance of the entire show. It would be difficult to choose a single showstopper in the list of amazing songs, but Wells’ solo is definitely one of them.

As a whole, it was lovely to see just how much fun the cast was having with the play

The cart scene introducing Lancelot (Seb Powell) and Robin (Joshua Brooks) was well done, establishing the relationship between the violent but well-meaning Lancelot and the cowardly Robin. Brooks’ later rendition of ‘Star Song’ was another notable highlight, as the lyrics were entirely reworked. The song’s traditional description of Broadway was replaced with a satire of Durham Student Theatre and student culture in general. If you want references to the Wear or to make fun of BNOCs and Palatinate reviews – for some reason, HEX didn’t get a name drop – this is the show for you!

As a whole, it was lovely to see just how much fun the cast was having with the play. The French soldiers popping out of windows put an amazing amount of enthusiasm into certain hand gestures towards the English knights. This worked well with Walmsley’s air of exasperated patience that evoked both sympathy and amusement.

However, it was a shame that the sound mixing did not do the band justice. The classic reed and brass melodies were hard to hear over the rest of the band, limiting the overall effect of certain songs.

On a lighter note, Louis Graham and Isaac Organ’s reluctant father-son relationship was hilarious, depicting a clash between an aspiring soloist and a resolutely non-singing role. The message of self-expression and pride in ‘His Name is Lancelot’ brought even higher levels of energy to the already action-packed musical.

Overall, I award this show five out of seven Laker Girls!

Spamalot is on at the Mount Oswald Hub from 8th – 9th June.

Image: Oswald’s Players Theatre Company