REVIEW: Energy and silliness of Spamalot is reinvigorating
Theatre Ancaster’s production of Monty Python classic features the work of talented cast, creative and production teams. Prepare to be lifted out of the November doldrums.
If the dwindling sunlight of November has you feeling flattened, Theatre Ancaster’s production of Monty Python’s Spamalot will do much to lift you out of your doldrums. Continuing until Nov. 30, the show is bright, zany, colourful and wacky, just as you’d expect of a musical based on a film from one of Britain’s most iconic comedy troupes.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a parody film based on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, is the source material for Spamalot. The 1975 film is considered by many as one of the greatest comedy films of all time. The musical version premiered in Chicago in 2004 with lyrics and book by Monty Python member Eric Idle and music by long-time Monty Python collaborator John Du Prez along with Idle. The musical went on to have great success on Broadway beginning the following year with a run of 1,575 performances grossing over $168 million, according to a 2008 Playbill article. Under EGOT (Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony) winner Mike Nichols’ direction, Spamalot received 14 Tony Award nominations, winning three, including Best Musical and Best Director (Musical).
A raft of famous names have performed in Spamalot from the beginning, when Tim Curry starred as King Arthur in the original Broadway and West End productions. Others have included David Hyde Pierce, Hank Azaria, Richard Chamberlain, John O’Hurley, Christian Slater, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Warwick Davis, Taran Killam, and Ethan Slater (now seen in the film Wicked: For Good as ‘Boq’).
In the Theatre Ancaster production, the cast works very well together with terrific energy, commitment, and preparation. It’s a real group effort with a cast of about two dozen performers (some playing multiple characters) working to do justice to a much beloved show full of songs and skits many fans have memorized. From Colin Lapsley (King Arthur), Mackenzie Brown (Patsy) and Matt Miller (Dennis Galahad) to Zain Lapsley (Sir Lancelot), Krista Cranston (Sir Robin), Rylie Santo (Herbert/others) and Noah Hicks (Not Dead Fred/others), each of the cast members bring a great deal of laughter and enjoyment to all of the assembled peasants.
Taylor Frisina provides exceptional vocal power and comedic timing in her role as The Lady of the Lake/Guinevere. She appears to relish her role and it’s a pleasure to watch her interact with the audience as well as her castmates. Far from being a minor character, The Lady of the Lake has attracted critical acclaim since the original Broadway run of Spamalot, when actor Sara Ramirez won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. Many will recognize the Juilliard-trained Ramirez from their role as Dr. Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy. In the original West End production, Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Game of Thrones) played The Lady of the Lake.
Hats off to the creative and production team, led by director Sam Frisk and producer Laura Bottrell, for an enormous job very well done. Special mention must be given to choreographer Tina Rath, vocal director Jennifer Budd, stage managers Ely Baigent and Sam Heath, set designer Dan Koehler, dance captain Ellie Miller, costume designer Jaida Lapsley, and dresser Elaine Moore. In truth, I want to list everyone from set construction and projection operation to lighting and knitting (yes, knitting) as this is a production with so much attention to detail and so many moving parts as to require a large, busy crew to bring it to fruition. The Theatre Ancaster team brings together a weird and wonderful spectacle (including a rotating stage and hilarious projections) that evokes memories and motivates you to sing along from your seat.
I had the pleasure of meeting Theatre Ancaster’s president Krys Croxall during the performance I attended. She was sitting just behind me. I was curious, so I asked her whether Spamalot might have been chosen as a sort of gender or tonal “counterbalance” to the previous show of the season, The Vagina Monologues, which has its moments of humour but is much more thought-provoking and emotionally poignant.
The Vagina Monologues’ audiences also tended heavily toward female patrons, and with Spamalot, unsurprisingly, the gentlemen were back in droves. Croxall said that, in fact, Spamalot had been chosen first for the 2025-2026 playbill, and there was no conscious calibration involved. It was clear that she was very proud of their production of Spamalot, and rightfully so.
Theatre Ancaster’s Spamalot reminded me to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” just when I needed the encouragement. Let the energy and silliness of Spamalot reinvigorate you as well.
NEED TO KNOW
Monty Python’s Spamalot
Continues Nov. 22 & 27-29, 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 23 & 30, 2 p.m.
Theatre Ancaster
Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre
357 Wilson St. E., Ancaster
Box office: 905-304-3232
More information here
OTHER NOTABLE NOVEMBER EVENTS:
3 Hours, 10 Minutes
Part of AGH art + music + food Festival 2025
Art Gallery of Hamilton
123 King St. W., Hamilton
Nov. 22: Matinée performance, 1 p.m. & evening performance, 6 p.m.
Tickets include gallery admission
Buy online
Synopsis: Winner of the 2025 Best in Series at the Hamilton Fringe Festival, this must-see play is inspired by one of AGH’s most beloved collection works, Lawren Harris’s Grey Day in Town (1923/1930). In this intimate setting, a shared moment in front of a painting becomes something more — an invitation to reflect, connect, and consider the quiet power of fleeting encounters. At its heart, the performance asks: can a brief experience, sparked by art, carry meaning beyond the gallery walls? The performance will be followed by a conversation with the creative team.”
From playwright Ray Beauchemin: “In addition to seeing the play 3 Hours, 10 Minutes, audience members at the Art Gallery of Hamilton will have the opportunity to sit in front of the Lawren Harris painting Grey Day in Town, much like the characters in the play do. Guests will examine the painting for five minutes, much like the two characters do, and then return to the play venue, the Fisher gallery, to talk about the experience. Another exciting thing about the AGH performance … is that we're shooting a documentary. Filmmaker Saint Chris Bailey, of Motion 20, is at the helm of this part of the project.
“It's been a revelation to see how people connect to the play, which maybe shouldn't be a surprise at all. We all crave connection, which is the play's core message,” says Beauchemin. “In this particular case, the connection is through visual art, so it's only natural that the AGH was willing to host a remounting of 3 Hours, 10 Minutes after its successful run at the 2025 Hamilton Fringe. One of the play's partners this past summer was Dundas Valley School of Art, where we hope to mount the play again. More on that later!”
Peninsula Players
No Sex Please It’s Christmas
Nov. 21 & 22, 8 p.m. and Nov. 23, 2 p.m.
Trinity United Church, Memory Hall
100 Main St. W., Grimsby
Box office: 905-309-6358 or online
Synopsis: "Mr. Broadbent, a builder and developer, has created The House of the Future. The house however has remained unsold for years, probably because most of the innovations of the future fail to work. He has, at last, found prospective buyers and invites them to stay at the house. He is determined to offload this White Elephant by any means necessary.”
Cast member Kim Jonasson (Gladys McNicoll) says the show is “a wacky ride of misadventure and mistaken identity.” She’s pleased to be acting alongside her husband Peter Jonasson (Broadbent) on this production and says, “that I can do so in such a warm and welcoming environment as Peninsula Players is the icing on the cake. Our director has assembled a talented and creative cast and crew who make this House of the Future come alive in the most hilarious way possible.”
Shaw Festival & Hamilton Public Library
Choreography workshop
Saturday, Nov. 29: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Terryberry Branch - Auditorium
Age group: Adults (18+)
Free
Register here
A dynamic choreography workshop inspired by Irving Berlin's White Christmas.
Synopsis: “Experience the elegance and energy of White Christmas in this dynamic choreography workshop. Led by a Shaw Festival artist, participants will explore the iconic dance from the beloved musical, learning classic steps infused with festive charm. This workshop allows dancers of all levels to immerse themselves in the joy and nostalgia of Irving Berlin’s masterpiece. Perfect for those eager to bring a touch of Broadway magic to the holiday season.”
From Erica Conly, HPL’s adult programming manager: “Hamilton Public Library (HPL) has partnered with the Shaw Festival this fall to bring a series of four free hands-on workshops to branches across the city. Each session explores a different aspect of theatre performance and production, offering participants the opportunity to learn directly from Shaw Festival artists and educators. This series builds on the HPL’s past success partnering with the Stratford Festival, through which we’ve offered similar skills-based theatre workshops each spring. This year, a library member suggested exploring opportunities with the Shaw Festival.”
Previous workshops included puppetry at the Dundas branch, accents and dialect at the Westdale branch, and improv at the Red Hill branch. The choreography workshop is the fourth and final session in the series.
