Premier Arts & Entertainment Coverage

Spamalot

May 16, 2026

Review by Markus Hamence – Spamalot. Performance date: Saturday 16 May 2026. The Arts Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia.

At Adelaide’s iconic Arts Theatre, Spamalot graces the stage like a runaway coconut horse 😉 and never once apologises for the chaos left behind. Presented by the Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company of SA, this 2026 production embraces the gloriously ridiculous spirit of Monty Python with full commitment, giant laughs and enough theatrical absurdity to shake medieval dust from the rafters.

Directed by Barry Hill, the production understands exactly what makes Spamalot work – it is not polished perfection that wins the crowd, but fearless silliness delivered with total conviction. From killer rabbits to diva showstoppers, fake horses, flying cows and wildly inappropriate choreography (Courtesy the sharpened eyes and bold moves of Selena Britz), the cast attack every moment with the kind of joyful energy that turns an audience into a room full of laughing accomplices. By interval, the Arts Theatre feels less like a venue and more like a giant comedy club trapped inside Camelot. The live orchestra, eleven in total with the accomplished skills of the Musical Director Tammy Papps, was pure perfection, belting out numbers like their talents were worthy of Broadway.

“A glorious avalanche of coconuts, chaos and comedy.”
Markus Hamence

Gus Smith’s King Arthur anchors the madness beautifully, balancing bewildered nobility with deadpan comic timing, while Kristin Stefanoff’s Lady of the Lake storms through the production with insane powerhouse vocals and scene-stealing confidence. The ensemble deserves enormous praise for the sheer athleticism of the show, bouncing between multiple characters, rapid-fire costume changes and relentless punchlines without ever losing momentum. I can’t even deal with how brilliant the entire cast was and each of them brought their A+++ Game. Flawless in all their stage skills.

Full Cast:

King Arthur – GUS SMITH
The Lady of the Lake – KRISTIN STEFANOFF
Sir Robin/Guard 1 – SAM DAVY
Sir Lancelot/French Taunter/Tim the Enchanter – BRAD MARTIN
Patsy/Mayor – BEN TODD
Sir Galahad/Black Knight – SIMON BARNETT
Sir Bedevere/Dennis Galahad’s Mother/Concorde – STEVE LEWIS
Prince Herbert – SHANE HUANG
The Historian – MARK GAMTCHEFF
Not Dead Fred – DANIEL WHITEHEAD
Brother Maynard/Knight of Ni – ANGUS SMITH
Herbert’s Father – IAN BUXTON
Minstrel – LOUIS CANN
Guard 2 – DANIEL SCOTT
Dancing Nun – EWERTON da SILVA

Male Ensemble: CAELAN FARR, THOMAS HALL, KUAN, ALASTAIR VEITCH

Female Ensemble: SASH ELLIOTT, DANI PANFILO, TEGAN GULLY-CRISPE, BARBARA NUTCHEY, JASMIN PAUKKUNEN, HANNAH POEL, ISABELLA WALTERS

What makes this Adelaide production particularly charming is its local theatre heart. There is an infectious sense that everyone on stage is having the time of their lives and that feeling spills directly into the audience (even a elderly nanna sitting next to me giggled like a school girl the entire way through). The humour lands hard because the cast never overplays it; they trust the material’s absurdity and let the nonsense breathe. Even longtime Python fans will find themselves caught off guard by fresh little moments, clever reactions and contemporary touches woven throughout the production. All the iconic Monty Python moments (including ‘just a flesh wound’ and ‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life’) landed with much applause and laughter, easily and seemingly effortlessly.

Visually, the show transforms the intimate Arts Theatre space into a wildly imaginative medieval playground. The production design leans into theatrical inventiveness over realism, which suits Spamalot perfectly. One minute you are in Camelot, the next in a glittering and glitzy Broadway parody, then suddenly facing the Knights Who Say Ni with complete seriousness despite how utterly stupid the situation is.

“The Arts Theatre becomes Adelaide’s happiest kingdom for two delirious hours.”
Markus Hamence

More than anything, Spamalot is a reminder of how powerful live comedy can be when a cast commits completely to the madness. In a world increasingly obsessed with polished spectacle, this production succeeds through personality, timing and pure theatrical joy. It is cheeky, loud, knowingly ridiculous and absolutely impossible to resist.

By curtain call, the audience is not simply watching Spamalot anymore – they are part of it, swept into the glorious stupidity with huge smiles plastered across their faces. And honestly, Adelaide theatre could use a little more of that kind of joyful nonsense.

Spamalot at the Arts Theatre is the kind of production that reminds you theatre does not always need to be serious to be brilliant – sometimes all it takes is coconuts, complete chaos and a cast fearless enough to make an audience laugh until their faces hurt. Brilliantly bonkers!