Monty Python’s Spamalot Book and lyrics by Eric Idle

Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle

May 8—June 29

Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage

A sober, bespectacled historian introduces the plague- and strife-ridden time that gave rise to the

legendary King Arthur. The year, 932 A.D., the country England. As the lights come up—on a village that

looks suspiciously unalike medieval England—the chorus launches into a rousing ditty (“Fisch Schlapping

Song”) that extols the many virtues of the glorious nation of Finland. Dismayed at the misunderstanding,

the historian rushes back in midway through the song to correct the error. The garish Finnish set drops

away to reveal a brooding castle, wreathed in fog.

Arthur and his faithful servant Patsy make their way on horseback toward the castle walls. Arthur hails

the guards (“King Arthur’s Song”), but his attempt to recruit knights to join his court at Camelot is

ignored and he and Patsy ride away. A cart piled high with plague victims rolls onstage, accompanied by

the dead collector, who calls out for more bodies. A man drags out a corpse, who promptly declares that

he’s not dead. Nonplussed, the dead collector tells the man that he’s about to set out to Camelot to

become a knight, and the man decides to go with him. Aggrieved, the not-quite-corpse begins to sing

out his complaint (“I Am Not Dead Yet”) and the two men—who will become Sir Robin and Sir

Lancelot—join in.

We return to Arthur and Patsy, who have stopped to speak with some peasants in the countryside. A

particularly piquant peasant takes Arthur to task for representing, with his regal title and entitled sense

of superiority, an abominable autocracy, and then begins to lay out the finer policy points of his

autonomous collective of anarcho-syndicalist peasants. Arthur tires of this, and when he orders the

peasant to pipe down, the peasant indignantly demands to know how he became king. Arthur tells of his

encounter with the Lady of the Lake, who rose from the water to give him Excalibur, and along with it

the divine right to rule.

The Lady of the Lake makes a dramatic entrance and serenades the peasant (whose name is Galahad),

asking him to join Arthur’s court (“Come With Me”). Arthur takes up the song, as Galahad is transformed

from a slovenly peasant into a knight. Galahad, a new man, launches into a sappy power ballad with the

Lady of the Lake (“The Song That Goes Like This”). After the song, Galahad, Arthur, and Patsy mount and

exit. The historian now introduces all of Arthur’s knights: Bedevere, Galahad, Lancelot, and Robin. The

party sets off for Camelot, where they deliver a number in stereotypical Broadway style, with the aid of

a full chorus and the Lady of the Lake (“Knights of the Round Table”). At the end of the song, God

appears from on high with a flourish of thunder and lightning. He tasks Arthur and his knights with the

Quest for the Holy Grail. But, as the Lady of the Lake tells them in song, the Grail is also something they

must find in themselves (“Find Your Grail”).

The host of knights arrives at a castle. Arthur calls up to the French guard, but he seems much keener on

flinging down insults than helping them find the Grail. Infuriated by his invective, the knights assault the

castle, but are repelled and the company scarpers (“Run Away!”).

In the frantic muddle of their escape from the castle, the knights have become separated and wander

through a foreboding forest. Arthur and Patsy encounter the Knights of Ni, who demand that they

present them with a shrubbery, or else be killed. Arthur despairs, and Patsy tries to cheer him up,

singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” Luckily, as they continue to wander, they come across

and carry away a shrubbery. Heading back to the Knights of Ni, they are impeded momentarily by the

Black Knight; however, once Arthur has divested him of all his extraneous appendages, he concedes a

draw.

Robin and Arthur meet one another in the woods on their way back to the Knights of Ni. As it turns out,

the Knights no longer say Ni, and are no longer entirely appeased by the shrubbery. They’ve devised a

new, much more onerous task. To pass through the forest unharmed, Arthur and his knights must put

on a Broadway musical. There are some stumbling blocks to overcome, as Robin tells Arthur (“You

Won’t Succeed on Broadway”).

In another part of the forest Lancelot discovers a message from what seems to be a damsel in distress

imprisoned in a nearby castle and rides off to her aid. The Lady of the Lake makes an unexpected and

unrelated appearance, fuming, to demand “Whatever Happened to My Part?” In the castle, the

effeminate Prince Herbert—the “damsel” in distress—dolefully pines for his saviour (“Where Are You?”).

Lancelot bursts into the castle and rushes up to the presumed princess. Once there, and once he realizes

that Herbert is no damsel, he demurs his attentions bashfully. Herbert launches into a song, only to be

threatened by his overbearing father. Lancelot jumps to Herbert’s defence, and berates his father for

not giving him enough love and understanding when he was young. Taken aback, his father exclaims,

“My God! You’re gay.” Everyone joins in to sing Lancelot out of the closet (“His Name is Lancelot”).

Arthur and Patsy soldier on, though Arthur is mightily depressed at the failure of his quest so far (“I’m All

Alone”). As if in answer, the Lady of the Lake appears, and reminds him that she has been there all

along, and tells him that to end the show they will have to find the Grail and have a wedding. After some

nudging from Patsy, Arthur proposes to her, and the Lady of the Lake promises to wed once they’ve

found the Grail.

The knights, now regrouped, ride on. They encounter an enchanter, who points them to the cave of

Caerbannog, wherein lies the clue that will lead them to the Grail. First, however, they must defeat the

beast that guards the cavern, which they do with the aid of that precious religious relic, the Holy Hand

Grenade of Antioch. Once inside the cave, the knights decipher a rune inscribed on the cave wall. The

cryptic clue leads them straight to the Grail, which has been close at hand all along. The Grail finally

found, Arthur and the Lady of the Lake marry and the entire ensemble celebrates the end of their noble

quest (“Finale”).

Given to grandiloquent speech, a bit clueless, a touch out of touch, but nevertheless King of the Britons

and leader of the Knights of the Round Table. God entrusts him with the quest for the Holy Grail.

King Arthur’s trusty servant, ever faithful to his master. He carries the baggage, wields the coconuts, and

falls over himself trying to earn Arthur’s approval.

A brave, if foolhardy, knight who learns something about himself after a chance encounter with a

“damsel” in distress. The same actor also plays the roles of the ridiculous French taunter, the oddly

exacting leader of the Knights of Ni, and the otherworldly enchanter, Tim.

The lily-livered chicken of the knights, liable to flee—or worse—at the slightest hint of danger. He is

often accompanied by his minstrels, who sing (falsely) of his manful exploits and courage. The actor also

plays Brother Maynard, a soporific monk.

Risen from the salt of the earth—he begins the play as the peasant Dennis—Galahad has resplendent

flowing locks, and little else between his ears. The same actor also plays the quarrelsome Black Knight.

A befuddled sometime scholar, he is one of Arthur’s knights. The actor doubles as Dennis’s mother and

Lancelot’s horse.

A fey quasi-divinity, who endows Arthur with Excalibur and guides him in his quest. She has a diva’s

singing abilities—and a temperament to match.

Act I

Fisch Schlapping Song

Monk’s Chant

King Arthur’s Song

Monk’s Chant

He is Not Dead Yet

Dead Play Off

Come With Me

Laker Girls

The Song That Goes Like This

All for One

Knights of the Round Table

The Song That Goes Like This (Reprise)

Find Your Grail

Run Away

Act II

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Brave Sir Robin

You Won’t Succeed on Broadway

The Diva’s Lament

Where Are You?

Here Are You!

His Name is Lancelot

I’m All Alone

The Song That Goes Like This (Reprise)

The Grail

We Are Not Yet Wed (Reprise)

Eric Idle is a renowned comedian, writer, composer, and singer best

known as a member of Monty Python. The son of an air force pilot and

a community health nurse, he was born in 1943 in the town of South

Shields, in northeastern England. After attending boarding school,

where he excelled academically, he went up to Cambridge, studying

English and serving as president of the Footlights Club (a prestigious

theatre and comedy group—it was here that he met Graham Chapman

and John Cleese). One of his first actions as president, in 1965, was to allow women to join the club.

After university, Idle worked on a variety of radio and television programs—notably —

both acting and writing with various soon-to-be members of Monty Python. The fabled comedic group

worked together between 1969 and 1973, producing forty-five episodes over three and a half seasons.

After the tremendous success of and the several Monty Python films, Idle

moved on to solo work, performing on as well as in several films. He created

in 2004, which garnered him the Tony for Best Musical and the Drama Desk Award for

Outstanding Lyrics. He recently had a crowd-pleasing role in the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London

Olympics, singing one of his original pieces—composed for — “Always Look on the Bright

Side of Life.”

John Du Prez is a musician, conductor, and much-acclaimed composer.

Born in 1946, in Sheffield, England, he studied music at Oxford, eventually

completing his MA and taking up a teaching position at the University of

London. In 1978, he began what would become a decades-long working

relationship with Idle when he arranged music for

. He has scored nearly thirty feature films, including, notably,

and . During the early

nineteen-eighties he was a member of the British band Modern Romance,

which topped the charts briefly in 1983. His work on Spamalot garnered a Tony (Best Original Score) and

a Grammy (Best Musical Show Album).

Dean Paul Gibson’s selected directing credits include, most recently at the Arts Club, and

, as well as (Theatre Calgary), ,

, and (Arts

Club) and (The Playhouse), (Studio 58),

, , and many more

(Bard on the Beach), and

(Gateway Theatre).

As an actor, Gibson has performed on stage and in various film and television roles. He has been

honoured with Jessie Richardson Awards for his acting and directing and is a graduate of Studio 58.

Like anything that has become a much beloved piece of theatre or film, you shouldn’t get in the way of

why something is successful. I don’t need to be cleverer than Eric Idle and his colleagues in Monty

Python; I don’t think I could be. They figured out a formula that hit all the right notes and distinguished

themselves within the history of comedy for their unique, idiotic, and silly humour. To make a successful

production of a show that already has a clear and winning aesthetic I must embrace all the elements

that have made it such a hit. The best stamp I can personally put on this production is in the casting: by

using the best possible candidates that “get” the humour of Monty Python while meeting the challenges

of acting, singing, and dancing—with funny accents— and with as much silliness and style as we can

muster. Thankfully, we have a wonderful selection of talented people here in Canada that grew up with

an awareness and love of all things Python, as well as musical theatre.

I do. I’m already laughing listening to the soundtrack! Some songs are very familiar and some are new

but the essential idiotic humour is always present throughout and that’s what makes it Python. It’s all

peppered into a classic tale of a legendary king along and his knights on an epic quest. It’s a recipe for

ridiculous fun.

As for keeping a sketch funny, you should always play the reality of the situation with total commitment.

I’ve seen loads of sketches over the years by various artists and I still laugh at the same silly situations. I

think if something has an enduring appeal it’s because we identify so readily with the characters and the

situation, or, conversely, we find something so ridiculous that we can allow ourselves to give over to the

experience and just laugh because we believe we would never, ever find ourselves in that predicament.

Oh, maybe. But I think it doesn’t matter because in this musical there is something for anyone who

delights in good musical comedy. It has all the ingredients to take us on a funny journey and send us out

of the theatre humming a little something about the bright side of life. There is a good reason that this

show is such an enormous hit—and not just with the people that grew up watching the Pythons. After

all, Monty Python has been off the air since 1974, but its influence and style have endured for decades

both here and across the pond. Their comedic legacy is tremendous.

Sometimes we’ve got to tweak things a little depending on our medium. I believe the musical has

retained the essentials of what made the film so funny and that’s all that matters for me. We come

across the characters and situations that remind us why we fell in love with Monty Python in the first

place. We get some of the greatest hits and if that’s not enough, you can always go home and watch the

movie too. It’s a win-win in my opinion.

Oh dear God! There are potentially 160 costumes and pieces in this show and they all have to arrive

onstage as needed, so that is something that has to work collectively. The actors cast must be capable of

playing multiple roles and be willing to turn on a dime both on and off the stage. Without the invaluable

assistance of all the departments working together to make the magic we could be in for a train-wreck!

However, the creative team we’ve assembled along with the amazing crew behind the scenes help make

anything possible. We just need enough time to rehearse it over and over again. Like anything that looks

easy it takes a great deal of practice to make perfect. Like the serious business of comedy!

Beneath the pantomime and ribald medieval pomp of lies a chief thread of literary history.

The quest for the Holy Grail—as much a cultural touchstone of the thirteenth century as of the twenty-

first—first appeared in Chrétien de Troyes’s late twelfth-century romance (often also

titled , after its protagonist). Countless continuations cropped up in the decades and

centuries following the grail’s creation. Some infused a Christian interpretation that conflated the grail

with the drinking vessel at the Last Supper; others retold the tale in longer and altered forms. The grail

quest has been incessantly reimagined: Wolfram von Eschenbach’s (early 1200s) became the

basis for Wagner’s opera (1882), the poet Tennyson drew from the grail legends during the

nineteenth century, and, much less reverentially, the grail story has been reconceived in films—

, , among others—books, and now the stage.

The grail first made its way inauspiciously into Western literature in Chrétien’s tale, written between

1181 and 1191. At the castle of a wounded king, Perceval watches the grail—described only as a golden

serving dish set with jewels—being carried from one room to another. Having been warned against

speaking too much, he asks no questions; the next day, after he has left, he learns that had he inquired

about the procession he could have eased the king’s pain. Chrétien’s passing mention of the grail in

—it is accorded no great importance—is the starting point of the grail legends, and

incorporates King Arthur along with the Knights of the Round Table. The story, written in verse, was left

incomplete at Chrétien’s death, prompting enterprising troubadours to take up the tale, reworking it as

they went. In its first iteration, the grail has no explicit Christian meaning, yet it is commonly associated

with the chalice present at the Last Supper. The links to Christianity were cemented very early in the

grail story’s development, by Robert de Boron’s romance , written just a decade after

Chrétien’s. In his work, a prequel of sorts, Joseph of Arimathea transports the chalice from the Last

Supper westwards, where he inaugurates a line of grail-bearers that eventually includes Perceval. The

Holy Grail, then, formerly described as simply a dish, becomes the chalice of the Last Supper. The

conflation of what had originally been two separate objects persisted throughout the grail stories that

followed, as did the story’s Christian motifs.

These first two tales, Chrétien’s and Boron’s, weave together Celtic and Christian source materials,

forming the foundational narrative for the many continuations to come. Most famous, in the English-

language canon, is Thomas Malory’s (1485). Malory, working from the many different

Arthurian romances that had accrued since the twelfth century, compiled the key legends in a single

book (it was Tennyson’s main source for his Arthurian poem cycle “The Idylls of the King”). In film,

—and now — set the gold standard for playful grail story

parody; however, both film and musical do reflect themes of chivalry that are omnipresent in the

Arthurian legends.

Chivalrous conduct, always celebrated and held up as a model in the Arthurian romances, is played for

laughs in . For example, the laconic Black Knight, refusing to make way for Arthur, is at first

making a manful, laudable stand by defending his honour. However, his obstinacy soon tails off into a

joke, as he persists—even after losing all his limbs—in attempting to force Arthur to recognize that he

has not been defeated. This preoccupation with saving face is a current running through much romance

literature (the story of El Cid, for example). In the Python version, the strict knightly code is stretched

beyond all reason, to hilarious end. Similarly, Lancelot, driven by courtly ideals of love, rushes to the

rescue of the imprisoned maiden, only to find that the maiden in question is, in fact, an effeminate

prince. While does not offer a complete portrait of the Arthurian romances, it does bring out

some the stories’ themes, and plays with the antiquated ideas behind them to comical effect.

The Holy Grail has a lengthy history in Western literature, and is but one continuation of a

story that will be told, staged, and filmed many times more. It says something about the grail’s staying

power that you can say the phrase “quest for the Holy Grail” and most people cotton on immediately:

knights, castles, that sort of thing. However, the story, with its intimations of seeking out the

unknowable, has the narrative power to transcend its medieval trappings and speak to readers and

audiences for generations to come.

The absurd, nonsensical pseudo-medieval world of and its film progenitor owes its hilarity to

the comedic sensibility of one hugely influential troupe: Monty Python. Its Oxbridge-educated members

were the standard-bearers for a novel type of humour in the late sixties and early seventies. Though

now more commonplace, the verbally gymnastic, intelligent, sometimes high-concept, sometimes

ridiculous form of sketch comedy pioneered by John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, Graham

Chapman, and Eric Idle was a popular revelation so distinct from its peers that it spawned its own

adjective: Pythonesque.

All of the Pythons were raised in steadfastly middle class postwar families, and first crossed paths during

their time at Cambridge and Oxford (save Gilliam, an American). Cleese, Chapman, and Idle attended

Cambridge, where they were all members of the storied amateur theatrical group, the Footlights Club—

a proving ground for witty comedians and actors that has gone on to produce talents like Hugh Laurie

and Stephen Fry, among others. At Oxford, Jones and Palin took part in the Oxford Revue. Gilliam, raised

in California, attended Occidental College, where he first began to dabble in comic illustration and

animation. The Oxbridge revues often toured down to London’s West End, where they enjoyed

extended runs, and it was here that the future Pythons began to become aware of one another’s work.

However, many projects intervened before Monty Python came together as a concrete group. Cleese

and Chapman began work together on a radio show in 1965; their Cambridge compatriot Idle joined

them as a writer for the program. Jones conducted an apprenticeship at the BBC while Palin paid his

dues as the presenter of a youth music show in Wales. Cleese, having travelled to New York, even had a

small role in a Broadway musical. The show that first brought the British Python members together was

, a satirical revue hosted by David Frost (who was later to conduct a famous series of

interviews with Richard Nixon, dramatized in 2006 by Peter Morgan, and adapted for the screen in

2008). All the Pythons wrote for the show, but only Cleese appeared onscreen. Frost was impressed by

Cleese’s work, and offered him the opportunity to produce a solo show, but Cleese insisted on

continuing to work with Chapman, and, along with several other writers and performers,

they created (1967–1968). The equivalent first freedom for Idle, Jones, Palin, and

Gilliam (who had arrived in London after meeting Cleese in New York) was the often surreal children’s

program . Both programs met with audience approval, and each group was

presented with the chance to create another show. However, Cleese, who was unsure that he wanted

the added writing pressure of a two-man show with Chapman, contacted Palin at the suggestion of

Barry Took—a BBC producer who thought that the combination of the Cleese-Chapman and Jones-Palin

pairs would prove fruitful—to see whether he would be interested in joining him to work on the show

he had been offered at the BBC.

The inchoate project had no definite format, but it was clear from the outset that the Pythons all

wanted to move beyond the conventions of the sketch comedy shows that had gone before. In the past,

musical acts were interspersed throughout the show, in a nod to stage revues, and as a way of

transitioning between unrelated pieces. The sketches themselves were also standard comedic fare,

progressing through a beginning, middle, and end, before being capped by a punch line. Encapsulating

the Pythons’ desire to change up the traditional format, Chapman said that “it was laziness on the part

of the writers to say, ‘and now over to a song,’ when we could conceivably have half-an-hour’s worth of

television show which was all funny.” In place of songs, Gilliam’s animations acted as segues between

sketches, adding a layer of comic, stream of consciousness improbability to the way the show unfolded.

And, famously, sketches only rarely ended in punch lines, and often tailed off into the next piece, or

were simply stopped by characters from other sketches for being altogether too silly.

ran from

1969 to 1974, gaining a dedicated

following of viewers before the show

was brought to a close by Cleese, who

announced his departure at the end of

the third season, feeling that he had

nothing more to contribute. The others

felt similarly creatively stymied, and,

resolving to conclude the show,

completed a truncated fourth and final

season. However, it wasn’t long before

the Pythons were back working

together. There had been talk of writing

a feature-length film for some time, and

was released in 1975. Lauded by critics and beloved of audiences, the

film galvanized the Pythons, leading to their later movies and live performances together.

The stage version, drawing on the film’s success and prominent place in pop culture (would-be citizens

of the United Kingdom, since 2012, must pass a citizenship test featuring questions about the Pythons’

sketches) was conceived by Idle, and first produced in New York in 2005—it ran for over 1500

performances, until 2009. Though there are notable differences between the film and musical, the story,

and much of the dialogue, is the same. The show received largely favourable reviews and did

exceedingly well at the box office, making some $175 million by the end of the run. However, there was

some dissenting opinion. The most vociferous negative review was penned by Slate’s Sam Anderson,

who criticized what he viewed as ’s pillaging of the original Python material and its return to

the punch line-based comedy that the troupe had worked to subvert. “Stating the punch line implicit in

a Monty Python joke,” he wrote, “is like adding a slap bass solo to ‘Yesterday.’” Other Pythons were

likewise doubtful of its merits at first, with Jones and Gilliam expressing particularly dismissive views,

but, in the end, all the Pythons were pleased enough with the show to recommend it (usually inserting a

joke about the royalties they would be receiving), though each made clear that the production was, at

heart and in its writing, not so much a Python show as Idle’s own pet project.

And, sure enough, ’s style of comedy reflects a different sensibility than earlier works by the

entire group. Part of this change in timbre can be put down to the passing of time, and the passing of

Pythonesque humour into the comedic mainstream. Writers and stand-ups have enthusiastically taken

up absurdist themes since the 1970s. Among comics, Eddie Izzard stands out as an example of the

stream of consciousness joke-telling, as do his fellow Brits, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, whose

uproarious sketch show was indebted to the quick-witted erudition and

semantic turnings-on-a-dime of the Python style. The other changes arise from the new comedic

opportunities afforded by Broadway reference points. The songs that send up Broadway tropes—the

fretful diva, the prancing gay, the enthusiastic musical-going Jew—take advantage of often-struck

chords. Neil Patrick Harris, as the presenter of the 2011 Tony Awards, sang a comic introductory number

dealing with many of the same stereotypes of musical theatre. While may not be a highly

original musical, it is certainly an entertaining and hilarious one, getting many of its laughs from the

formidably strong and still-riotous Monty Python material.

Robert Allan ~ Ensemble/Assistant Choreographer Robert is thrilled to be back with the Arts Club after four years of White Christmas and this past winter’s fabulous Mary Poppins. Recently he has been Dance Captain of Theatre Calgary's Anne of Green Gables and Drayton Entertainment's Spamalot. You may have also seen him as Mungojerri in Cats for Theatre Calgary, or as 'A-Rab' in both the Vancouver Opera and Halifax's Neptune Theatre's West Side Story. Notable credits include: Youth in Death In Venice (Canadian Opera Company), Moody MacPherson and u/s Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables (Charlottetown Festival). He will be returning to Port Hope Theatre Festival as Assistant Choreographer on Mary Poppins this summer. Recent directing/choreography projects include Fireside Songs of 1954, Anne of Green Gables, and A Chorus Line. He is a proud faculty member at Sheridan College and Randolph Academy of Performing Arts. Andrew Cownden ~ Patsy This is Andrew’s second production with the Arts Club, the first being two years ago (Ensemble, She Stoops to Conquer.) Recent theatre credits include Tim (Noises Off, Chemainus Theatre Festival), Charlie Chaplin (Silent Chap, Western Canada Theatre), and Finch (How to Succeed .., Theatre Under the Stars). Television credits include nearly microscopic roles in episodes of Eureka and Exes and Ohs. Internet credits include various videos with world-famous comedy troupe, Loading Ready Run (www.loadingreadyrun.com). Check out Andrew’s website: www.andrewcownden.com. Michael Culp ~ Ensemble Michael is thrilled to be a part of this hysterical show! Past credits include Reporter in Floyd Collins (Patrick Street Productions), Ensemble in Les Misérables (Western Canada Theatre), Bob Enright in 9 to 5, Ritchie Valens in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Mayfield Dinner Theatre), Juan in Altar Boyz (Arts Club), Coricopat in Cats (Theatre Calgary), Isacchar/Apache Dancer in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Western Canada Theatre), Nibbles in West Side Story (Vancouver Opera), and Luis in West Side Story (Neptune Theatre). Thanks you all very much for coming and supporting live theatre. Remember, always look on the bright side of life! Cameron Dunster ~ Ensemble Cameron recently moved to Toronto, but he is so excited to be back in Vancouver for his Arts Club debut in Spamalot. Recent credits include It’s a Wonderful Life at the Chemainus Theatre Festival and the original Vancouver musical Riverview High. Other theatre credits: Fiddler on the Roof, Annie (Gateway Theatre); The Music Man, Singin’ in the Rain (TUTS); Assassins, and A New Brain (Pipedream). He is a graduate of the musical theatre program at Capilano University. Huge thanks to the creative team, and to his amazing parents. Josh Epstein ~ Sir Robin Josh is pumped to return to the Arts Club where previous shows include Craigslist Cantata, The Producers, Beauty and the Beast, Funny Girl, Marvin’s Room, and …Spelling Bee for which he received a Jessie Award. Later this year, Josh’s film company with Kyle Rideout, Motion 58, will be releasing their first feature film Eadweard, with support from Telefilm, Superchannel, and featured twice in the Hollywood Reporter. Their second film, Public-Schooled, will shoot later this year with support from the CFC, Telefilm, the NSI, and the WFF. Josh has starred in shows across the country, recently appearing in two seasons at The Stratford Festival in The Grapes of Wrath, Titus Andronicus, Cymbeline, The Matchmaker and winning the John Hirsh award for most promising actor. He is a graduate of Studio 58. @joshepstein1

Jay Hindle ~ Lancelot Jay's dream of being in a Monty Python spectacle is being realized with his return to the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Previous Arts Club shows are The 39 Steps and She Stoops To Conquer. Jay has been acting in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Victoria, and England for the past decade; professional highlights include Relatively Speaking (Western Gold); Arms and the Man, Death of A Salesman, and As You Like It (Blue Bridge); Proof (Belfry); Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and Twelfth Night (UK National tour). The co-creation Jay is most proud of is his 5 year old daughter, Juliet. Alexandra MacLean ~ Ensemble Alexandra is thrilled to be returning to theatre after a five-year hiatus working as an RMT. She wants to express her appreciation to her clients and friends at painPRO Therapeutics—Dr.D, you’re a life saver. To her vocal coach Courtenay, thank you for helping her face and embrace her inner alien. Love to her parents for all their support and to her Shawnskee's for putting up with her moosing about and encouraging her to be her quirky self. She hopes you all leave the show with a belly full of laughs and a spring in your step. Terra C. MacLeod ~ The Lady of the Lake Terra is delighted to be back at the Arts Club for its 50th anniversary with this wonderfully talented cast and crew. She was last seen on the Granville Island stage in Blood Brothers as Mrs Johnstone (Jessie nomination). Other credits include: Chicago (Velma Kelly) Broadway, West End & National tour, The Producers (Ulla, Jessie nomination), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Cats (Bombalurina), West Side Story (Anita, New Orleans Opera and Arts Club—Jessie Award for best supporting actress), The Pajama Game (Gladys), Guys and Dolls (Adelaide), Damn Yankees (Lola),and A Chorus Line (Cassie). Film & TV: The Lizzie Maguire Movie, The Reagans, The Dead Zone, Jeremiah, Cold Squad, and Life Or Something Like It. A big thank you to Bill, Dean, Lisa, and Ken. www.terracmacleod.com David Marr ~ King Arthur David's credits with the Arts Club include Twelfth Night, Being at Home with Claude, The Threepenny Opera, Sweeny Todd, She Loves Me, Elizabeth Rex, The School For Scandal, Enchanted April, His Greatness, The 39 Steps, The Philanderer, Calendar Girls, It's a Wonderful Life, and, most recently, My Turquoise Years. For the past 18 years he has been a company member of Bard on the Beach, where this last season performed in Measure for Measure and Elizabeth Rex. A graduate of The Vancouver Playhouse Acting School, he has appeared in many Playhouse productions such as the most recent musicals The Drowsy Chaperone, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and as Georges in La Cage Aux Folles. Makayla Moore ~ Ensemble Makayla is thrilled to be making her Arts Club debut in Spamalot! She would like to thank Lisa and the creative team for the opportunity. Makayla is a recent graduate of the Musical Theatre program at Capilano University. She was last seen in Exit 22's production of the Drowsy Chaperone. She would like to send a special thank you to Julie Tomaino. Enjoy the show! Alexander Nicol ~ Ensemble As a lifelong Monty Python fan, Alexander is ecstatic to be a part of this fantastic production. Originally from Courtenay on Vancouver Island, he is a graduate of Capilano University’s Musical Theatre program. Recent credits include Linus in Charlie Brown (Project X), Robert in The Drowsy Chaperone (CLT), J.W. Booth in Assassins (Pipedream), Harold Bride in Titanic (TUTS), Kyle in Cottage Community Christmas

(TheatreK), and Terry in Side Show (Fighting Chance). Thank you to my ever supportive friends and family, enjoy the show! Ashley O’Connell ~ Bedevere Ashley is delighted to return to the Arts Club stage, and indeed to the Vancouver stage. Working with such an outrageously gifted gathering has been a humbling experience. And a ton of fun. Favourite recent credits include: A Few Good Men (Citadel Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Blue Bridge), Blood Brothers and The Graduate (Arts Club), Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Dancing Monkey Presents), Richard II and All's Well That Ends Well (Bard on the Beach), and The Full Monty (Patrick Street). TV/film credits include Watchmen, Stargate:Atlantis, and others. Ashley sends his love to family, George & Marsha. For Darragh Robert. Fas a Bealac!! Scott Perrie ~ Herbert Scott is stoked to return to the Arts Club in this zany show, having last appeared in Les Misérables. Since then he’s been busy! He transformed into Bat Boy in Bat Boy: The Musical (Patrick Street) and danced with drag queens in La Cage Aux Folles (Vancouver Playhouse). He traveled to Regina for Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Globe Theatre) where he met the love of his life, and a year later returned to appear in The Drowsy Chaperone. As a singer/songwriter he released his debut solo EP Everything Gives to critical acclaim and played music coast to coast on VIA Rail. He got married. Now, he and his wife, Leora Joy, are working on a new music project called Winsome Kind. www.scottperrie.com Alison Roberts ~ Ensemble Alison is thrilled to be making her Arts Club debut! She grew up in Victoria and moved over to Vancouver to perform with the Vancouver Opera in West Side Story in 2011. She completed the Intensive Training Program at Harbour Dance and has been working on various theatre contracts since. Thanks to her family for their support and Melissa and Andrea at daCosta Talent for being such phenomenal agents. alisonroberts2.wix.com/theatrewebsite Liz Tookey ~ Ensemble Liz has been performing since she was a wee one in Alberta. She's travelled the world as a performer with Princess Cruises, Tokyo Disney Sea, Egypt and Israel entertaining the Canadian military, and representing Alberta as a dancer in the London Olympics. Her film/TV credits include Reefer Madness, Hellcats, Psych, Once Upon a Time, Le Castle Papier, Nickelodeon’s Jinxed and assisting on So You Think You Can Dance Canada. She has appeared as Baby in the North American Mirvish production of Dirty Dancing, and as Gertie Pye in Theatre Calgary's Anne of Green Gables last spring. She teaches at Harbour Dance Centre and choreographs for local companies and various large-scale special events. She's delighted to make her Arts Club debut in Spamalot. Liz would like to thank her family and husband Kevin for all their support. Jonathan Winsby ~ Galahad Jonathan is simply delighted to be once again treading the boards of his beloved Stanley with the wonderful cast of Monty Python’s Spamalot. Previous productions with the Arts Club include Les Misérables, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Company, Miss Saigon, and My Fair Lady. Other productions in Canada and the US include Les Misérables (Mirvish/Mackintosh - Toronto), Camelot (Stratford Festival, Ontario), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Stratford and Broadway). Jonathan is fortunate to have performed around the world but truly blessed to have found his grail where it all began. Much love to Dad, Mom, BGMOS, AM&T, and the three little ladies. @jonathanwinsby

Dean Paul Gibson ~ Director DPG’s selected directing credits include She Stoops to Conquer, Xanadu, The 39 Steps, Black Comedy, The History Boys, It's A Wonderful Life, The School for Scandal and A Flea in Her Ear (Arts Club), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King John, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Romeo and Juliet,Hamlet, and many more (Bard on the Beach), 7 Stories, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Theatre Calgary),Toronto, Mississippi, True West, No Great Mischief, and Noises Off (The Playhouse), The Boyfriend (Studio 58), Lend Me a Tenor, Good Night Desdemona–Good Morning Juliet (Gateway Theatre). As an actor, Dean has also been seen onstage (most recently in Major Barbara for ACT/Theatre Calgary) and in various film and TV roles. Dean has been honoured with awards for his acting and directing and is a graduate of Studio 58. Ken Cormier ~ Musical Director/Keyboard Ken's most recent appearance as Music Director at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage was in last summer's Dreamgirls. He has previously served in the same capacity in productions of The Producers, Hairspray, and High Society, and has worked (with Bruce Kellett) as Associate Music Director of White Christmas and Next to Normal. As well, Ken has played keyboards for numerous other Arts Club productions, including Mary Poppins, Les Misérables, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Singin’ in the Rain, Evita, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Ken began his professional career as a repetiteur with Vancouver Opera. He then played in Livent’s Vancouver runs of Showboat, Sunset Boulevard, and Phantom of the Opera. Since 1998, Ken has also worked with Vancouver’s internationally acclaimed men’s choir Chor Leoni. Lisa Stevens ~ Choreographer Some of Lisa’s favourite credits include Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5: The Musical (US/UK tours); the world premieres of Disney’s High School Musical (US tour, UK tour, West End, Japan, Spain and Australia) and Disney’s High School Musical 2 (US/UK tours); The First Wives’ Club (The Old Globe, Sandiego); Cutman, a Boxing Musical (Goodspeed Opera House), Choreographer and Associate Director (US Tour) and Associate Chorographer, Bombay Dreams (Broadway and West End). Off-Broadway credits include Bingo! The Musical, and NYMF Common Grounds (Best Choreography Award). Regionally, Lisa has choreographed Xanadu for the Arts Club; Mary Poppins (Citadel); Fiddler on the Roof (Jessie Richardson Award), Hello, Dolly!, The Music Man (Vancouver Playhouse, Jessie nominations); Cats, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Anne of Green Bables, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Beel (Theatre Calgary, Betty nominations). Other: 2010 Olympics (victory ceremonies), feature film Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2, The Swinging Nutcracker (CBC), Top of the Pops (BBC), Director/Choreographer Bollywood Cowboy, The Royal Variety Performance for her Majesty, the Queen. Upcoming: Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5: The Musical, West End. www.lisastevens.biz. Marshall McMahen ~ Set Design Marshall is pleased to return to the Arts Club after designing sets for last season's Avenue Q. His designs have been seen around Vancouver and BC, including All the Way Home (Electric Company, Jessie Award for Outstanding Set Design), Chelsea Hotel (Firehall Arts Centre), The King and I (Gateway), several productions with Caravan Farm Theatre, It's a Wonderful Life and Joseph (Chemainus), Out In the Open (Green Thumb), and several operas. Marshall is a member of Associated Designers of Canada, a graduate of UBC, an Associate Artist with Raven Theatre, and of course, a Monty Python fan. www.marshallmcmahen.com

Gerald King ~ Lighting Design Recently for the Arts Club, Gerald has designed Boeing-Boeing, Xanadu and Don Quixote. Other recent credits include Far But Close for Dance Theatre of Harlem, A Simple Way for Kokoro Dance, Madama Butterfly for Opera Omaha, La Bohème and Romeo et Juliette for Vancouver Opera; Tosca and Carmen for Pacific Opera Victoria. In theatre: Anne of Green Gables and Cats for Theatre Calgary; Educating Rita and Ubuntu for Western Canada Theatre; Hamlet and Twelfth Night for Bard on The Beach ; Legally Blonde and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for Theatre Under the Stars and Salmon Row for Mortal Coil. Rebekka Sørensen-Kjelstrup ~ Costume Coordinator Rebekka is a costume and set design BFA graduate of UBC; she works as a designer in the theatre and film industry. Rebekka just finished working on a TV series called Signed Sealed Delivered with Eric Mabius from Ugly Betty. Rebekka has also worked on feature films such as Endangered. She is a member of ADC, and she has been nominated for a number of Jessie Awards. In 2007, she won for Best Costume Design, Large Theatre, for her work on The School for Scandal (Arts Club), and in 2006 for her work on Enchanted April (Arts Club). Some of her previous credits for the Arts Club are She Stoops to Conquer, The 39 Steps, Buddy, It's a Wonderful Life, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Diary of Anne Frank, Miss Saigon, and A Flea in Her Ear. She thanks the wardrobe department for all their great work, her husband for all his support, and her three little girls, who brings so much love and joy into her life. Andy Horka ~ Sound Design Andy is delighted to be back at the Arts Club on this exciting production of Spamalot! Andy’s design credits include, for the 5th Avenue Theatre, White Christmas, Company, Wonderful Town, The Sound of Music, Miss Saigon, and Singin’ in the Rain; for the Arts Club, Altar Boyz, The Optimists and The Diary of Anne Frank; for the Richmond Gateway Theatre The Tiger of Malaya, The Kitchen Witches, The Secret Garden, Here on the Flight Path, Lend Me a Tenor, Sleuth, The King & I, Pumpboys & Dinettes (Jessie Award nominated), The Sound of Music, Oliver, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Forever Plaid (Jessie Award winning production); for Institutional Theatre Productions The Tao of Ron. As an engineer Andy worked on the touring productions of Riverdance, Rent, and Annie Get Your Gun, and many shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, and Orpheum. Caryn Fehr ~ Stage Manager Most recently, Caryn stage managed Proud at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria, Mary Poppins, Other Desert Cities, Dreamgirls, and 2 Pianos 4 Hands at the Stanley. Projects elsewhere include Glory Days at The Cultch and The Fantasticks and The Love List at The Playhouse. In addition to touring with productions throughout Canada and to Ireland, she has also worked locally with the New Play Centre, Carousel Theatre, Touchstone Theatre, Axis Theatre, the Fringe Festival, TheatreSports, and Solo Collective. Caryn is proud to have received the Mary Phillips Prize—a Jessie for Behind the Scenes Achievement. Pamela Jakobs ~ Assistant Stage Manager Happy 50 Years Arts Club! Some of Pamela’s past shows that she had the pleasure to work on over the last 19 years include: Swing, Amadeus, My Fair Lady, Enchanted April, The Diary of Anne Frank, Enchanted April, The Penelopiad, Les Misérables, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Stanley Theatre, and Miracle Mother, Sitting on Paradise, It’s Snowing on Saltspring, Forever Plaid, and It’s a Wonderful Life. Pamela is a two-time Jessie nominee and a graduate of the BFA Theatre programme at UBC. She would like to thank her husband Craig and her daughter Rose for all their support.

THE ORCHESTRA Graham Boyle ~ Percussion Favourite Arts Club productions include White Christmas, Dreamgirls, Les Misérables, The Producers, Company, Gypsy, Cabaret, Funny Girl, My Fair Lady, and Cookin’ at The Cookery. Graham has been heard on thousands of jingles, over a dozen film scores, numerous CDs and several television series, including MacGyver and Lonesome Dove. Recently, he performed on a song featured in Disney’s hit movie Ratatouille. Other career highlights include recording and touring with k.d. lang, touring with Jann Arden, and accompanying jazz legend Chet Baker on his final two visits to Vancouver. Henry Christian ~ Trumpet Henry has a Bachelor of Music from Western Washington University and is active in both the classical and commercial scenes in Vancouver. He has played on countless jingles and can be heard on many CDs including recordings by Aerosmith, Sam Roberts, and Paul Brandt. Recent highlights include Tosca with Vancouver Opera and backing up Barbra Streisand. Henry has also played in many Arts Club productions including White Christmas, Gypsy, Miss Saigon, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret, The Producers, Les Misérables, Buddy, Dreamgirls, and Mary Poppins. Doug Balfour ~ Keyboard Recently for the Arts Club, Doug served as Sound Designer for Intimate Apparel at the Granville Island Stage and played in the bands of Altar Boyz and four seasons of White Christmas. Previously he has appeared at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage with the award winning big band for Swing, and music-directed Hotel Porter. Music Director credits include Forever Plaid, Ain't Misbehavin', Pump Boys and Dinettes, and Rock and Roll. Doug is active as an accompanist, playing chamber music, and backing many of Vancouver's top jazz singers. Sasha Niechoda ~ Keyboard/Keyboard Programming As a professional musician for over 25 years, Sasha’s Toronto credits include productions for Livent Inc., Mirvish Productions, and the Shaw Festival including The Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime, Sunset Blvd., Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia, and many others. Since returning home to Vancouver in 2002, Sasha has played and programmed keyboards for The Sound of Music, The King and I, The Secret Garden, A Chorus Line, and Mamma Mia; as well as Little Shop of Horrors, Evita, Jacques Brel, Miss Saigon, Company, The Producers, Suds, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables, Hairspray, and Dreamgirlsfor the Arts Club, as well as Altar Boyz, Buddy, and Blood Brothers, for which he also served as Musical Director. Andrew Poirier ~ Trombone Andrew hails from Lewisporte, Newfoundland. An accomplished trombonist, Andrew began his musical studies in the Salvation Army. After earning a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia, he continued his education at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music earning a Master of Music Degree in Orchestral Performance. Andrew has studied with legendary trombonists Mark Lawrence, Gordon Cherry and Kenneth Knowles. In addition to maintaining an active schedule as an orchestral musician, Andrew has recorded and toured extensively with the Canadian chamber music ensemble iTromboni. He is also the trombonist, manager and chief arranger of the Vancouver Brass Project.