Telling the traditional tale of the founding, and subsequent end, of the Round Table and its knights at Camelot, the relationships between King Arthur and Queen Guenevere and later between Guenevere and Lancelot du Lac, this is fundamentally a romantic musical - despite a sad ending. However, the book is something of a hotch-potch, having been through several re-writes by different writers. The combination of romance, infidelity, mysticism and a wise-cracking element in the script do not sit well. The central moment, where Lancelot raises a knight from the dead, beggars belief, while dialogue such as: "The knights of my order will ride all over the world, still dressed in armour and whacking away" mixes formality with colloquialism a step too far! It is still over-long despite many efforts to cut it down to a manageable size. Being such an expensive show to mount, one would expect it to be undertaken only by the richest groups. The demand for medieval costume, armour and weapons, banners, a round table of large dimension and a variety of realistic and mystical scenes is cruel because the work relies for success to a considerable extent on magnificent presentation.
Presentation
A tremendous effort was made in presenting the show. The hall was reversed to make room for a table of large circumference which also acted as an acting area. It was surrounded by a small platform Stage Right where some interior scenes took place; a railed balcony across the rear-stage and a large structure composed of a raised ‘box’ with broad steps surrounding - all these being useful to the staging of the show. These elements would have fitted the ideas better had they been curved, thus reinforcing the idea of life revolving around the table. Very limited space remained on the stage for use as an acting area causing considerable squeezing when the chorus were onstage. But so complicated a structure as the ‘table’ where a great deal of the action took place, ought to have been made for rehearsal - at least skeletally.
Furniture and properties were supplied suitably. There was an effort to create a period sense here. Weaponry was in very short supply. While Excalibur looked splendid, very few swords, pikes etc were available and there were no banners, important in the jousting scene.
Lighting
This was a very big area to light. The overall wash in daylight scenes was not quite bright enough, but area lighting was well-focussed and the mystical Merlyn and Nimue were atmospheric and imaginative. More romantic lighting was necessary for ‘love’ songs. Cueing was excellent.
Sound & Effects
Pick-up and relay appeared to be having problems from time to time. Volume, and consequently audibility, varied considerably.
Costume
Knights looked well in armour, except for Lancelot who, upon his first entrance was given a gorget which unfortunately gave him a stomach. They needed tabards indicating identity and/or surcoats in some scenes. Tunics ought to have been mid-calf length in this society. Gothic costume is characterised by long lines. Short tunics belong either to labourers or to 15th Century. Leggings were right. Ladies were costumed in various period which might be termed vaguely medieval and wore suitable head-dresses.
Make Up
Men ought to have been beardless. No-one in this court would have worn whiskers, except Merlin and Pellenore. Once Guenevere was married she should have ceased wearing her hair completely loose. Make up in general was adequate for the lighting.
Stage Management
Appeared to be very well-organised.
Orchestra
The orchestra were ably led by a discrete but musically sensitive MD. Good, bright tempi were used in upbeat numbers while ballads reflected some nice legato phrasing. Cueing of effects and of intros was good. Tuning was a difficulty at times. The MD was not well-placed to guide singers and her position had been insufficiently considered in direction.
Chorus
After a shaky opening which was out of time, choral singing improved to some degree but only in the men’s number ‘Fie On Goodness’ did the chorus ever even approach the necessary attack. The ‘joust’ number was well-rehearsed and clear - important in a number where lyrics narrate the story - eye-direction was clear and they were able to suggest a certain poignancy in the final ‘Guenevere’ number of the finale was in the right mood. ‘The lusty month of May’ was insufficiently lusty. It is unfortunate when a few choral singers appear unfamiliar with the words. This ‘big’ musical needed singing in a much more expansive and attacking style.
Singing
After a rather uncertain start to ‘ I Wonder What The King’, which got out of time, Arthur improved greatly. ‘Simple Folk’ was nicely light and tripping and, by the reprise of ‘Camelot’ he was more comfortable and confident. Guenevere’s intro to the ‘May’ number was sweetly sung as was ‘Before I Gaze’. ‘Take Me To the Fair’ was slow. It dragged because the interjections of dialogue needed to be twice as sharp and speedy. Mordred’s number was clearly communicated while Lancelot sang too timidly in ‘C’est Moi’ which needed arrogance, while giving a quietly restrained account of ‘If Ever I Would Leave You.’
Movement and Dance
Very little dance was possible. Nymphs danced briefly and suitably in a gaily graceful manner performing a simple sequence well. The chorus tried hard to appear poised and stately when necessary. Travelling over long entrances and exits was quiet and discrete. It is best to avoid distracting by-play when audience attention is required elsewhere. The posture of some of the younger men was droopy and lacked energy where it ought to have suggested both gallantry and grace. Heads poked forward, shoulders were rounded. The posture required in a musical has to be very upright, lightly poised and delicately balanced while having that alertness and controlled tension of energy under control. Women’s movement was appreciably better-suited to period. Knees ought to be flexed before the show so they don’t go off like pistol-shots!
Production
That this is a most difficult show with serious cracks in its structure is readily acknowledged. It is always a struggle to make it work. And struggle the director did.
While he showed imagination in his notions of how to stage the show, and his use of the ‘table’ as an acting-area was a splendid idea, the problems arising from so large a setting with difficult access needed to be more carefully thought through in the planning stage. A show mounted in May is always going to have daylight problems so, beginning with characters taking position in semi-darkness when they could be seen tended to undermine the impact of the opening and some other scenes. Huge distances had to be covered in some entrances and exits, having a marked effect upon continuity. Production cannot afford breaks in continuity. Whatever dramatic tension has been achieved evaporates while the audience waits. It comes as a surprise that this talented director could not find better ways to solve problems of fluency - perhaps a shortage of time was a factor?
Having created a large acting area, it is important to use it to the full. But, because of difficulties of access, even to the mounting of the ‘table’, much of the action was confined to small areas or staged circling the table halfhidden. Scenes squeezed on to the rostrum St. R. ought to have been staged centrally, on the table and there ought to have been much greater freedom of movement. When intimacy is required, closing-down lighting tightly is by far the best option.
Only the barest minimum of action was created. Where it was seen, such as in the ‘knighting’ scene and the ‘jousting’ as well as, in spite of spatial problems, the effective capture by Morgan, it gave the show a much-needed lift. Do keep the most important character Stage Centre as, for example, in the Nimue scene where she ought to be the focus, not the nymphs. The director and designer need to think harder about the positioning of the MD. All singers need guidance or they get out of time or become anxious about entries. Moreover, once the show is ‘on’ it moves out of the hands of the director into the hands of the MD. She is in charge. How can she direct when half the cast have their backs to her? Contradictory elements in the writing of the show were not easily reconciled - not the fault of the director. The mixture of mysticism, high romanticism and almost burlesque comedy taxes any director. There seems no doubt that only ‘star’ casting rescued the show on Broadway. Most successful were the comedy scenes which were played with relish.
THE HAGS moved threateningly but tended to fade their utterances.
KNIGHTS needed to be purposefully heroic, especially in movement, looking keenly and eagerly for dragons, as it were.
OTHER PARTS were adequately and suitably filled.
Effort, Originality and Attainment
A little more time spent in the initial preparations for the show would have foreseen and solved difficulties which arose. The committee, who doubtless do their best to select winners, are urged to give greater critical consideration to what is within their budget, capability to stage, script and casting and to see there is sufficient time to plan thoroughly. That said, the company did its utmost to create the show successfully.
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