Camelot

Camelot lives or dies depending on its leading man. With David Higgins as King Arthur, MLOC had a natural comic with a winning personality and he was a triumph. Being such a good comic, I worried that he might not be able to do the pathos, but the second act was a dramatic tour de force.

As Guinevere, Susie McCann looked the part, but her beautiful voice was a little uneven. Perhaps the role didn’t sit comfortably for her. However we felt the emotional torment of being torn between the two men. She got to sing “Before I gaze at you again” and “I loved you once in silence”, the song which replaced it in the film, but Lancelot wasn’t there to sing to for either, which detracted from their impact.

This is the second production I have encountered where the Lancelot has been a tall, good-looking, athletic crooner. It doesn’t work. Without a strong voice, it’s hard to believe that Lancelot is the macho super-hero he claims to be. With Robert Goulet (or even better, Nathan Gunn – check him out on youtube) being unavailable, Peter Phillips did as well as he could, though I felt an occasional sneaked kiss would have helped convey the passion he felt for Guinevere. His voice was pleasant but unsuitable.

Other roles were generally well taken, with special mention of Bill Irvine as a very funny Pellinore and Phil Lam as a creepy Mordred. The diction was good. The chorus was enthusiastically involved in the action though not always in tune. The orchestra was out of sight at the back of the stage and a bit muffled. After some shaky bits in the overture they seemed to do well.

The shallow stage was used effectively, with some flies and a static castle. There were a lot of entrances through the audience. But the success of this production was mainly due to the outstanding David Higgins.

Graham Ford

MLOC Productions final production for 2011 was Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot, the story of King Arthur, Guenevere, Sir Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table.

MLOC’s set comprised a castle wall at rear of stage where some entries were made via the ramparts, two towers and an open foreground.

David Higgins gave a good portrayal of King Arthur, from a somewhat simple man on the eve of his wedding to the mature King worried about his plans and the feelings between Guenevere and Lancelot.

McCann gave an amazing peformance as Guenevere; she has great stage presence, wonderful acting expertise and a strong, clear voice.

Peter Phillips was Sir Lancelot, another player with a good stage personality, fine acting and a pleasant clear voice. Phillips shared a good rapport both with McCann and Higgins.

Bill Irvine captured the essence of the eccentric King Pellinore in an expert interpretation. Geoff Earle displayed a good presence as Merlyn working well with Higgins in the first scene before being trapped in a tree from then on.

Phil Lam played the villain of the piece, Mordred, well and energetically, as an evil melodrama villain complete with moustache and cape.

The sound engineer got the balance correct between the singers and the orchestra resulting in the clarity of the singers, who were not drowned out by the orchestra.

A successful evening of theatre by MLOC and one of those musicals where the audience departs the theatre singing or humming the show’s popular numbers.

Peter Kemp

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