In 1960 public expectations for Camelot were high, It being Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s follow-up show to the all-conquering My Fair Lady.
In truth It only became a hit thanks to the star performance from Richard Burton as King Arthur in this strange interpretation of the old English legends.
West Wickham Operatic Society revived the show last week as part of Its 60th anniversary season. Wonderful to look at and to hear, it sadly served to demonstrate the essential shortcomings of the piece.
Spectacle
To begin positively this was a great spectacle thanks to a collection of sumptuous costurnes shown off to good effect by Penny Heather’s choreogrophy in the formal court dance sequences and a ballet of woodland spirits serving the vlllainous Morgan Le Fay. Blessed with a confident and able chorus, the production’s set pieces were vibrant and well thought-out.
There was no shortage of singing ability either but none of the principals were ever going to be seriously stretched by the undemanding score.
Ron Leagas as Arthur, Angela Fellows as Guenevere and Georg Tormann as Lancelot were all in good form and there was a notable contribution from Stephen Rutttey as Arthur’s evil son, Mordred. Camelot is an uneasy mix of rather witless humour and grand passion which even the most accomplished team would be hard pressed to combine to one coherent production. Sheila Arden’s direction was too cautious and the show could have been lifted by much grander gestures and a lot more business.
A plodding pace was broken abruptly when Kevin Gauntlett appeared as the comic King Pellinore and he went on to breath much-needed Ilfe into any scene in which he appeared.
Elswhere the main players played too much to themselves and with a strange lack of either majesty, comedy or romance. Guenevere’s divided loyalties in love between her king and the dashing Lancelot were never adequately broadcast and, in a different dimension, Tim Maunder’s wonderfully painted Merlin was lacking in magic to match his imposing stage presence. Arthur should also have been advised to leave his wristwatch in the dressing room on opening night.
Ian Skipper kept a tight rein on the pit orchestra which acquitted itself well, bar a few rogue note, from the brass section
Darryl McCarthy
Kentish Times
The West Wickham Operatic Society will know, from their Gilbert & Sullivan past, all about the taking of elements all that is fusible and melting them down in a pipkin or crucible.
The Lerner & Loewe extravagant Arthurian fantasy certainly presents a stiff challenge in this direction. Blending whimsy and philosophy, romance and pantomimic buffoonery, it seems at times a perfect hotch-potch, held together only by the power of mythic dreaming.
Sheila Arden’s production is something of a triumph of style, even if it finds some of its elements stubbornly unfusible. It is held on a free rein of convention; with Ron Leagas’ magnificently imposing King Arthur bestriding his world of chivalry like a Colossus.
Though a man with profound doubts, he is every inch the King, and acts it to the top of his bent in his ringing credo in the Great Hall.
Angela Fellows is a pliant and comely Guenevere, something of a Tory wife with a redeeming sense of irony. She sings beautifully too. She goes from scorning Lancelot to loving him in two easy lessons, in which task she is aided by Georg Tormann’s transformation from the pattern of vainglory to the dignity of renunciation.
The anguish of Tim Maunder’s Merlyn as his magic slips away has the ring of conviction; while humour, sometimes broad, is ladled out by Kevin Gauntlett as the tetchy King Pellinore, with a tatterdemalion crown on his head and a scene-stealing dog at his feet.
Steven Ruttley’s supercilious Mordred takes us, in the Forest scene, straight into the realms of
panto, with a touch of enchantment from the dancers and, from Emma Arden’s Morgan Le Fey, a passable impersonation of the Wicked Fairy.
Fabulous costumes and Penny Heather’s fine choreography are compelling advertisements for the production, as is the orchestra’s professional polish under MD Ian Skipper.
Donald Madgwick
Croydon Advertiser
What a magical evening.The difficulties of staging “Camelot” presented no problems to you and the smooth running of the many complex scones was admirable. Congratulations to everyone who worked on the show, in whatever capacity.
SHEILA ARDEN’s production was sumptuous and faultless, with elegant and graceful staging for both Principals and Chorus. The story was presented clearly and movingly and the stage effects were superb. The flying of Nimue and the building of the invisible wall around Arthur in the forest were both outstanding. PENNY HEATHER, as CHOREOGRAPHER, sustained the magical feel to the show with her skillful dance routines for the nymphs and satyrs and added elegant movement for the Chorus. The third member of the production team, IAN SKIPPER brought fine music to an excellent show. The orchestra was rich and
everyone on stage sang with enormous confidence. Between then they brought the Age of Chivalry to life.
Outstandingly good was RON LEAGAS as KING ARTHUR. His singing
was impressive, particularly “How to Handle a Woman”, and his acting was most moving, displaying all the facets of this complex man. Lis GUENEVERE was beautifully played by ANGELA FELLOWS, her girlishness at the beginning giving way to misery at the end but maintaining throughout a regal air and demeanour. Both actors are to be con gratulated on very fine perfornances.
TIM MAUNDER’ s MERLYN was not the white haired old man one so often sees depicted, but a younger and very powerful Time Lord. I liked the different view of Merlyn and he gave an excellent performance - albeit too short. What a pity the character has to disappear so early in the show.
LANCELOT is such a serious, earnest man. GEORG TORMANN was able to bring these characteristics to the role as well as looking handsome and singing beautifully. He also managed to fight in armour without appearance comical - a very difficult task. He was the “gentil, parfait knight”. Well done.
It was a pleasure to see KEVIN GAUNTLETT’s old and droll PELLINORE. There was a gentleness and kindness about his characterisation which used the comedy to the full but blended so well with the other players. A lovely performance.
We had a nasty, sneering MORDRED from STEVEN RUTTLEY. The character would clearly have benefitted from some serious psychiatric counselling and it is to Steven’s credit that he made the man so unlikeable. It was esactly what was required.
EMMA ARDEN’s MORGAN LE FAY was sexy and rapacious and looked wonderful but she brought out the evil side of her very well. You could almost call her the Bad Fairy. The Good Fairy, however, is undoubtedly NIMUE and BETSY PENNININGTON’s singing here was beautiful. Suspended high above the stage as she was, it can’t have been easy but there was no sign of strain in the voice and it certainly gave an ethereal, other worldly feel to the scene.
In days of old, when knights were bold CHRIS ARDEN, DAVID HODGSON and MARK LEACH could, on this evidence, have taken their places without difficulty. As SIR DINADAN, SIR SAGRAMORE and SIR LIONEL respectively, their singing was first class and they swaggered so well. The LADY ANNE and the LADY SYBIL were well played by KERRY BOTT and CHARLOTTE WEBSTER and ROBIN HAZELTON was a very tuneful BALLAD SINGER. SIR CLARIUS and the SCOTTISH KNIGHT (a refugee from the Scottish Play, perhaps?) were also well done by ROBERT HEATHER and GEORGE McCRACKEN, as was the tiny cameo of SQUIRE DAP by BRYAN RANDALL.
JONATHAN FAINT, who played TOM OF WARWICK on the night I attended, was very good and I’m sure ADAM BENNETT, who played him on the other nights, was equally as good. COLUMBO’s perfornance as ORRID was scene stealing, it goes without saying.
The CHORUS work was excellent. Their grace and their wonderful singing was enormously enjoyable and they peopled the stage well, despite the !imitated opportunities afforded them. They were such an important part, never just a backing to the Principals, and I must congratulate then on their hard work. The SCENERY was seen to great advantage on the large stage and was a wonderful foil for the action, while the COSTUMES were, quite simply, magnificent. Their colour and richness were a feast for the eye and the number of changes were staggering.
But very special mention must be made of the LIGHTING DESIGN by IAN GRAVES. It was superb, always adding atmosphere and wonderful effects to create and sustain the magic.
Despite the length of the show, it seemed to pass in a moment, and when it was over I was reluctant to meet the real world. Thank you very much indeed for a memorable evening.
Valerie Jarvis
NODA
