“Everything works — Laura Burton’s music direction, Jesse Robb’s choreography, David Boechler’s costume and set design, Renée Brode’s lighting, and Sean Nieuwenhuis’s projections. The score itself provides an infinite variety of catchy tunes and laugh-out-loud lyrics.

Yes, Spamalot is silly. Yes, it is irreverent. Yes, it is inane. But the moment you see that line of chanting monks hitting themselves in the head with their prayer books, you know you are in for a treat.”

“A lot of care has gone into the Stratford production to ensure that this will be the most hilarious evening you have in the theatre this summer…

Rider-Shaw showed she has a knack for comedy that matches her excellence in singing, and that unbeatable combination is on full display…

Tobin has a rich, resonant voice as anyone will know who saw him in at the Grand Theatre, London, in Elf in 2013 or Shrek in 2014.”

“Eddie Glen’s portrayal of Arthur’s sidekick Patsy is comedic gold, especially in the hilarious expressions he gives his King during ‘I’m All Alone’.

Jennifer Rider-Shaw’s impeccable comic timing shines through in her performances of ‘Diva’s Lament’ and ‘The Song That Goes Like This’ (which playfully pokes fun at Lloyd Webber’s shows).”

“What elevates the show, and incidentally makes it apt programming for a theatre festival, is that “Spamalot” is also a very clever send-up of musicals themselves…

Just how silly and irreverent is “Spamalot”? Right after Rider-Shaw’s Lady of the Lake sings her sweet opening number — which wouldn’t be out of place in a show like “Phantom of the Opera” — her nymph-like companions transform themselves into “Laker Girls” (get it?) for a cleverly choreographed and costumed football cheer. (Choreographer is Jesse Robb, costumes are by David Boechler.)”

“This is not a musical that will challenge you and make you think. It’s fun and it’s silly.

That said, it’s a non-stop good time, and it’s simplicity ironically adds a dash of profundity. Songs like “I’m All Alone” and “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” are comedic first, but they also have a way of connecting directly to your soul. And sometimes your soul just needs a good laugh.”

” Jennifer Rider-Shaw attacks her role with a boldness that befits such an independent-minded and strong-willed female in a truly backward medieval era, belting out her show stopping numbers with awe inspiring style, gutsy emotion, and power…

“Jonathan Goad’s Shakespearean background gave his portrayal of King Arthur an underlying gravitas and authority that helped bolster the round-table knights’ divine mission while inflating the king’s sense of self-importance…

Whether you’re a fan of Monty Python, a comedy nerd, a music-and-dance aficionado or you’re simply not dead yet, Monty Python’s Spamalot at the Stratford Festival delivers a fun, funny and entertaining performance on all fronts.”

“While basically following the plot of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” Spamalot throws in a few additional elements, like the ever-popular “Always Look On The Bright Side,” along with some arch and quite amusing commentary on the cliches of Broadway musicals.

There are clever parodies of bits from Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, and probably a few others I missed…

Eddie Glen as King Arthur’s coconut-clopping sidekick Patsy, in one of his all-to-infrequent appearances on Festival stages, gives a master class in how to steal a scene. His turn in “I’m All Alone” is ever so subtly priceless.”