Judy Russell is sharing the spam. The Prince George musical theatre director has done something new for the city, in the final days before her next major opening night. She is importing a large portion of the set from a professional theatre company in Vancouver.
The hit musical Spamalot turned iconic British comedy group Monty Python into Broadway stars after already knocking the world's film and television audiences on their funnybones. Their trademark comedy is silly on the surface but carries a complex load of satire and wit underneath. The music is likewise critically acclaimed for it's layers of melody and lyrical smarts, but as easygoing as a campfire singalong.
Russell felt the performance elements of the play were coming together so well it was worth upping the audience effects. While she has skilled set builders on her production team, she knew there was a set already in existence that was nothing short of "amazing" down at the Stanley Theatre in Vancouver where the Arts Club Theatre Company (ACTC) had just done their version of the show.
Just before Russell's set crew was about to start hammering, painting and sawing, her phone rang. It was the ACTC.
"They told us 'We are ripping down our beautiful set, I know you guys are doing the show next. Do you want it?' and even though it cost us a lot more to do it this way, it was an offer we just couldn't pass up. These sets are just so good," Russell said.
They are set pieces different than what most Prince George productions have typically used in the past. These rely on components called 'flies' that rise and drop on a pulley system. These are not totally foreign at the Prince George Playhouse, but no play done there has ever used so many in one production.
Russell considered this a good way to develop her backstage crew as well, since the proliferation of these flies would require them to use new skills. "We have to do some lighting redesign and build some lighting structures to make all these flies work, and the shipment didn't come with everything we need so we still have to build some things ourselves but it still saves us a lot of effort overall."
It also opens new channels of communication in the B.C. theatre community. Russell said she sent some set and costume items from her production of Les Miserables off to Prince Rupert and Kelowna for Les Mis renditions done there. She has also imported a few finishing touches before from theatre companies that already had some items befitting past productions, but this was an inspiring new level of sharing.
"It's about building relationships," said Russell. "This is a great way for theatre to be self-sustaining - by looking out for each other and helping each other. It's great, I want to see this done a lot more in the future, because you don't have to start completely from scratch every time."
When it is a belly-laughter project like Spamalot, she said, it might surprise the audience to know so much effort has to go into the sets, lighting, sound, costumes and other static frames the performers have to work within. "But the shocking truth is, the technical demands of this show are even greater than for Les Mis."
Spamalot opens on July 22 and runs to Aug. 2. Tickets are on sale now at Studio 2880.
