October sees Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn hosting a production of Monty Python’s Spamalot - Eric Idle’s absurd retelling of the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. 
The hit show is being presented by Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company, a much-loved organisation which has a century of stage productions under its belt. What’s On spoke to three of the company’s long-standing members to find out more...

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Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company (SMTC) has been producing shows in the region for over 100 years. This autumn, they are staging Monty Python’s Spamalot - a comedy retelling of the legend of King Arthur.

What’s On caught up with three of SMTC’s company directors - Scott Sutherland, Joanne Young and Karen Muxworthy - to find out more about the production, and the inner workings of a successful amateur dramatics theatre company.

“We were founded in 1923 by a lady who called herself Madame Rina Robinson,” explains Karen, who is responsible for the company’s PR. “She was a singing teacher, and she wanted to get some of her students together and put on a production. She picked a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta - they did The Gondoliers at the County Theatre. It grew from there, and 102 years later, here we are! We've gone from light opera to Hollywood-themed shows in the 1950s and 60s, to modern musical theatre productions. We’ve come a long way, but we’re still a community group.” 

Just weeks before their opening night, the trio are not only clearly buzzing with anticipation, but also glowing with pride for their hard-working company.

“We have a choreographer, Megan Austin, who's really brought the numbers to life, so there's lots of dancing,” says Jo, who is directing the production. “The cast have absolutely risen to the occasion. Not only is it looking good, but it’s sounding good too, thanks to our hardworking MD, Brandon Corfield. We have a stunning cast and really great production team, so it's all pulling together very nicely.” 

Scott, who is the Managing Director,  thinks that Spamalot will be a big hit with the people of Shrewsbury, and beyond: “We thought it would appeal to Shropshire audiences. Monty Python is not quite as prominent as 10 or 15 years ago, but the show was on some years ago and it sold very well. It’s just so much fun - everyone's just laughing in rehearsals.”

Jo agrees: “I think it's a testament that in auditions, we had lots more people coming forward saying, ‘I want to audition, but I don't care if I don't get the part, because I want to be involved.’ There are a lot of people who really love Monty Python who have joined us for this.”

The musical, written by Python member Eric Idle and ‘lovingly ripped off’ from the 1975 film Monty Python And The Holy Grail, features choice comedy moments from the troupe’s back catalogue.

“There are so many significant moments from Monty Python throughout it, all of which have equal billing,” explains Jo. “The one that I'm eager to make sure we get right is the Black Knight scene, when he has his limbs chopped off and ends up limbless on the stage, singing Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.”

Scott and Karen will both be appearing in the production, with Karen in the ensemble and Scott playing two very different characters.

“I’m playing Dennis and Sir Galahad,” he explains. “It's a split role. I change from a muddied man with a brain into a knight who is very handsome - so I've got some work to do there!”

All three directors are naturally passionate about the company and heavily involved in getting the shows on the road. Karen had previous experience with a smaller scale am-dram society in East Sussex, before joining the ensemble of The Wizard Of Oz in 2021.

“I'd never been involved in anything on that sort of scale before,” she says. “I got involved with the marketing side of things - I obtained lottery funding and project managed our centenary project. That was my route to being a company director, because of my passion for the organisation.”

Jo joined in 1980, performing in The King & I when the company was still operating under the name of Shrewsbury Amateur Operatic Society (SAOS): “I was on the committee and did various bits - I was New Members Secretary, I worked on the publicity subcommittee. I had to stop because I had a daughter and I was working full time. About five or six years ago, I rejoined. I think with my history, and my drama background, I was sort of co-opted on to become a director of the company - and I'm very glad I have been!”

After performing with another society in Telford, Scott was lured by the opportunity to perform in a more professional theatre: “I joined SAOS to be in their production of Oliver!, after which we did Titanic. Then I had two children and left musical theatre for quite a while. I came back in 2019 to do Jesus Christ Superstar, which just fell at the right time for me and was an exciting show to be in. I did that, and I’ve not looked back.”

According to Scott, it’s not just the cast that makes Spamalot a home-grown production: “Our set is being made by a local company called All In One Productions. They're really wanting to make a good job of it, to showcase what they can do. We've got a really nice working relationship with them.”

Looking to the future, SMTC has a record-breaking three musical productions planned for 2026. After the Spamalot run, auditions will be held for the main roles in Calendar Girls: The Musical, to be performed in April. 

SMTC will then produce two musicals in Autumn 2026, starting with Come From Away at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn.

“And we're also doing We Will Rock You - The Queen Musical - in Telford,” says Scott. “We've decided to do a bit of a move out of the area, to try to generate a new audience and share what we do with a different audience. And hopefully it's not too far for our regular audience to come along as well.”

Creating two large-scale productions within a month of each other next autumn will be no small feat, but it’s an exciting challenge that SMTC are ready to undertake.

“There'll be a central coordination point for both productions, which will probably fall on us three.” Scott says. “But then we're hoping to have different directors, different musical directors, different production teams - and the backstage teams will help each other. The We Will Rock You crowd will come and help backstage at Come From Away, and vice versa.” 

Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company is driven by people who are truly enthusiastic about their work - and, as Karen says, the company is ready to welcome anyone and everyone who shares that passion.

“We're one of several musical theatre companies in Shrewsbury itself, all of whom are brilliant and put on fantastic shows. But the difference with us is that we are a non-profit-making community group. People can be involved, no matter what experience or skills they've got, whatever abilities or disabilities they've got. There's no audition to be part of the ensemble. We audition for specific roles, but we're a very inclusive company.”

Anyone who wants to express their interest in joining the company can do so on the Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company website. The website lists information about a production’s available parts, but the company is equally keen to find people who would like to get involved behind the scenes.

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Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company presents Monty Python’s Spamalot at the town’s Theatre Severn from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 October... To find out more about the company, including how to join, visit shrewsmusicals.co.uk

By Jessica Clixby