Artisans and actors prepare for upcoming Stratford Festival season

With the Stratford Festival’s opening night still about two months away, rehearsals and designs are well underway for this year’s shows.

Hundreds of artisans and designers are busy working behind the scenes to pull off a world-class production.

“Sometimes I tell people, anything that is not an actor is my job,” said David Boechler, the set and costume designer for Spamalot.

Along with his creative team, Boechler puts together sketches for the production. He then gives those plans to other artisans who turn ideas into reality.

Melanie Farrar is a cutter and is tasked with making those concepts into a costume.

“It’s very creative, but it’s also very technical, and getting the precise fit and shape,” she explains.

In Spamalot, the play based on the ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail' movie, actors will be wearing chainmail.

“These girls, they have to get out of these costumes very quickly,” said Farrar. “It’s like three minutes.”

Making the costumes for the upcoming Spamalot show at the Stratford Festival. (Mar. 23, 2023)

One piece of a single costume can take up to 40 hours to create.

“This is one garment, but there has been many hands that went in to make this what it is,” added Farrar.

Working beside the cutters is the props team.

“Anything that an actor holds is technically considered a prop,” explained senior prop builder Michelle Jamieson. “That basically meant that a prop builder has to be the manufacturer of all things in existence.”

For Spamalot, the team will have its hands full.

“You have to be a bit of an engineer and try to figure out the best way to do things,” said Jamieson. “In Spamalot, a lot of that is something I had to do a lot of because there are lots of little tricks, body parts falling off, heads, arms, legs, all that stuff.”

“I just can’t put it in front of an audience,” said Liam Tobin, the actor behind the Black Knight and Sir Galahad.

He is effusive in his praise for the skilled hands working behind the scenes.

“There would be no product to see at Stratford without these people. You have the resources, these amazing people, standing behind every show.”

Everyone on – and off – the stage can hardly wait to perform in front of the public.

“There are many times when you see it there, and your eyes well up,” Farrar said. “You’re like, look what we did!”

“I am very grateful for the team that I have because we could not [do it], with any lesser talent,” added Boechler.

Spamalot premieres on the Avon Theatre stage on April 19, with its official opening set for June.