The Outfit Theatre Ensemble brings their own original take on the characters and events of Britain’s oldest and most beloved mythological epic. It’s quite a departure from the overall style one may be used to, and from a number of the characters’ archetypes and relationships, but of course reinterpretation is one of the greatest unwritten traditions in the rewriting of legends.

Given that the play only covers the very first Arthurian tale, I would’ve been inclined to call it The Sword in the Stone, as the title King Arthur essentially gives the end away. A small matter perhaps. Although it could well be the first experience of it for many of the under-ten year olds, what really matters is that it’s entertaining, which it is, verily. 

Director Alison Quigan is blessed with a plucky young cast fair bursting at the seams with energy and humour. Combined with the innovative classical /modern-fusion light /sound /costume design team of Brad Gledhill, Elliot Yule and Gayle Jackson, they hit the ground running to relate the classic fable of the hapless underdog with the monumental destiny and as such we are served a veritable maelstrom of ingenious theatrical antics. 

Clumsy young Arthur (Chris Tempest), initially known as ‘Wart’, is a likeable doofus, who gets no respect from his esteemed colleagues: strong, brave and ginger Galahad (Brad Johnson), fierce and sassy Guinevere (Ema Barton) and self-important goody-two-shoes Lancelot (Joel Herbert). Not to mention his pint-sized egotistical brat of a sorceress-in-training sister Morgana (Sarah Graham).

About the only chap with anything other than a derisive regard for ‘Wart’ is the greatest wizard of them all (to this day, many would say): Merlin, a knowingly authoritative and slightly camp Andrew Ford. It’s his idea to have Wart accompany the party as they quest through the Forbidden Forest to the land of comically poncey (he says his Rs as Ws), cowardly villain Lord Vortigen (Arlo McDiarmid) to whom the sovereignty of the nation defaults if the sword is not successfully drawn from the stone after a century of chaotic rule, which ends in five days!

He learns of the impending visit from Merlin’s party through the misty seeing-powers of the mad crone known as Stone Hag (Lana Walters). Utilising the loyal service of the creepy, Sith-like black-cloaked Mordred (Devlin Bishop), Vortigen plots to sabotage the Merlin-party’s crusade in various despicable ways. Despicablest of all, he cajoles his old nemesis, the tenderly desperate lady of the Lake Vivienne (Jaqui Nauman), promising in return to “fwee you fwom your pwison” of 100 years. 

Vivienne meanwhile has her own motives, and her own lackey in the double-bodied being of the hilarious, cheeky, gung ho Goon (Colin Garlick and Jatinder Singh), who dutifully intercepts the travellers and issues a challenge. This naturally leads to an intensive, multi-stylistic dance-off in which the previously useless-but-lovable snotty, flatulent baby green dragon (Edward Clendon) really comes into his own… 

That’s really the tip of the iceberg in a brilliantly batty almost-hour of madcap shenanigans that make King Arthur as much as a must-see family holiday treat as Outbox’s less publicised Owl and the Pussycat at Devonport’s Old Vic. 
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