A hilarious ensemble cast made Medieval Story Land a fun fable to observe. Excellent pacing, the cast knew how to wait for the laugh and then carry on. Everyone took their character in stride. Despite being serious about their quests, the cast was poking fun at themselves.

Our hero Todd, played by Edward Nagel, was very strong, very kind, but not very smart. Always the hopeful romantic, he sought out his quest to bring light back from darkness. He along with his trusty companions (the Red Knight (Nick Hagy), Whisker-Toe the Dwarf (or Dorf as it is sometimes called), played by Britt Duff, and the Troll Graglore played by Seth Rosenke) set out on a quest. Ready for adventure the foursome worked smoothly together all with great emotion and a realistic sincerity. However, they also seemed to enjoy not going overboard and having fun with their characters.

Fight director Megan Behm worked well training the cast to make the sword play scenes realistic. The scenes were accentuated by Vaughn Irving who provided the percussion and other sound effects with an excellent sense of timing such that crashes and thuds were heard exactly when we saw the swords hit or the punch land. The simple set was made up of black blocks with a shiny stripe along the edges. The blocks could be easily stacked and restacked in many different configurations to create walls, benches, etc. Mary Wakefield and Brittany Graham’s costume designs were spot on.

What other “fantasy” or “medieval” shows are there? We came up with Camelot, Spamalot, perhaps Pippin and Into The Woods. The general genre of medieval-themed shows is wide open, and Medieval Story Land fits right in. This unpredictable script was also ripe with reveals and many “aha” moments. The hour and a half went by quickly in a hilariously grand performance. Highly recommended for kids of all ages. Huzzah!

Cast

• Narrator: Ariel Shine
• Todd: Edward “Teddy” C. Nagel
• Todd’s Father/Green Todd/Gil: Brendan Edward Kennedy
• The Millennium Wizard: John Stange
• The Blue Knight/Ocelopatros/Sir Swordsly: David Pratt
• Minda/Moonstar: Jordan Slattery
• The Red Knight: Nick Hagy
• Whisker-Toe: Britt Duff
• Sparkle-Twinkle/Royal Guard/Beardle: Katie Zitz
• The Opaque Priest/King Richard: Kyle McGruther
• Graglore: Seth Rosenke

Production Team

• Producer/Playwright: Scott Courlander
• Associate Producer: Nick Hitchens
• Associate Producer: Katie Zitz
• Director: Jason Schlafstein
• Stage Manager: Kristen Skolnik
• Assistant Stage Manager: Aaron Fensterheim
• Costumer: Mary Wakefield
• Costumer: Brittany Graham
• Original Costume Design: Lois Dunlop
• Lighting Designer: Jason Aufdem-Brinke
• Fight Director: Megan Behm
• Percussion: Vaughn Irving

Disclaimer: Red Knight Productions provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Where can I possibly begin telling you about this epic tale of massive proportions? Red Knight Production’s of Medieval Story Land is, for the lack of better words EPIC. I was geeking out from the beginning to end. Not only because they had an orchestra composed of three amazing talented musicians, but the music composed by William Yanesh has that iconic sound the likes of Howard Shore and John Williams. And that’s just talking about the sound track!!

Scott Courland has created a group of hilarious characters the likes of “Monthy Python” and “Your Highness,” combined with the comedic timing of any Woody Allen play, the jokes are witty and side-splitting. Director Guillaume Tourniaire takes us into the world of Medieval Time, telling the story that follows the adventures of an elf named Todd played by Forrest Rilling, who’s easy-going, lovable attitude makes him a fantastic leading role for the kind of journey he’s about to embark. When a mysterious wizard played by Michael Galizia comes into the picture to enlighten Todd in his quest for destiny. Narrated by an alluding English jester played by Stephen Mead, who at times was a bit out staged by the band, this show has all the right components for an epic medieval adventure: wizards, dragons, magic, trolls, dwarfs, and the coolest choreographed sword fight scenes!

Choreography by Casey Kaleba, the fight scenes are gripping, fast paced and simply awesome. The costumes designed by Lois Dunlop are utterly enchanting.

Absolutely everyone in the ensemble has the stage presence and delivery equivalent to their epic characters. With great puns, hilarious comedy, and fantastic timing, I couldn’t possibly recommend this show more.

Production Team

• Playwright: Scott Courlander
• Director: Guillaume Tourniaire
• Producer: Scott Courlander
• Producer: Nick Hitchens
• Composer: William Yanesh
• Stage Manager: Kristen Skolnik
• Costume Design: Lois Dunlop
• Fight Director: Casey Kaleba
• Lighting Design: Jason Aufdem-Brinke
• Properties Master: Scott Courlander
• Director of Online Content: Katie Zitz
• Dragon Engineer: Fallon Schultz Hitchens
• Light Board Operator: Scott Courlander/Nick Hitchens
• Graphic Design: Rebecca Rice
• Poster/Postcard Design: Jacqueline Chenault
• Photography: Chelsie Lloyd
• Program Design: Katie Zitz

Cast

• Stephen Mead
• Forrest Rilling
• Marcus Clarke
• Michael Galizia
• Katie Zitz
• Joseph Michael Jones
• Justus Hammond
• Becca Korn
• Chelsie Lloyd
• Jaqueline Chenault
• Michael Cartwright

Orchestra

• William Yanesh
• Erik Pearson
• Brian Falkowski

Disclaimer: Capital Fringe provided one complimentary media ticket to ShowBizRadio for this review.