London’s Funny Guys on Quest for Humour in Spamalot

Four musical theatre professionals, all with roots in London, are creating laughter on stage at Huron Country Playhouse. The four are part of a very talented 16 member cast of Spamalot, the zany musical based on the 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The four funny men, Eddie Glen, Mark Uhre, Aidan deSalaiz and Thomas Alderson, all grew up attending London high schools. All four are triple threats (actors/singers/dancers) with a lot of comedy talent thrown in. And all four had their theatre careers launched in London.

Eddie Glen, who plays Sir Robin in Spamalot, is from London, Ontario, but has extensive stage experience in the other London, across the pond. He appeared in such West End hits as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Miss Saigon. A graduate of CCH, Eddie was Charlie Brown in the Grand Theatre’s You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Glen is also the voice of YTV, and is well-known for his comedic talent as a perennial favourite in Ross Petty’s hilarious pantos each Christmas. He is also a favourite at Huron Country Playhouse, appearing in Big Band Legends last summer, and Guys and Dolls the year before.

Mark Uhre, Sir Lancelot in Spamalot, is a graduate of Beal’s musical theatre program, and played Tony in West Side Story in the Grand’s first High School Project. Mark has been with the Shaw Festival since 2007, most recently playing Freddie in My Fair Lady. He also appeared in the Grand’s production of The Last Five Years. Urhe is a talented visual artist, with many of his works displayed in the Grand’s lounge during the run of The Last Five Years. Next he will be in Mirvish’s Les Miserables.

Aidan deSalaiz, Spamalot’s Sir Bedevere, has been a long-time friend of Mark Uhre’s: the two were child actors in the Grand’s 1992 production of A Christmas Carol. DeSalaiz appeared in three High School Projects: West Side Story, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Guys and Dolls. He’s a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas. In 2009, Aiden was in the Grand’s comedy The Wild Guys, and then in 2010 he was part of the cast of a very lively production of Alter Boyz at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia.

Thomas Alderson plays several roles in Spamalot, starting with The Historian, then Not Dead Fred, The Minstrel, Prince Herbert and others. Alderson is a graduate of the musical theatre program at Beal, and appeared in four High School Projects at the Grand: The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, and The Sound of Music. Alderson has had various roles at Huron Country Playhouse: Bud Frump in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Mordred in Camelot, Hairspray and High School Musical.

Huron Country Playhouse is part of the Drayton Entertainment chain. Spamalot plays at the Grand Bend venue from June 26 to July 13, and then moves to the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from July 17 to August 3.