Spamalot - holy grail of musicals stumbles to Brighton
Eric Idle's Spamalot is touring the country and parks its horse at Brighton's Theatre Royal from 21-26 June.
And heading up the cast are comedian Marcus Brigstocke as Arthur, King of the Britons, and Jodie Prenger as The Lady of the Lake.
It is also alleged that Eric Idle will play God* (see small print below).
Marcus Brigstocke will play King Arthur from May until mid August. Marcus very briefly worked as a podium dancer, and also on an oil-rig in the North Sea (although not as a dancer). He is also a comedian and much loved Radio 4 presenter and writer.
“The most infectiously funny musical of the millennium” (according to Eric Idle), Monty Python’s Spamalot, began a sweeping tour of the UK this month. Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot is an almost-new musical with a book by Eric Idle and an entirely new score, (well, almost) created by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.
The UK tour begins on Saturday May 29 in Wimbledon and staggers wends its way through the UK to Nottingham (Sherriff approved, Robin not welcome), Glasgow (pending Scots uprising), Brighton (unless captured by the French), Bromley, Manchester Opera House, Leeds (the ever so Grand Theatre), Newcastle (in a special black and white version), Southampton (see Brighton), Stoke, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Cardiff (sheep go half price), Sheffield, Bristol, Woking (where?!), Northampton, Edinburgh (assuming the Scots behave), Oxford, Torquay, High Wycombe, York and (Ye Olde) Milton Keynes before settling down for four weeks at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham for the Christmas season (Season of Goodwill – Bring Gifts!!).
Audiences all around the world have been roaring with laughter since Monty Python’s Spamalot won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005. Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and features a bevy (or possibly a brace) of beautiful show girls, witch burnings (cancelled due to health and safety) not to mention cows, killer rabbits and French people.
The show features fantastic tunes which are catchier than the plague – He Is Not Dead Yet, Knights of the Round Table, Find Your Grail and of course the Nation’s Favourite Comedy Song (Reader’s Digest Poll 2009) Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.
The nation’s favourite Nancy, Jodie Prenger, will open the tour in Wimbledon as The Lady of the Lake, before dates at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, Brighton Theatre Royal, Manchester Opera House, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and Liverpool Empire.
Spamalot will be directed by Christopher Luscombe (if he can find the time) and designed by Hugh Durrant (if he can find the drawing board). Jenny Arnold will choreograph an unlikely group of non-dancers; and Simon Beck will attempt to supervise the music. Lighting design will be by Nick Richings provided no one steals the follow spots.
* As a recording! We couldn’t afford him in person ...
For tickets, gallop along to www.ambassadortickets.com/brighton