Spamalot (Tour – Birmingham)

Spamalot is offered as this year’s festive alternative a trip to the pantomime- the thing is, it is exactly that. Not to say that there is anything wrong with that, but this (heavily cheaper looking) reincarnation of the Broadway and West End musical possesses all the trade marks of traditional panto: daft costumes, cardboard sets and plenty of gags.

The jokes and witty book, courtesy of Eric Idle and John Du Prez, are on the whole as amusing as they were in the iconic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, if not purely for their sense of nostalgia in evoking some of the most classic sketches in British comedy.

Additional songs and lyrics serve the musical comedy genre of the piece well and add to the already existing action taken from the film whilst taking some amusing knocks at existing musical theatre, including certain composers.

Unfortunately the spectacle that this piece once was has certainly gone, along with all the classic Monty Python drawings, and one would probably get more in terms of aesthetics from a contemporary pantomime. However, this production redeems itself somewhat with its timeless comedy and enjoyable silliness.

– Ben Wooldridge