[Daniel K]

For anyone who's had the fortune to see Jersey Boys so far, note the interesting new programme biog for David Ian which mentions upcoming tours of both Flashdance (already confirmed etc.) but also for Spamalot during 2008.

Sounds like the Palace will indeed be looking for a new tenant soon, as I can't imagine 2 productions of Spamalot in the UK would have a big enough audience running simultaneously.

[Matthew Winn]

Sounds like the Palace will indeed be looking for a new tenant soon, as I can't imagine 2 productions of Spamalot in the UK would have a big enough audience running simultaneously.

Other shows have managed it. I can't imagine the presence of a show in Leeds or Plymouth will have much of an impact on London audiences, or vice versa. It all depends on whether the producers of the London production think it has a future there, and whether everyone involved thinks they can save a worthwhile amount of money by sending parts of the London production on tour instead of building a new production from scratch.

[David]

I thought Idle did an opera based on Life of Brian, rather than a musical? They could, of course, bring the opera here, but would it be such a commercial success?

[Daniel K]

Other shows have managed it. I can't imagine the presence of a show in Leeds or Plymouth will have much of an impact on London audiences, or vice versa. It all depends on whether the producers of the London production think it has a future there, and whether everyone involved thinks they can save a worthwhile amount of money by sending parts of the London production on tour instead of building a new production from scratch.

Sure, many other shows have managed it - I just don't see Spamalot doing so. A Monty Python musical, even in Britain, only has a limited audience in the first place, and I can't see having it in London and out on tour being successful. Spamalot has been somewhat struggling at the Palace for a few months now and business is slowing into the summer, a time when theatres struggle anyway. I would have thought it would be better to go out on a high in London with Alan Dale etc. and launch an Autumn national tour using the London set etc.

In addition, Lloyd Webber is desperately in need of some RUT's for Phantom of Manhatten, Oliver! (assuming it doesn't go to a DMT - possibly Novello? [though I reckon that would be too small if they're using Anthony Ward's 1994 set again]) and then for Priscilla and Sister Act, all of which RUG is (or is supposedly) involved in. The Palladium may well open up, as might Drury Lane though.


And as for why David Ian's biog is in the Jersey Boys programme, that's exactly the same question I asked myself when I saw it. He was obviously involved in the process of negotiating its London run - possibly theatres etc. as Howard Panter and the Ambassador Theatre Group are also quoted as a producer?!

[M George]

I think Spamalot would do well in university towns purely for the python audiences but that's only one half of Spamalot's appeal - the other is the send up of several "key" (well known/established) pieces of musical theatre (in fact some are less well known such as Company)... so you kind of have to have a knowledge of the genre in order to get the quite specific send ups of Les Mis and Phantom. For those reasons I think it might not do so well in other areas where there isn't access to the West End. Having said that, if it follows the usual tour circuit then exposure to the well known shows should exist.

I don't think you're giving audiences in the regions enough credit here. There is equal knowledge outside of London of musical theatre and of the famous production which are targeted within Spamalot.

I think Spamalot would do well on tour but I don't think it could sustain long runs on regional venues such as Phantom, Les Mis etc have done.