Theatre News

Spamalot returns to West End with summer run at Harold Pinter

Monty Python musical Spamalot will return to the West End this summer when the current touring production moves into the Harold Pinter Theatre on 24 July for a limited run to 9 September 2012.

The touring cast will transfer with the production, including comedian Marcus Brigstocke as King Arthur, former EastEnder Todd Carty as Patsy and Bonnie Langford as The Lady of the Lake. Impressionist Jon Culshaw will play King Arthur from 2 August to 2 September, with Brigstocke returning from 4-8 September.

“Lovingly ripped off” from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot
tells the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in
their quest to find the religious relic – and features a chorus line of
dancing divas (with serfs), flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and a
legless knight.

The musical has a book and lyrics by original Python Eric Idle, who
also co-wrote the music with John Du Prez. The West End production,
which ran at the Palace from 16 October 2006 (previews from 30
September) to 3 January 2009, reunited the Broadway creative team
including director Mike Nichols and set and costume designer Tim Hatley.

In London, Spamalot attracted a succession of
high-profile King Arthurs – with Tim Curry followed by Simon Russell
Beale, Peter Davison, Alan Dale and Sanjeev Bhaskar – and the original
Lady of the Lake was Hannah Waddingham, who was Whatsonstage.com and
Olivier nominated for her performance.

The full new company also includes: Robin Armstrong as Sir Bedevere, Rob Delaney as Sir Robin, Adam Ellis as Prince Herbert, Kit Orton as Sir Lancelot and Jon Robyns as Sir Galahad, along with Amelia Adams Pearce, Tim Bonser, Michael Burgen, Rachel Knowles, Hannah Malekzad, James Nelson and Paul Bullion.