Spamalot

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Musical
Genre: Comedy
Date: May 14 2015
Location: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Although comedy has vastly changed over the years, the most high-profile names in light entertainment remain fondly remembered. There's Morecambe and Wise. Ken Dodd. The Two Ronnies. And there's the Monty Python team.

From the late 1960s into the mid-1980s, the Monty Python team provided a surreal blend of comedy which ranged from clever jokes to ridiculous visuals. Based around the TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus, it also extended to a number of movies, most famously Monty Python's Life Of Brian (a hilarious spoof of Jesus' life story, in a film which I will review in the near future) and Monty Python and The Holy Grail. There were also a number of very famous sketches and scenes which are synonymous with a form of comedy that would later become known as being "Pythonesque".

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Michael Palin to play God at Spamalot

Michael Palin as God

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Herewith a Missive: Michael Palin wins public vote to play the role of God on the Spamalot UK Tour at The Empire Theatre in Liverpool

Monty Python legend Michael Palin has beaten off stiff competition from Brian May, Professor Brian Cox, Hugh Bonneville, Michael Ball and Eric Idle to appear on screen during each performance of Spamalot at The Empire Theatre in Liverpool from May 11-16 as part of Monty Python’s Spamalot UK Tour.

‘The Spamalot Charity Gods’ has been created to raise-a-lot of shillings for the charities supported by the actors who are playing God while the show is on tour across the country from January to June.

Michael Palin took time out of his busy schedule (of travelling through a large and expensive extensive forest for some TV show or other) to film the part of God, which will be shown during each performance of Spamalot when the UK tour visits Edinburgh. His nominated charity is Action for Stammering Children.

The role of God features in Spamalot when King Arthur and the Knights of The Round Table are given their quest to find The Holy Grail.

Sir Howard Panter (says he’s a real Knight! as if), producer of Spamalot for Ambassador Theatre Group, said: “It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to bring friends of the show in to the role of God in this way, so that we can help such deserving causes while making audiences laugh at the same time.”

As well as Michael Palin appearing as God, actor and comedian Joe Pasquale is returning to the role of King Arthur and actor Todd Carty returns as King Arthur’s faithful manservant Patsy, after playing the roles in the West End production.

Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot is a kind-of new musical with a book by Eric Idle and an entirely new score for the new production, (well, almost) created by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.

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 more magical than a Camelot convention, including 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 2010 - before it went bust), Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.

The new UK tour, which was previously on at The Playhouse in London’s West End and is directed by Christopher Luscombe, follows Eric Idle’s acclaimed performance of ‘Always Look On The Bright Side of Life’ at the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony – the world sang along, and Spamalot audiences get the opportunity to do so too! During the West End run, there were been 21 on-stage moustache incidents, three suspected cases of swine flu (French pigs!), one outbreak of nits and 92 pairs of coconuts used.

Two Joes for the price of one

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Festival

Joe Pasquale's son Joe Tracini joins the Spamalot UK Tour 2015 as King Arthur's manservant Patsy

Father and son premiere their first partnership in a musical at the Empire from May 11-16

Having travelled the length and breadth of the country since January in search of The Holy Grail, Joe Pasquale now continues his hilarious quest at theatres across the land with the help of his actor son Joe Tracini (handy that he’s also called Joe, so that probably helps cut down on sign writing costs at least).

As one of the most talented coconut bangers this country is likely to ever see, Joe Tracini takes over manservant duties in the role of Patsy from May 11 when the Spamalot 2015 UK tour arrives in Liverpool. Joe is thrilled to join his father Joe on stage in the hugely popular comedy jaunt, which is (loosely) based on the classic film, Monty Python And The Holy Grail.

Joe Tracini commented: “When I was little, I had three dreams for when I grew up… to be in a musical, to work with my Dad, and to bang two halves of a coconut together on a nightly basis. Playing Patsy in Spamalot is making all of them come true at once. I'm honoured that I'm being trusted with the part, to sing the classic song 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life,' and to be joining such a brilliant company. Come and see us please, it's funnier if you're there.”

Best known for his roles as Dennis Savage in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and as DK in BBC Three’s Coming of Age, Joe Tracini studied at the world-famous Italia Conti Academy of Arts in London before landing his first role in My Spy Family on Cartoon Network’s sister channel, Boomerang.  He was nominated for three Inside Soap Awards and a British Soap Award during his time in Hollyoaks.  He’s also appeared in BBC Three’s Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps. As well as acting, Joe Tracini is an accomplished magician, having won the title ‘British Junior Magical Champion’ in 2003 and went on to become a member of The Magic Circle.

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 more magical than a Camelot convention, including 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 2010 - before it went bust, closed down and then came back again), Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.

The latest tour, directed by Christopher Luscombe, follows hot on the heels of the can’t-believe-how-successful-it-was-with-the-first-show-selling-out-in-40-seconds Monty Python Reunion at The O2 and Eric Idle’s acclaimed performance of ‘Always Look On The Bright Side of Life’ at the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony – the world sang along, and Spamalot audiences get the opportunity to do so too! During the West End run, there were 21 on-stage moustache incidents, three suspected cases of swine flu (French pigs!), three outbreak of nits and 92 pairs of coconuts used.

Spamalot fans given a holy choice

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Spamalot’s 2015 UK Tour is giving fans the chance to vote for their favourite Celebrity God in their hometown.

Fans can vote for Brian May, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Professor Brian Cox, Michael Ball or Hugh Bonneville to be God.

As Monty Python’s Spamalot travels across the country for six months from January 2015, King Arthur and his Knights Of The Round Table will give fans the chance to choose which of the Spamalot Celebrity Charity Gods will appear at their local theatre during the tour.

The six God’s-to-be, Brian May, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Professor Brian Cox, Michael Ball and Hugh Bonneville, will shine from the heavens in the role of God, all to help their chosen charity, which include Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre, The Make A Wish Foundation, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Scene & Heard, Stage for Age and Keats Community Library.

Fans can vote for their favourite celebrity to play God by simply going to the official Spamalot website at www.spamalotontour.co.uk and clicking on ‘Vote for God’ before choosing their favourite. The celebrity with the most votes will go on to play God at that area’s local theatre.

Spamalot’s Celebrity God will be beamed from the ‘heavens’ above centre stage during each performance of Spamalot, while King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table search for their Quest and God appears to explain that they must find The Holy Grail.

Back for the second time around as part of the Spamalot 2015 UK tour, Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville said: “I wanted to play God in Spamalot in order to support Scene & Heard, a charity which gives young people living in challenging circumstances the opportunity to work with arts professionals and create theatre scripted entirely by the children. I'm grateful to the producers of Spamalot for this novel way of bringing attention to Scene & Heard's inspirational work. I'm also delighted to be involved with the show because an ancestor on my mother's side was in fact one of the Knights who say Ni.”

Brian May said: “The opportunity to play God has got to be something that you can’t possibly pass up. I really, really didn’t want to stop. Once you’ve played God, nothing else will match up to that experience and I can quite understand what’s happened to David Cameron! I love Monty Python, always have done. Spamalot is a wonderful show and it’s very up-to-the-minute, it doesn’t date at all, and I recommend everyone see it at least five times.”

Brian Cox added: “It is a reasonable no brainer. If Eric Idle says to you ‘do you want to be God in Spamalot?’, then I’d be surprised if anybody has ever said no.”

Sir Howard Panter (says he’s a real Knight! As if), Producer of Spamalot for Ambassador Theatre Group, said; “It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to bring friends of the show in to the role of God in this way, so that we can help such deserving causes while making audiences laugh at the same time.”

Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot is a kind-of new musical with a book by Eric Idle and an entirely new score for the new production (well, almost), created by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.

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 more magical than a Camelot convention, including 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 2010 - before it went bust), Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.

The 2015 Spamalot UK Tour follows the hugely successful run at The Playhouse in London, directed by Christopher Luscombe. During the run at The Playhouse, there were 18 onstage moustache incidents, three suspected cases of swine flu (French pigs!), one outbreak of nits and 87 pairs of coconuts used.

Spamalot runs in the Liverpool Empire Theatre from Monday May 11-Saturday May 16. For ticket information, click here.

You can learn more about Spamalot by clicking here.