Idle spams it up

SPAMALOT, Opera House, Manchester

YOU have to hand it to the Monty Python team; over the years they have managed to recycle, duplicate and generally reuse old material in a multiplicity of ways.

This one takes the spam: a stage version of their silliest film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, with extra lines and other bits and pieces from various episodes of the legendary TV series. They even manage to include the most famous of the Python songs, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, from “The Life of Brian”.

I say “they”, but in fact this is the work of only one of the gang, Eric idle, who pushed the idea for years without gaining the enthusiasm of the others — eventually, with composer John du Prez, doing it himself, including the comic lyrics.

The result proved itself a huge success on Broadway, in the West End and across much of the Western world.

Now on tour, with a new, smaller, set and topical references (the Knights who say Ni also quote from Oasis), the musical is better than the sum of the bits and pieces.

In writing the musical, Idle has created not only an affectionate rip-off of the Grail legend and of the film, but manages also to make it a parody of musical comedy too.

Aiding and abetting in this lovingly-made shredding job are members of the West End cast such as the excellent Graham MacDuff (Lancelot and others), as well as a trio of star names: comedian and writer Marcus Brigstocke in his musical theatre debut as Arthur, Todd Carty as his companion and keeper of the king’s coconuts, Patsy, and Jodie Prenger, discovered in TV’s search for a Nancy in “I’d Do Anything” and very nearly getting her wish as the Lady of the Lake, the show’s official diva.

The faithful can laugh along to the famous bits about the Knights Who Say Ni, the French taunters, the killer rabbit, the limbless Black Knight and so on, while the rest enjoy the madness of Lancelot in a posing pouch.

Idle’s script is peppered with the mad imagery and clever leaps of logic for which we loved Python, while the cast leaps about with great enthusiasm, turning the evening into a summer pantomime of fun, laughter and, well, Spam.