I finally make it onto the stage in Monty Python's Spamalot!

Me (the peasant) on stage clutching my tin of Spam, with King Arthur and a bunch of silly English Ker-nnnig-hts. I've wanted to do this for such a long time! 

Me on stage! What an experience! It was worth all the tea in China!

Seat Done, or rather D1

With Joe Pasquale - the longest serving King Arthur?

With Todd Carty - the longest serving Patsy?

Spamalot's run in Woking 2015

Gemma after the show being er, "Queen Arthur"?

Friday 13th March 2015: Monty Python's Spamalot, New Victoria Theatre, Woking:

I first saw Spamalot in January 2007: I loved it so much, I went again, and again, and again... last night was the 17th performance of Spamalot I've seen, and I'm going again next month when the show is in Southampton! I have a sneaking suspicion, that won't be my last time.... As far as I'm concerned, it's the funniest show ever! You can't keep me away - it's hilarious, whether you're a Monty Python fan or not!

I've seen the show so many times, I notice any changes they make to the script. Some of the changes since the last time I saw it (which was at the Playhouse Theatre, London) were:

• "And I'm the Emperor of Norway; bugger off" has been replaced with "And I'm the Emperor of China; bugger off"
• King Arthur no longer tells Patsy that those who see the Knights of Ni seldom live to tell the tale.  Consequently, Patsy no longer replies, "Oh great!"
• There's a new country-by-country section (with each country indicated by flags)
• Pointing at a bail of hay and shouting "Hey!" has been reinstated but not in the same way and not in the same place as it was before (which was during Sir Robin's song)
• Talking of Robin's song, that has been completely updated. Out goes Jedward and in comes Michelle Obama and Ant & Dec. Out goes Boris Johnson and in comes Mary Berry. It's so up to the minute with current affairs because the lyrics now include Top Gear, and King Arthur made a joke about Jeremy Clarkson's latest shenanigans!
• There's also a small tweak to the lyrics of Diva's Lament that concerns the artist formerly known as Cheryl Cole (but I won't ruin it for you).
• The "peasant" that helps find the Holy Grail used to get rewarded with an "Arthur", but now, it's a tin of Spam.

So how come I ended up on stage, I hear you ask. It turns out I was sitting on the Holy Grail the whole time! Whichever unsuspecting soul sits in seat D1 ends up on stage! When Joe asked my name, for some reason I pronounced my surname a little like "Woood", so he took the piss out of me royally about that! (See what I did there?)

I found going on stage such a wonderful experience, which, thanks to Gemma, I can now, finally, tick off my bucket list. She's going on stage next time at Southampton! Watch this space :-)

Spamalot London: the end of another era

As I went to the opening night of Spamalot at The Playhouse Theatre, London in November 2011, I simply HAD to go to its closing night too. Would've be rude not to! And as usual, I took a few friends along with me. (I have promoted the show SO MUCH over the years on Twitter, Facebook, my blog and virtually to everyone I meet, I really should have worked out a commission deal with the producers back in 2007! I'd be loaded by now! Oh well. That wasn't why I was promoting it. The fact is, Spamalot is the funniest and most brilliant show I've ever seen, and I wanted others to enjoy it too.)

As the title of this blog post suggests, it wasn't the first Spamalot closing night I've been to. I also witnessed the end of Spamalot's run at The Palace Theatre (the executive version) back in January 2009.

With Jodie Prenger in April 2011

Every time I've seen Spamalot, there's always been something different about it; Spamalot never stood still, and last night's performance was no exception. It wasn't seeing the excellent Jodie Prenger (what a voice!) as Lady of the Lake because I saw her in that role at Aylesbury when Spamalot was on tour in 2011. I did manage to say hello to her at the stage door last night though, when she told me how honoured she was to be asked to close the show at The Playhouse. It was lovely to see her again. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get a photo with her this time but she did give me a nice hug :-)

The main difference for me last night was to see Robin Armstrong as King Arthur for the first time. He was possibly the first clean shaven King Arthur I'd ever seen. It was so strange for me not to see him say "And then we LEAP out of the rabbit!" Consequently, it was the first time I'd seen Graham Newell in a lead role and I really enjoyed his performance. I thought his bent-over portrayal of Mrs Galahad was hilarious!

James Bisp |Robin Armstrong | Michael Burgen

I was so happy to meet James Bisp, finally. He wasn't on when I saw the show a few weeks ago, and the previous time, I didn't happen to see him at the stage door (which is always a bit of a scrummage - and it's also very badly lit. To The Playhouse management - if you wanted to do something fan-friendly, please install a light back there so we can see who's who!). What a charming fellow! I think his portrayal of Sir Galahad is, or rather was, outstanding! The parts he plays (Dennis, The Black Knight, Sir Galahad) are really convincing; he is such a good actor!

The atmosphere last night was, understandably, more upbeat than usual. However, I was expecting the audience to demand an encore of the finale, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, since it was the last night, but it was not to be!

Graham MacDuff with Harry in 2007,
with me in 2011 and last night

The biggest surprise for me happened not during the show but afterwards at the stage door. I bumped into someone who has become somewhat of an 'old friend': Graham MacDuff (husband of the gorgeous Anna Jane Casey) who has played both Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot over the years. He just popped in last night to see the last show. We first met at the stage door of The Palace back in 2007, in the days when Dennis used to say "Soggy old blondes with their backsides in ponds can't replace the electorate." It was so lovely to see him again and such a nice surprise!

I think last night was the 16th time I'd seen the show. To be honest, I've lost count! If you really wanted to see every blog post of every performance of Spamalot I went to, then click here, but I'd understand if just wanted to see the highlights:

• 25/01/07 - Spamalot: my first time (at the Palace Theatre)
• 12/02/08 - Nina Söderquist appears as the Lady of the Lake for the first time
• 04/01/09 - The last performance at The Palace Theatre
• 02/04/11 - One of the many times I saw Spamalot on its UK tour
• 04/10/12 - A performance at the Harold Pinter Theatre
• 21/11/12 - Opening night at The Playhouse
• 27/08/13 - Michael Palin appears in person as God

Do you think Spamalot will return next year as part of the 40th anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail? I hope it does!

Spamalot West End: My 12th time

Spamalot is on at The Playhouse Theatre until April 2013

I will never tire of this hilariously funny show (based on the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"). The first time I saw it was in 2007, and last night - my 12th time - will definitely not be my last. I cried laughing throughout, unable to see the stage for tears, as always!

Stephen Tomkinson was superb as King Arthur, as was Anna-Jane Casey as the Lady of the Lake - the two newcomers. I loved their interpretations of their characters: Stephen gave King Arthur a lot more depth and emotion than he is usually played, and Anna-Jane was vocally stunning and cheeky with it. She is perfect for this part which she should have been offered years ago! But actually all the cast - Todd Carty, Michael Burgen, Graham MacDuff (we go back a long way), Jon Robyns, Robin Armstrong, Rob Delaney, Adam Ellis, James Nelson, Chris Jenkins, Hannah Malekzad, Rachel Knowles, Paul Bullion, Matthew Russell-Jones, Graham Newell, Amelia Adams-Pearce - were outstanding!

Spamalot is SO good and SO funny, it's a wonderful night out and a guaranteed pick-me-up; far better at beating the blues than antidepressants. Its only side effect: strained laughing muscles. 

Last night was Press Night so the audience was awash with celebs which made the evening even more exciting! And, I was invited to the After Party with the entire cast and crew. I recently appeared in The Metro for being Monty Python's biggest fan, so what made the evening even more special for me was that many of the cast members I spoke to told me they had read the article! Yesterday was one of the best days of my life!

Actress Rebecca Grant (Holby City, Prisioner's Wives, Emmerdale - I'm her publicist!) with artist Anyes Greene

Rebecca Grant, John Wood (me!) and Anyes Greene

Me with John Partridge from Eastenders

Me with Ian McNeice

Rebecca Grant being photographed by a pap

Me with Stephen Tomkinson at the opening "knight" after party (no flash!)

Me with Dave Gormam

Me with Melanie Masson from X Factor

My ticket - the best I've ever had, only 20 seats along from the legendary D1!!

My After Party invitation - Get in!

Other celebs who were at the show who I didn't manage to photograph: X Factor stars Javine Hylton and Kye Sones (had a nice chat with both of them).

Media coverage of the Press Night:

• Rex Features celeb photos
• London Evening Standard
• The Telegraph
• British Theatre Guide
• West End Frame
• Broadway World

Spamalot: my 11th time

And so it came to pass, I went to see Spamalot again!

With Mariah and Gaby just before the show

I would never go and see the show again alone (very unlikely); the pleasure is now derived from showing it to others and seeing them enjoy it. My friend Gaby had to give away her ticket when I took a group to watch the show in Brighton last December, but she was still keen to see it - so I took her (along with my other friend Mariah) to see one of the last performances at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London.

The sound and light desk, moments before curtain up

When I last saw the show with Mariah a few weeks ago, King Arthur was played by Jon Culshaw, but this time it was played by Marcus Brigstocke, so it was good for Mariah and I to see the different ways they both tackled the role.

After the performance, we had a chance to chat with some of the cast and take some pics.

Gaby and Mariah with Marcus Brigstocke

Gaby and Mariah with Bonnie Langford

Needless to say, we all had a fantastic time. No matter how many times I see it, I can never see the stage properly due to my tears of laughter.

Spamalot resumes at the Playhouse, London in November. Go and see it - it is SO funny! It's the best cure for depression there is, way better than anything Big Pharma has to offer.

I won the Harold Pinter Theatre's Spamalot competition!

My Spamalot "goodies"

I happen to notice a tweet from the Harold Pinter Theatre announcing a Spamalot competition. All you had to do was tweet the theatre a picture of yourself holding a can of Spam to win a bag of Spamalot "goodies"... So that's exactly what I did.

My competition entry: Me and my Spamalot-edition can of Spam

It turns out I was the only person to enter, so I won the bag of Spamalot "goodies" which comprised the UK tour version of the Spamalot CD, the theatre programme, a Best of British Theatre bag and a Grail Bag from www.spamalotstore.com - a website, believe it or not, that I had never heard of!

To the Harold Pinter Theatre, thank you very much for my prize!

The Spamalot run at the Harold Pinter Theatre has now ended, but will return on 14th November 2012 at the Playhouse Theatre for an indefinite period.

Spamalot is the funniest show EVER! Do yourself a favour and go and see it.

Spamalot: My 10th Time - starring Jon Culshaw and Bonnie Langford

This musical is SO good, I could watch it every day!

This time (the matinee performance of Saturday 11th Aug), I was accompanied by the delightful American Anglophile and devout Python fan, Mariah June, and her Nikon.

I know Spamalot so well now, it was interesting for me to see the minor tweaks they have made to the script - that's in addition to the part that's different every night; where the Knights of Ni! change their name to something that usually begins with "Ecky Ecky Phertang....." (as in the Holy Grail) but then includes a reference to something topical as well as a song (in our case, the Olympics and for some unknown reason, Michael Jackson's "Give Me the Moonlight"). That's the part where The Knight of Ni! and King Arthur purposely try to corpse each other by surprise.

After the show, we said hello to the cast (we had to!) and I took pics of them with Mariah using her Nikon.

Bonnie Langford

Todd Carty, Kit Orton and Robin Armstrong

Jon Robyns

Rob Delaney

Jon Culshaw

Spamalot is on in London at the Harold Pinter Theatre until Sunday 9th September. I order you to go and see it!

Believe it or not, I'm going to see it yet again very soon and will blog about it, obviously.

I glibly claim I've seen it 10 times... well here's proof:

• 1st - 25 Jan 07: SPAMALOT - I laughed SO much I had to go and change my armour!
• 2nd - 24 Mat 07: SPAMALOT - we loved it SO much, we went to see it again!
• 3rd - 18 Apr 07: Monty Python's Spamalot - our third time!
• 3rd1/2 - 24 Apr 07: SPAMALOT - World's Largest Coconut Orchestra
• 4th - 12 Feb 08: Nina Söderquist becomes a West End Star
• 5th - 05 Apr 08: Spamalot London Exclusive: Diva's Lament Lyrics Change Again!
• 6th - 04 Jan 09: Spamalot London Closes - it's the end of an era
• 7th - 25 Sep 10: Woking, Surrey with Joey Collewijn and Barbara Lanik
• 8th - 02 Apr 11: I've seen Spamalot 8 times now! Aylesbury, 1 April 2011
• 9th - 27 Dec 11: Spamalot - my 9th time!

Spamalot's in the news again! See:

And now for someone completely different! Impressionist Jon Culshaw on why he is looking on the bright side of life in Monty Python's Spamalot

Spamalot London Exclusive: Diva's Lament Lyrics Change Again!

Alan Dale as King Arthur

I've now seen Spamalot 5 times!

The scoop is that the lyrics to 'Diva's Lament' sung by the Lady of the Lake (Nina Soderquist) changed again yesterday! First it was Britney Spears, then Elaine Paige and Posh Spice - and now...Heather Mills! I've blogged about it here (plus photos).

Spamalot London Video Wall

This is neat hey? It's the latest in modern technology, not dissimilar to a lapin de bois.

Will Nina Söderquist become Spamalot's next Lady of the Lake?

That's up to you!

If you want Nina Söderquist to become the next Lady of the Lake in London's production of Monty Python's Spamalot, today is your last chance to vote for her. The final of Sweden's talent show, West End Star, between the two finalists Nina and Linda, starts tonight at 9pm (Swedish time) - Sat 2 Feb 08.

Nina's phone-vote number is:

From within Sweden: 099 40 301

From outside Sweden: +46 99 40 301

VOTE FOR HER!

See my previous blog entry for more info.

Hey All You Swedes Out There, Vote for Nina in TV3's (SPAMALOT) West End Star!

Nina, I'd vote for you if I could

'West End Star' finalist, Nina Söderquist

West End Star, the Saturday night talent show on Sweden's TV3 channel, will find the replacement for the Diva in Monty Python's SPAMALOT - now playing at London's Palace Theatre in Cambridge Circus. The Diva (The Lady of the Lake) is currently being played by the brilliant Hannah Waddingham, who will soon take over that role in the Broadway production of the show (played until recently by Marin Mazzie).

Peter Davison, Spamalot's King Arthur. Hannah Waddingham and
Marin Mazzie - Spamalot's current West End and Broadway Ladies
of the Lake and the 5 finalists (Nina third from right).

There now remain 5 Swedish finalists. Each week (starting tonight), one will be eliminated by phone vote, leaving the winner (on 2 Feb 07) to take over from Hannah in London on 11 Feb 07.

Being a long-time serious Python and (recently) Spamalot fan (seen the show 3 times already! - see previous blogs), I have been following this competition for a while via both http://www.pythonline.com/ and http://www.tv3.se/ (warning - no subtitles) , and ... no offence to the other contestants, but for me, the clear winner is the rock singer, Nina Söderquist.

You can see she is already tuned in to the Python 'thing', she has the power in her voice needed for this role, her stage presence is huge (another rather essential prerequisitttttte), I love hearing her sing and she is also great fun. (Watch her auditions in some of the previous shows via the above links and you'll see what I mean. What did it for me was her own 'Python' version of Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive'. It was excellent!)

All we need now is for the Swedish-Saturday-night-TV3-viewing public, who own a phone, to see the bleeding obvious. Please don't make me have to fly over there just to make 5000 phone votes from my hotel room, all on my own!

OK guys, we're sorry about the Swedish Chef thing, so please now just VOTE for NINA!

Nina's phone-vote number is 099 40 301 and the show is on at 9pm Swedish time.

Related links:

Nina is in the final!- SvD - En av dem blir stjärna i London
- Holmgren & Söderquist Vie for Lady of the Lake in UK 'Spamalot'

- ITN
- BBC TV
- What's On Stage
- Broadway World
- Channel 4 News
- Broadway.com
- Stage News
- Daily Telegraph

- Nina's MySpace page
- Nina's AllEars page
- TV3.se
- Silverback (West End Show's production company)
- Pythonline.com
- My previous Spamalot blog entries 1, 2, 3 and 4

SPAMALOT - World's Largest Coconut Orchestra

We did it! All 5,567 of us, packed into Trafalgar Square yesterday (St George's Day) and issued with free coconuts, got into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest coconut orchestra!

The day was made extra special for me because both Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones were there, as well as the entire cast of Spamalot!

As you can see, Harry & I had a fantastic afternoon:

We even got on TV - on ITV London's 6pm news bulletin. They asked us if we knew what St George's Day was all about - we didn't which was exactly what they wanted to hear.

Well, Harry couldn't wait - the queue to the loo was too long!

Some peasants turned up for the event.

There's another one!

Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam encouraging us to go and see Spamalot "because Eric Idle's house in LA is very large and very expensive to maintain".

Michael England, orchestra leader for Spamalot conducts the crowd into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Hannah Waddingham (the Lady of the Lake) with Terry Gilliam, the original Patsy from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, doing the face he used for the part.

Terry Jones holds up the Guinness Book of World Records certificate. We did it!

See also the following articles (can you spot Harry & I in the photos & videos?):

• http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8821177416825
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRLCuoPkdmk
• http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=17787
• http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSL2323950720070424
• http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=49669
• http://www.nbc10.com/news/13013332/detail.html
• http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=46416&in_page_id=34
• http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/galleries/gallery-23362089-detail/Coconut+Orchestra+World+Record+attempt/pos-5-image/gallery.do
• http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23393661-details/Coconutters!+Monty+Python+orchestra+breaks+world+record/article.do
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6586187.stm
• http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/news-pop.php?news_type=5&news_id=1337