COCONUTS and toy horses at the ready, York company Pick Me Up Theatre are to ride into the Grand Opera House in York to stage Monty Python's Spamalot from Monday.
Lovingly ripped off from the 1975 film comedy Monty Python And The Holy Grail by Python Eric Idle, this irreverent romp tells the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Well, sort of.
"With a brace of beautiful dancing girls, flatulent Frenchmen and monster killer rabbits, the story begins," says director Robert Readman. "Arthur and his smelly, faithful servant Patsy start their quest as the pair recruit a shambolic collection of knights including Brave Sir Robin, Dennis Galahad, Lancelot and Bedevere.
Adam Sowter as Brave Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot. Picture: Matthew Kitchen
"They also meet the gorgeous Lady of the Lake, camp Prince Herbert and Not Dead Fred, Tim the Enchanter and the Black Knight, who fights until all his limbs have gone!"
Pick Me Up are deep into rehearsal for Readman's production run from Monday to Saturday. "The show is a personal favourite and the cast are throwing themselves into their comedy roles with great aplomb," Robert says. "Spamalot is a complete hoot. It's a light-hearted, fun-packed musical with lots of great singing and dancing. What’s not to love? Add to that our incredibly talented cast from all round the county and you have a theatre show not to be missed.”
Readman may be too modest to mention it, but The Press can reveal he has a cameo role as Sir Not Appearing In This Show, appearing/not appearing alongside the likes of Nick Lewis, who is playing Arthur after his title role in Pick Me Up's Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street at 41 Monkgate this summer.
George Stagnell will star as Patsy in the wake of directing Pick Me Up's Les Miserables and playing Czolgosz in Stephen Sondheim's Assassins; Adam Sowter, last seen as Gilbert Chilvers in Betty Blue Eyes, will be Brave Sir Robin and Pick Me Up newcomers Joe McNeice, John Whitney and Andrew Roberts will play Dennis Galahad, Lancelot and Bedevere respectively.
Andrew Roberts as Bedevere. Picture: Matthew Kitchen
Emily Ramsden, last seen in Pick Me Up colours in Ghost, The Musical, will be the Lady of the Lake; Leeds actor Matthew Jackson will be kept busy with two roles, Prince Herbert and Not Dead Fred; Mickey Moran will follow up his Bird Seller in Sweeney Todd with his Tim the Enchanter in Spamalot; and the reckless, limb-shedding Black Knight will be performed by company regular and ace photographer Matthew Kitchen.
Sam Johnson is the musical director for a show that boasts songs by Eric Idle, John Du Prez and Neil Innes, such as He Is Not Dead Yet, Knights Of The Round Table, Find Your Grail, Diva's Lament and Idle's anthem for British pluck, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, first featured in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life Of Brian.
Pick Me Up Theatre present Monty Python's Spamalot, Grand Opera House, York, November 21 to 26, 7.30pm plus Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york
Win tickets
COURTESY of Pick Me Up Theatre and the Grand Opera House, York, What's On has three pairs of tickets to be won for the first night of Monty Python's Spamalot on November 21 at 7.30pm.
Question: Who is Pick Me Up Theatre's musical director for Spamalot?
Send your answer, with your name, address and daytime phone number, by email to pickmeuptheatre@gmail.com by 5pm on Friday. Usual competition rules apply.
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