Spamalot review

Just back from Spamalot at the Palace Theatre. It's a cracking comedy musical with some brilliant moments. From the "We need a Jew" song to the French castle sequence right outta the Python movie that inspired the show - complete with wooden stealth rabbit. It's not a musical of the Holy Grail film, however; like the publicity says, it's inspired by the movie. So the Sir Galahad coming out of the mediaeval closet sequence, complete with an ueber camp dance routine will have those expecting a carbon copy of the movie - but with more songs- slightly shocked.

The show goes a bit post-modern with its self referential twist a la final sequence in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles movie: King Arthur's quest is...to reach 'Theatreland - London's West End'. Kinf of like Brooks' cowboys storming the film set of a movie being shot in Hollywood. Not exactly an original gag but effective enough. It works best when weaved into songs with the female lead. In fact, every song with the female lead was stunning. Played by Hannah Waddingham stole the show - she's worth the ticket price alone.

Verdict: a fun night out. As a footnote, I would recommend getting decent seats. I was in probably the worst seat in the house - in the circle with obscured view. Dire stuff - if the vertigo didn't get me, the neck ache did.

You can't capture the magic of a live show on video - well, none of the crappy clips on YouTube have managed to - so here's a Star Trek/Holy Grail mashup instead.