Backstage Blog

Director’s Notes: Monty Python’s Spamalot

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Sean Murray directs and stars in Monty Python’s Spamalot this summer at Cygnet.

Patsy (Jonathan Sangster) and King Arthur (Sean Murray)

Spam. Killer rabbits. Penguins on tellies. The Minister of Silly Walks. The Spanish Inquisition. Lumberjacks in suspenders and a bra.

Like many teenagers in the 70s, me and my friends were obsessed with Monty Python. We knew all the lines from their inspired and loony sketches on their BBC show, The Flying Circus. Then in 1975 their first film came out: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Stop. Just stop. We couldn’t breathe! King Arthur and his Knights clomping around Britain accompanied by clacking coconuts! They encountered mud flats, the plague, surly French taunters, Knights of Ni in scene after scene of hiliarious insanity.

Then in 2005 Pythoner Eric Idle had the even more lunatic idea of adapting this comic classic film into a Broadway musical. Reshaping it and molding it into an entirely new thing, he brought on Broadway heavy-weights to bring it in a smash. Mike Nichols to direct. San Diego local-done-well Cacey Nicholaw to choreograph. Comedians Tim Curry, Hank Azzaria, David Hyde-Pierce, Chris Sieber and Christian Borle took the famous roles.

The show received 14 Tony nominations and won Best Musical. I think they did okay.

So enjoy. If you don’t I will say “Ni” again to you.

Monty Python’s Spamalot runs through August 12.  Buy your tickets now!