Review: Spamalot at New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Spamalot

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

So then, the big question.

Does Eric Idle and John Du Prez's stage adaptation of one of the Britain's best loved big screen comedies do it justice? The answer is yes. Spamalot features all the energy and silliness you would expect.

The show has, for instance, the classic ramblings about the flying velocity of an African swallow, a killer rabbit and of course the knights that say Ni.

And there are modern gags in keeping with the theme of Monty Python too. These include a moment where Todd Carty's character is asked if he has heard anything from any of the stars from blockbuster film The Artist to which he replies 'Not a word'.

I have two criticisms. The first is that, technically, it's very basic. You would think the opportunity to use modern theatre effects to bring to life classic moments from the film to the stage would have been snapped up.

And the second criticism is that some might feel this type of comedy has dated.

The jokes, campness and slapstick that made the Holy Grail so outrageous are pretty tame by modern standards. But for fans of the film it is a must.

By David Lumb