“Spamalot”, a sacred musical comedy based on Monty Python

2023-11-01 19:00:09
The musical “Spamalot”, at the Théâtre de Paris, October 7, 2023. JUSTINE LEPHAY

A sound of hooves arrives and King Arthur and his faithful squire, Patsy. But no horse for Arthur, who mimics the movement of the animal, with coconuts kicked by Patsy as hooves. Later, Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table must endure a barrage of insults from the French who are guarding a castle; the Black Knight, who nevertheless lost his arms and legs in a duel, continues to want to fight…

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These are some moments from the wacky film, released in 1975, Holy Grail!, from the Monty Python troupe, namely the British Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and the American Terry Gilliam. The feature film became a musical, Spamming, created in 2005. The cult sequences mentioned above appear in the French adaptation presented at the Théâtre de Paris, since Saturday September 23 and announced until the end of the year, then from mid-January to the end of April 2024.

In 2010, the actor, director and director Pierre-François Martin-Laval, known as Pef, notably known for being one of the members of another comic troupe, Les Robins des bois, made an adaptation of Spamming in French. Ten years later, he offers a revised and updated version, where beggars are encouraged to cross the village street to find work, and where you have to be on TikTok to have influence…

Collective work

From the original musical the compositions of John Du Prez and Eric Idle were kept, the latter having written the libretto and the lyrics of the songs. For this Spamming in French, there are musicians installed in the alcoves of the balconies near the stage of the Théâtre de Paris. Keyboards, winds, bass and drums are played live, in a rather music-hall and cabaret approach, with some veers towards gospel, opera parody, military anthem… Pef, who plays Arthur, rendered the rhythm , the situations full of absurdity, innuendoes, crude formulas, of the story and songs of Eric Idle.

The musical “Spamalot”, at the Théâtre de Paris, October 7, 2023. JUSTINE LEPHAY

On the stage, around twenty actresses, who sing, also live, dance, sometimes taking on several roles. A troupe that will make you smile, laugh, sometimes out loud, attentive to collective work carried out with precision in the exchanges and gestures. This is seen during the spectacular sequences: the arrival of the Lady of the Lake, played by Lauren Van Kempen, who moves with ease in many musical styles; the encouragement given to Arthur like the cheerleaders of American sports competitions; the ballet, revisited, of the knights who raise their legs. And just as much, during the dialogue parts, the numerous meetings of Arthur, Lancelot and Galahad with various characters, including the mysterious knights who say « It is! » or the enchanter perched on a swing.

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