Eric Idle, the legendary co-founder of Monty Python's Flying Circus, is on a mission to spread laughter across America. His celebrated musical comedy, Spamalot, kicks off a major national tour this week, promising absurdity, song, and a uniquely Python-esque perspective on life and death.
The Healing Power of Python Humour
For Idle, comedy is far more than mere entertainment; it's a vital human corrective. He often ponders whether aliens share our sense of humour, concluding they must if they are self-aware. "It's about laughing at yourself and your own death and your inevitable end, which you can do nothing about," he muses. This philosophical underpinning fuels his work. "I think laughter is essential, and it's both a relief and a corrective on how to look at life," Idle states, framing the upcoming tour as a crusade of joy.
From Holy Grail to Broadway Triumph
Spamalot is a riotous stage adaptation of the iconic 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The show faithfully brings to life the film's most beloved absurdities, from knights questing for shrubbery and coconut-clapping horse sounds to flatulent Frenchmen and a murderous rabbit. Idle recalls the film's humble origins: it was shot in five cold weeks in Scotland on a budget of just £320,000, partly funded by rock stars like members of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd seeking tax write-offs.
The idea for the musical struck Idle while developing a CD-ROM game based on the film. "I suddenly went, 'Wait a minute, if you could turn 'The Holy Grail' into a game, you can certainly turn it into a Broadway musical,'" he remembers. He wrote the book and lyrics, teaming up with composer John Du Prez. With the crucial guidance of director Mike Nichols, whom Idle credits for knowing "everything about funny," the musical premiered on Broadway in 2005 and won the Tony Award for Best New Musical.
A Touring Phenomenon and Lasting Legacy
The new production is set for an extensive journey, visiting over 30 cities in its first year alone. Stops include Los Angeles, Washington DC, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, and New Orleans. Idle champions the comedy musical as the ultimate theatrical form. "It's got everything you want – it can have drama, but also laughter, dancing, girls. It's got it all," he explains.
Among the show's standout moments is the act two opener, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," borrowed from the Python film Life of Brian. Idle's favourite memory is seeing Broadway audiences leave the theatre singing that very song and clicking together coconuts bought from the merch stand. "If you can just brighten people's lives to be silly in the street immediately afterwards, I think you've done a great job," he reflects. "Not many shows do that."
Fans can gain further insight from Idle's recently published The Spamalot Diaries, compiled from his forgotten journals, which detail the creative tensions behind the musical's making. As the tour begins, the timeless, surreal humour of Monty Python, born on British TV between 1969 and 1974, is poised to deliver its uniquely life-affirming silliness to a new generation of American audiences.
