As one of the more unlikely comedy pairings in the business, there was a lot of intrigue when Les Dennis and Warwick Davis signed up for Spamalot.

SPAMALOT Playhouse Theatre

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As one of the more unlikely comedy pairings in the business, there was a lot of intrigue when Les Dennis and Warwick Davis signed up for Spamalot.

Having both undergone unlikely career revivals through the television ventures of Ricky Gervais, there seems to be a rekindled joviality in the former particularly and the result is a light-hearted and hugely entertaining performance.

Playing the lead character of King Arthur, the story sees Dennis set out to find the Holy Grail with his trusty sidekick Patsy (Davis) in a rough tribute to one of Monty Python’s most famous films.

Alongside Bonnie Langford – who perfectly satirises diva culture as the Lady of the Lake – the pair slot in well with a seasoned cast all too happy to send up their guest leads on stage.

Dennis for example is the butt of more than one Family Fortunes reference, while Davis’s size adds a physicality to the plight of poor Patsy that is so fitting it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing him. Unfortunately the latter’s run came to an end last week, but it should be of no detriment to the production.

For at its core is the genius of Monty Python that has the potential to not just entertain dedicated fans, but relatively casual ones such as myself.

Whether you’re laughing at their classic sketches for the first time or eagerly waiting for the punch lines you know and love, it’d take ribs of steel to stop sides splitting in Spamalot. And for a short but packed silly comedy on a cold winter’s night, isn’t that all that you really care about?

Alex Bellotti