A humorous, insider’s take on the creation of a unique Broadway hit.
Monty Python alum Eric Idle gives readers a peek into the making of the delightfully absurd musical, Spamalot. Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot first hit Broadway in 2005. This book details the journey through Idle’s diary, chronicling everything from early rehearsals in New York to previews in Chicago and, finally, its Broadway debut. Idle began the script in 2001, realizing the original film’s potential as a musical. “It already had three great songs, no horses onstage, and the Holy Grail quest had a Wagnerian scale,” he jokes. “Not the Ring cycle, more like the Rinse cycle.” He provides insights into casting, assembling the crew—
including longtime friend Mike Nichols as director—script and song debates, technical challenges like staging the flying Killer Rabbit, and preparing for the “Opening Knight” on Broadway. Idle shares deleted song lyrics, emails, and funny moments, including a memorable encounter with two New York cops who recognized him outside the theater. He’s candid about personal struggles too, from injuries and food poisoning in Chicago to his daughter’s mental health crisis, which he regrets may have been impacted by his musical’s demands. Idle’s diary is peppered with plenty of humor for fans, even if a few jokes fall flat, like his opening email to Nichols: “Hello, mein Führer. Is that too formal?”
An entertaining, behind-the-scenes look at a Broadway phenomenon.
