West End’s Spamalot Uses Reality TV to Find Lady of the Lake

Searching for its next Lady of the Lake, the West End production of Monty Python’s Spamalot has taken the plunge into reality television.

Swedish broadcaster TV3 will host West End Story, a nine-part series that kicks off in late Autumn 2007 with open auditions in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. The show will use a panel of musical theater experts from the West End and Sweden to select a group of twelve finalists to compete for the role. Each week one contestant will be voted off until there are four left. Those four will then join Spamalot‘s London cast for rehearsals, but will return to Sweden each week to face the judges in a live TV special. The winner will be announced during the series finale, airing in February 2008.

Currently, Olivier Award-nominated Hannah Waddingham plays the show’s leading Lady. Beginning July 23, she will be joined by Peter Davison, who takes over for Simon Russell Beale as King Arthur, and Bill Ward, who steps in for Tom Goodman-Hill as Sir Lancelot.

Monty Python’s Spamalot is directed by Mike Nichols and includes a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, with a score by Idle and John Du Prez. The show’s creative team includes Casey Nicholaw (direction/choreography), Tim Hatley (costumes), Hugh Vanstone (lighting), and Acme Sound Partners (sound).