Holy Grail + Spamalot

Last month Waukee Theatre Arts started the process of putting on their spring musical “Monty Python’s Spamalot”! The cast and crew have already started working hard on making this show as funny and ridiculous as it can be. “Monty Python’s Spamalot” was released in 2004 and is as the creators Eric Idle and John Du Prez say “lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and The Holy Grail .’’ “Monty Python and The Holy Grail” is a movie from 1975 starring all 6 “Pythons.” It is a hilarious movie with Rolling Stone putting it at number 3 on their list of the 25 funniest movies of all time. This movie has helped shape comedy and has stayed funny for many decades. 

Many generations even love this movie with it frequently becoming a Netflix regular. Because of its availability many of the cast and crew have seen the movie. With around 90 students in Waukee’s production of Spamalot 34 responded to the question. “Have you seen Monty Python and The Holy Grail?.” 44.1% of students have seen the movie. While 55.9% have not, because the majority of the cast have not seen the movie this article can serve as a recap! Like many musicals that were taken from movies, there are many differences between the two media. So in this article, I will be discussing all of the key differences and similarities between the movie and the musical. 

The musical starts with a historian who serves as the musical’s narrator throughout the whole show. He first states how an amazing leader named King Arthur King of the Britons will bring the country of England together. The characters in the story however think that the historian said Finland and so they sing a song called “Finland/Fisch Schlapping Dance” where they sing about how amazing Finland is until the historian points out their mistake. The movie also has a historian who pops in and out of the story. But in the movie, the historian tragically gets slashed by a knight.

 After the Finland song, King Arthur and his servant Patsy go on a quest to find Knights to recruit in King Arthur’s “round table”. One of the bits in both the musical and the movie is Patsy using coconuts to mimic the sound of horses because they don’t have any. Because of this, when Arthur and Patsy meet the guard of a castle on their quest, the guard ignores them and just converses with another guard about how coconuts can even make it to England. This bit is the same in the movie and is how the movie opens. 

The next thing that happens in both the movie and the musical is a scene that takes place in a dirty town in England. In this scene, there is a Dead Body Collector who comes around with a cart to collect all of the dead bodies in town. During this, a townsperson comes up to the collector and tries to put a body that is not dead on the cart. This is where the musical sings the song “He Is Not Dead Yet”. Also in the musical, we see townsmen who want to enlist in King Arthur’s army named Robin and Lancelot. This is different from the movie because while Robin and Lancelot are the main characters in both stories, In the movie we do not see her journey to becoming a knight. At around this time in the story in both mediums we see Monks crossing who are singing and smashing bibles on their heads. 

The next thing we see as an audience in both stories. In the story of Dennis Galahad and his mother, in this scene we see two poor townspeople giving King Arthur a hard time when he asks about recruiting knights. In the musical, this is when The Lady of the Lake appears because Dennis asks how King Arthur was made King. And he tells him that The Lady of the Lake made him King. Then The Lady of the Lake and her Laker girls convince Dennis to join Arthur’s army. Which is where songs like “Come With Me” and “Laker Girls Cheer” take place. Then The Lady and Sir Galahad formally known as Dennis sing a song called “The Song That Goes Like This” mocking songs from Broadway specifically Phantom Of The Opera. Spamalot mocks many musicals like Fiddler on The Roof and West Side Story in its show. 

After Dennis and his mother’s scene, King Arthur travels into the woods with Patsy where they see a Black Knight winning a battle against another knight. Arthur asks if the Black Knight would like to join them but he says they cannot pass these woods. Arthur doesn’t accept that and challenges the knight to fight which ends up with The Black Knight’s limbs being taken off one by one by Arthur with funny pauses in between. In the musical, the bit stays the same but occurs in Act 2. 

The scene in place of The Lady Of the Lake scene in the movie is “The Witch Scene”. This is where many angry townspeople approach a high-standing man named Bedevere with a woman they believe has dressed up to be a witch. King Arthur and Patsy are also there watching this unfold while on their quest. Bedevere sends the angry and stupid people down a philosophical road explaining how a witch burns because she is made of wood and wood floats in water. Another thing that floats in water is a duck so they think that if she weighs the same as a duck she is a witch. They measure this with comically large scales and it is revealed that she is a witch. As the townspeople burn her, King Arthur greets Bedevere and asks him if he would like to be a knight for King Arthur’s “round table” and Bedevere agrees. 

In both the movie and musical Arthur finishes rounding up the rest of his knights. This is where in the musical they sing a song called “All For One”. In the movie, Arthur takes his knights outside the castle of Camelot where they show what’s to come for the knights if they go to Camelot. It shows many knights singing and dancing to a song called “Knights of the Round Table”. Junior Ana Bull shares why this is her favorite song in the musical! “My favorite song is the Knights of the Roundtable Song, which I believe is taken directly from the movie! I love how they included it and I love how it’s more talk-singy than belty. The dancing is also super fun in the movie, and they carry that into the movie. It’s very enjoyable!” 

After this song finishes Arthur says that maybe they shouldn’t go to Camelot and he and his knights leave. In the musical, they do go to Camelot and that crazy number gets even crazier on stage with The Lady of the Lake having a special part in it too. Here is where you see how outrageous and funny The Lady of the Lake is and how much she enjoys all the attention. 

Next in the storyline for both media, God tells Arthur and his knights that they need to find the Grail (a cup) and that their holy quest is to find it. They all rejoiced because they had a quest. In the musical, this is where The Lady of the Lake sings a song called “Find Your Grail”. Next in both pieces Arthur and his knights travel to a French castle where they ask some guards if they have the Grail. The French guards mock them and call them many silly names. The guards tell them that their master has already got a Holy Grail. 

Arthur demands that he talk to their master but they refuse so they throw cows and ducks over their castle wall which hits Patsy. In the musical that happens later but still in the same song. Bedevere then comes up with a plan. In this plan, they parody the Trojan horse and make a wooden rabbit. The knights and Arthur push the rabbit up to the gate. Where they realize how stupid they all are as Bedevere explains how they were supposed to be in the rabbit. In The movie, the guards launch the wooden rabbit over the castle. In the musical, the audience is launched into a fun song called “Run Away!” 

That concludes Act 1 of the musical but there are a few things in the movie that happen that are worth mentioning. After running away from the French everyone gets split up by themselves except for Arthur and Bedevere who are together. During this Sir Galahad, Sir Robin, and Sir Lancelot all have their own stories. Sir Robin’s story consists of him traveling through the woods with his minstrels (who are medieval musicians). They sing a song called “Brave Sir Robin”. These musicians mock Robin and comment on how not brave he is. This happens in the musical but at a bit of a different time. Something that Sir Robin runs into that’s not in the musical is the Three-Headed Guard. This guard provides a funny bit of the three heads not being able to get along and trying to decide if they should kill Robin but by the time their decision is made he is gone. 

Sir Galahad’s story in the movie is not in the musical at all. His story consists of him thinking that he saw the Grail in a castle but when he arrives there he is met by many MANY women who all try to seduce him into inappropriate activities but before they can do that Lancelot saves him. Another scene that is exclusive to the movie is a scene where the Bridge Keeper comes back in the movie later. Tells King Arthur and Sir Bedevere that there is an enchanter who comes up later and can help them find the Grail. But before they have time to ask more questions he disappears. 

After mentioning those things specific to the movie the next thing to happen in both storylines is Arthur, Patsy, and Bedevere running into The Knights who say Ni in the forest. These are Knights who protect the word Ni and when they say that word it hurts the people who hear it. Since Arthur and his crew are trying to get through the forest they ask the Knights to move but they won’t unless they are given a shrubbery. So Arthur and his men go out to look for one. In the musical Arthur feels very defeated so Pasty cheers him up by singing a song called “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life ” which also is used as the company’s bow at the end of the show. 

After that song, the musical gets caught up with the movie and Robin’s song from the movie and The Black Knight scene play out during this time. But next in the story Arthur and his friends return to the Knights of Ni with their shrubbery at a later time in the musical. But when they return the Knights now protect a different word that is not Ni. In the movie, the Knights of Ni ask for ANOTHER shrubbery. But Arthur and his friends refuse, they keep talking as the rest of Arthur’s knights eventually reunite in the woods. As they talk the Knights of Ni will randomly get hurt because Arthur’s knights are saying a word that the Knights of Ni cannot hear which is “it”. This distracts them and Arthur’s friends carry on. 

In the musical, the Knights of Ni ask for a Broadway show. This is when Sir Robin tells Arthur that their plan won’t work out because they don’t have any Jews and they need them to be able to be on Broadway in a song called “You Won’t Succeed On Broadway”. (This song is sometimes changed to a more appropriate version for some shows and schools but Waukee Theatre Arts will be doing the original version.) After this Lancelot’s story begins with his concorde (a servant who carries their stuff and uses the coconuts) getting shot from an arrow who we will soon find out who it is from. But before we can continue with that story The Lady of the Lake sings a song called “Diva’s Lament (Whatever Happened To My Part?)” where she complains about how little she has gotten to be on stage in Act 2. 

Next, we continue with Lancelot’s story where he reads his note from a prince named Herbert who loves to sing but his Father tells him not to in a song called “Where Are You”. His Father also explains how he is about to be married to a bride that he does not want to marry which is why he sent a letter to Lancelot. Herbert’s Dad and the guards also have a funny bit where the guards do not understand the King’s instructions. Then Lancelot comes into their castle and murders many MANY people on his way up to Herbert’s room. 

Herbert’s Dad doesn’t care however and as Herbert is climbing out the window hoping Lanclot will follow him Herbert’s Dad cuts the rope Herbert was using to get down. But he is saved! And Herbert’s Dad is very mad about that. Up until this point, Lancelot’s story is the same in the movie. But in the musical Lancelot yells at Herbert’s dad for being so unaccepting. Herbert’s Dad then realizes Lancelot is gay because he stood up for Herbert and so Herbert and the people in the story sing a song called “His Name is Lancelot”. 

After this is where we as an audience see the biggest difference between the movie and the musical which is the ending so I will be separately going through both of those. In the movie, King Arthur and his Knights meet up with Tim the Enchanter who takes them to a cave protected by a huge beast. Arthur and his clan go to the cave where they find a bunny. The group thinks it’s a joke until the bunny starts eating people’s faces off. They run away but then bring out the Holy Hand Grenade to blow the place up. They do so and then go into a cave where they are attacked by another beast but this time it’s animated so they escape because the animator had a health problem and stopped animating it. 

They continue searching for the Grail as they come across the Bridge Keeper. He asks each knight three questions and if they pass they get to go across the bridge. Lancelot goes first and gets easy questions so he makes it. Then Robin goes but he gets hard questions, so the Bridge Keeper blows him off a cliff. Galahad is also blown off a cliff. Then Arthur goes but the Bridge Keeper asks a question that the Bridge Keeper doesn’t know the answer to so he gets blown off the cliff. 

So Bedevere and King Arthur cross the bridge but Lancelot is nowhere to be found. Because he was getting searched by the police because of the murder of the historian. At the beginning of the movie. So then Arthur and Bedevere go back to the French castle but are taunted again so they get an army together to attack the castle but then they have to stop the filming because the police looking into the historian’s death shut it down and that is the end of the movie.

In the musical Arthur is depressed again because he doesn’t know how to get a show on Broadway and sings a song called “I’m All Alone” which is funny because Patsy has been with him on his trip. But then The Lady of the Lake comes to tell Arthur that she has been with him the whole time. She then tells him that he doesn’t have to worry about getting on Broadway because they have been on it the whole time. She also tells him that since it’s a musical it has to end in a wedding so Arthur and The Lady decide to get married. 

But before that can happen they still have to find the Grail. Arthur and his knights find Tim the Enchanter and the storyline of the killer rabbit and the Holy Hand Grenade stays the same. But then Tim the Enchanter tells them that the Grail is under an audience member’s seat and they bring the audience member out onto the stage. The show then ends with Herbert and Lancelot, The Lady of the Lake, and King Arthur getting married. 

After comparing both the movie and musical version of this amazing funny story it is clear why you shouldn’t just be familiar with just one of these mediums. They are both so interesting and unique that it’s worth giving “The Holy Grail” a watch or “Spamalot” a listen! Senior Allyna Bross shares her review of the movie. “The cast should all watch the movie!” These are also just an overview of all the changes between these stories. There are many things like timing when an event happens before or after another one; or things like which character does what. And there are even more songs in the musical! 

 Sophomore Jack Ranes talks about the contrasting messages in both pieces. “I think Monty Python is a fun movie, but you won’t fundamentally change as a person after watching it. Spamalot has a clear message and executes it well” It is easy to see why so many people love the silliness of these messages. I hope that this article serves as a huge Venn diagram for both pieces of media and that you can see all of the similarities and differences to look out for when watching either piece. I also hope that this article gives you some insight into how ridiculous and hilarious the Waukee Theatre Arts production of Spamalot is going to be. So be at the auditorium April 11th -14th to catch a performance of these two amazing storylines combined into one.