Spamalot - Alan Dale takes on King Arthur
Story by Lizzie Guilfoyle
ON MARCH 3, 2008, Alan Dale will take over the role of King Arthur from Peter Davison in the hit musical Monty Python’s Spamalot, which is currently booking at the Palace Theatre until September 27, 2008.
Although Dale is probably best known as Neighbours‘ Jim Robinson, a role he played for eight years back in the mid 1980s, his other recent TV credits include the American hit comedy Ugly Betty (as Bradford Meade), The O.C (as Caleb Nichol) and Lost (as Charles Widmore).
His other numerous television credits include The West Wing (as Mitch Bryce, Secretary of Commerce), 24 (as Vice President Jim Prescott), NCIS, The X-Files, ER and The Practice.
On screen, he has appeared as Praetor Hiren, the zealous president of the Romulan Senate in Star Trek: Nemesis; as Commander Preston in Hollywood Homicide, alongside Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett; and co-starred with Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek in After the Sunset.
Later this year, he will star in Steven Spielberg’s new Indiana Jones movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Skull. He has also recently completed filming for BBC’s Torchwood (guest lead) and will shortly be seen as ruthless politician Donald Hagan in a new ITV drama Midnight Man, alongside Catherine McCormack and James Nesbitt. And in Australia, his new television series Sea Patrol is also scheduled to air later this year.
Directed by Mike Nichols, Monty Python’s Spamalot is “lovingly ripped-off” from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.
Book and lyrics are by Eric Idle with a Grammy Award-winning score by Eric Idle and John Du Prez. The creative team also includes Casey Nicholaw (choreography), multiple Olivier Award-winners Tim Hatley (sets and costumes) and Hugh Vanstone (lighting), and Acme Sound Partners.
The current London cast includes Peter Davison as King Arthur, Marin Mazzie as The Lady of The Lake, Robert Hands as Sir Robin, Steven Kynman as Prince Herbert, Graham MacDuff as Sir Dennis Galahad, Andrew Spillett as Patsy, Tony Timberlake as Sir Bedevere and Jake Nightingale as Sir Lancelot.
Mazzie will appear as the Lady of the Lake until February 9, 2008, when she will pass the role to the winner of Swedish TV reality show West End Star.
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