Joe Tracini cast alongside his father in Spamalot

It has been announced that Joe Tracini (Hollyoaks / Coming of Age) will take over from Todd Carty as Patsy in the UK Tour of Spamalot from 11th May 2015.

Tracini will star alongside his father Joe Pasquale who has extended his run as King Arthur in the show. 

Joe Tracini said: "When I was little, I had three dreams for when I grew up… to be in a musical, to work with my Dad, and to bang two halves of a coconut together on a nightly basis. 

"Playing Patsy in Spamalot is making all of them come true at once. I'm honoured that I'm being trusted with the part, to sing the classic song 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life,' and to be joining such a brilliant company. Come and see us please, it's funnier if you're there."

Review: Spamalot (UK Tour) at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Spamalot (UK Tour)

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Reviewed on Monday 13th April 2015

★★★★★

Spamalot is one of the funniest musicals ever written. Regardless of whether you are a Monty Python fan or not, Spamalot provides an evening of pure escapism and is thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table embark on a quest to find The Holy Grail.

Joe Pasquale, Bonnie Langford & Todd Carty to star in Spamalot 2015 UK Tour

Spamalot will launch a new UK Tour in 2015 with Joe Pasquale, Bonnie Langford and Todd Carty reprising their performances as King Arthur, The Lady of The Lake and Patsy.

Lovingly ripped off from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot follows King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in their quest to find the Holy Grail. Spamalot originally ran in the West End at the Palace Theatre between 2006 and 2009. 

Following its first UK Tour, a new production of the musical opened at the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre in July 2012 before transferring to the Playhouse Theatre from November 2012 where it ran until April 2014.

Joe said: "I loved my time as King Arthur in the West End production. I am very excited to have been asked to return for the new UK Tour. I will be joining a fantastic Spamalot cast and can't wait to get back on my invisible horse as we search the land for The Holy Grail."

Professor Brian Cox to play God in Spamalot this week

Renowned TV presenter and physicist, Professor Brian Cox, will follow in the footsteps of Hugh Bonneville, Michael Palin, Barbara Windsor, Larry Lamb, Bradley Walsh, Simon Callow, Gary Lineker, Michael Ball and Christopher Biggins this week as he plays God in the West End production of Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre.

The pre-recorded cameo role features in Spamalot when King Arthur and the Knights of The Round Table are given their quest to find The Holy Grail. Brian Cox will appear as God from tonight (20th January) until Saturday 26th January.

Professor Cox.said: “It is a reasonable no brainer. If Eric Idle says to you ‘do you want to be God in Spamalot?’ then I’d be surprised if anybody had ever said no.”

Joe Pasquale returns to Spamalot

Actor and comedian Joe Pasquale, who was recently seen on Dancing On Ice, will return to Spamalot as King Arthur from Monday 20th January 2014. Carley Stenson, who joined the Monty Python musical last November, continues as The Lady of The Lake.

Joe said: "I loved my time as playing King Arthur in Spamalot last year. I am very excited to have been asked to return. I will be joining a fantastic cast and can't wait to get started later this month."

Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and features a bevy (or possibly a brace) of beautiful show girls, witch burnings (cancelled due to health and safety) not to mention cows, killer rabbits and French people. 

Theatre stars including Bonnie Langford, Joe Pasquale, Sam Attwater & Gareth Gates returning to Dancing On Ice for all-stars series

It has been announced that several West End performers are returning to ITV's Dancing On Ice for its final all-stars series. Spamalot co-stars Bonnie Langford, Joe Pasquale, Todd Carty and Hayley Tamaddon will reunite alongside Sam Attwater (Rocky Horror Show), Gareth Gates (Legally Blonde, Les Mis), Ray Quinn (Grease), Zaraah Abrahams (Beautiful Thing) and Suzanne Shaw (Chicago).

14 celebrities in total have signed up to return to the show for its final series, which is due to air on ITV early next year. Phillip Schofield and Christine Bleakley will be back to host the show, while Torvill & Dean will return for the last time to train the stars. The duo will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of their Olympic bolero during DOI: All-Stars.

Interview: Bonnie Langford and Joe Pasquale

Last week comedy legend and winner of I’m A Celebrity, Joe Pasquale, joined Bonnie Langford (aka the Queen of the West End) in Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre. 

Pasquale stars as King Arthur and Langford plays The Lady of the Lake. Joe Pasquale and Bonnie Langford starred in Peter Pan together thirteen years ago and after they were reunited via Twitter, Joe came to see her in Spamalot. Following the performance, Bonnie suggested that Joe would make a great King Arthur and put the idea to the show’s producers.

Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and features a bevy (or possibly a brace) of beautiful show girls, killer rabbits and French people. The show also features fantastic tunes more magical than a Camelot convention, including He Is Not Dead Yet, Knights of the Round Table, Find Your Grail and of course the Nation’s Favourite Comedy Song (Reader’s Digest Poll 2010 - before it went bust), Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.

As one of the country’s most popular funny men for over 20 years, Joe Pasquale has appeared on stage in six Royal Variety Performances and in the touring productions of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, The Wizard of Oz and Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Joe won the 2004 series of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and also made it to round six of ITV1’s Dancing on Ice earlier this year.

Musical Theatre legend Bonnie Langford has starred in countless musicals including 9 to 5, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity, Oklahoma!, 42nd Street, Me and My Girl, The Pirates of Penzance, Cats, Gypsy and Gone with the Wind. On screen she has starred in Opportunity Knocks, Bugsy Malone, Just William, The Hot Shoe Show, Doctor Who and Dancing on Ice.

Last week I visited Joe and Bonnie backstage at the Playhouse Theatre to discuss Spamalot’s incredible success, what it was like for Joe to join such a well established show, Bonnie’s dream King Arthur and social networking...

What do you think is the secret to Spamalot’s success?

BL: Spamalot was going before in a different incarnation, the show was longer and more ‘Broadway-ish’. What they’ve done with this new version is slimmed it down and ‘trimmed off the fat’ which I think is part of its charm. The show is completely mad but is no longer indulgent. There is something for everyone, ultimately people like the British eccentricity. The show wasn’t actually meant to run this long though, this new production was touring. I joined the tour in 2012 and then that was meant to be it.