An even more crazy “Spamalot” at the Paris theater

The show is in the Théâtre de Paris. A young woman swims in the middle of the audience. One of his colleagues, with a swimming cap on his head, is looking for his underwear. A manager walks with difficulty through a row of occupied chairs, a sign in his arms. He gets reprimanded by his boss. Summer camp atmosphere. Everyone is doubled over.

The fanatics will meet on stage to play Spamalot, the musical show put together, or rather dismantled, by Pierre-François Martin-Laval, known as “Pef”. “Lovingly” taken from the film Monty Python: Holy Grail!, by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones (1975). Became a musical on Broadway in 2005 (three Tony Awards).

Ten years after his success in Bobino, supported among others by Stage Entertainment (The Lion King, Chicago), the ex-member of Robin Hood resumes his adaptation in French, adding - if it were possible - a large grain of madness. King Arthur (Pef) enters the set with his faithful friend Patsy (unnarrable Simon Catrice that evening), who transcribes the sound of their horses' hooves with coconuts. The monarch is searching for knights of the “low”, no, “round”, he corrects, Table across Britain. And not in Brittany (at the beginning, we are treated to a fest-noz).

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King Arthur is of his time and comfortable with “Instagraal” influencers. He invites the beggars to cross the street to find work. God - the caricatured voice of Omar Sy - instead suggests that he find the Grail. The Lady of the Lake (the impetuous Lauren Van Kempen) will help him. After a trip to Camelot, Arthur and his companions will face a Black Knight, perched knights who say “ Ni! » and a cute little killer white rabbit! Delirium reigns supreme with lots of sketches, jokes and schoolboy puns. Like in a playground, the singing actors have as much fun as the spectators.

The “Historian” who looks like a documentalist (Véronique Hatat) corrects their errors like a school teacher. Author of the booklet and songs, Eric Idle, one of the members of Monty Python, co-wrote the music with John Du Prez. Served by a cast who does not fear ridicule, they recreate the adventures of the gang with delight. On both sides of the stage, the orchestra plays live, with a smile on their faces.

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Children from 7 years old will be delighted, assures Pierre-François Martin-Laval, who can use the words of the trailer for the feature film: “If you have no intellectual pretensions and you like to have fun, you risk nothing by going to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail. » Pef dreams of this being the musical that everyone is talking about. It is unknown whether this will be the case. On the other hand, it's the one where we laugh the most.

“Spamalot”, Théâtre de Paris (9), until January 27, 2024. Loc. : 01 86 47 72 49 or www.theatredeparis.com