Behind the Scenes with Todd Carty

Most people will remember you from you TV roles. How are you finding acting on stage?
I have been acting on stage for years now and I am loving every minute of it!

Your former co-star Steve McFadden will be joining us over Christmas as Captain Hook in Peter Pan, what can Wycombe Swan audience’s expect from him and what can he expect from a Wycombe Swan Panto?
I starred at the Wycombe Swan in 2005 and I thought the audiences were great there. They gave a fantastic response so he will be in safe hands!

Spamalot is based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Do you prefer the film or the musical, and why?
I absolutely loved the film as a kid. I am a huge Monty Python fan. But to be in the musical and sing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is a real treat.

Being a musical, Spamalot contains many songs. Are these all new songs, or will the public recognise any from the days of the original Monty Python?
The Python fans will of course know all of the songs. The people that are new to the musical will I’m sure really love the upbeat songs. They will all be singing along by the end.

In the show you play Patsy, King Arthur’s servant. Have you taken much influence from Terry Gilliam’s portrayal in the film, or have you tried to make the character your own?
I just loved him in the film, he was great. But each time you take a new role you put a bit of yourself into it.

The character you play is most famous for impersonating a horse using 2 halves of a coconut, can you impersonate any other animals?
A barking dog is my speciality!

If you could be any of the original Monty Python team, who would you be and why?
Oh, that’s hard to say. I think I would be a different Python for every day of the week. John Cleese on Monday, Terry Jones on Tuesday, Graham Chapman on Wednesday, Michael Palin on Thursday, Terry Gilliam on Friday and then have a day off, with finally being good old Eric Idle on a Sunday. As he is “playing” God!

SPAMALOT runs from Mon 8 - Sat 13 November