"Ugly Betty" Star Dale Begins Performances in London Spamalot March 3

By Mark Shenton
March 3, 2008

Alan Dale, best known for his role as publishing mogul Bradford Meade in the hit TV show "Ugly Betty," takes over as King Arthur in the London production of Monty Python's Spamalot March 3 at the Palace Theatre.

Dale also previously created the role of Caleb Nichol in "The O.C." and Charles Widmore in "Lost." He became a U.K. household name in the mid eighties when he played Jim Robinson for eight years in the Australian soap "Neighbours." He has recently finished filming for a guest lead role in the BBC "Dr. Who" spin-off series "Torchwood" and will also be seen this year in a new ITV drama "Midnight Man." A new TV series, "Sea Patrol," will also air in Australia this year. His other TV roles include appearances in "The West Wing," "24," "NCIS," "The X-Files," "ER" and "The Practice." His film credits include "Star Trek: Nemesis," "Hollywood Homicide," "After the Susnet" and the new Indiana Jones film, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Skull," which is to be released later this year.

Monty Python's Spamalot, which continues to run in its original Broadway stand at the Shubert Theatre, first transferred to the West End in October 2006, with Tim Curry re-creating the role of King Arthur that he played in the original Broadway run. As in New York, he subsequently handed over the role to Simon Russell Beale. Dale now succeeds Peter Davison.

Directed by Mike Nichols (Tony-winning productions of Barefoot in the Park, Luv, The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, The Prisoner of Second Avenue and The Real Thing), Spamalot won the Tony Award for Best Musical of 2005 plus the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards in the same category.

Eric Idle based the musical's book on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the screenplay for which Idle wrote with fellow Pythons Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.

The show continues to play the Shubert Theatre, where it opened March 17, 2005. There is also a production at the Las Vegas Wynn, and an Australian version opened last November in Melbourne.

The London production is booking until Sept. 27. For more information call 0870 890 0142 or visit www.montypythonsspamalot.com.