In Jan. 2007 Curry will then hand over the role to Simon Russell Beale, who is currently playing King Arthur in the Tony-winning musical at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway.

On the day the show’s creator Eric Idle launched ticket sales for the London production, the cast announcement also confirms Hannah Waddingham (Lautrec, The Beautiful Game, Tonight’s the Night) in the role of The Lady of the Lake, David Birrell (Grand Hotel, Chicago) as Patsy, Tom Goodman-Hill (The Cosmonaut’s Last Message) as Sir Lancelot and Robert Hands (Chicago, Mamma Mia), who takes on the part of Sir Robin. Further casting announcements are expected shortly.

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.

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.

Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and his Knights' quest for the Holy Grail, Spamalot features a chorus line of dancing divas (and serfs), flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and a legless knight. The show includes new music and lyrics by Idle and John du Prez, who wrote the original film score from which the musical has "lovingly ripped off" three songs. The creative team also includes Casey Nicholaw (choreography) and Tim Hatley, who provides set and costume designs. Idle and du Prez, who has scored over 20 movies, are longstanding collaborators.

On Broadway Spamalot is still playing the Shubert Theatre, where the show opened on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) after previews started on Valentines Day (Feb. 14) 2005.

Spamalot is booking at London’s Palace Theatre until March 31 2007.

For more information call (0)870 8900142.