THE sound of half-witted knights galloping to the beat of coconut shells is in Todd Carty's head and it is going to be stuck there until March.

But the former EastEnder does not mind one bit as he is on the quest for the Holy Grail.

Todd plays Patsy in Eric Idle's Spamalot which has been 'lovingly ripped off' from the Monty Python film.

This is a world in which Joe Pasquale is King Arthur which gives you a bit of an idea what to expect.

Todd, who is returning to the musical after three years, said: "I went into rehearsals last Monday and it was very weird but really lovely being back and I realised this show is quite mad."

The dad-of-two's highlight is singing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life each night. A song that has proved perfect for both joyful celebrations...and crucifixions alike.

Todd, who played Tucker in Grange Hill, added: "If the audience are in the mood they’ll sing along and know the words better than you do so that’s why you have to be very careful that you do get it right.

"Also I’m off stage quite a bit in the second act so I get to watch the show like a fan.

"I’m in the scene when the Black Knight gets his arm cut off and says the famous line ‘It’s just a scratch’ but I’m sat on a tree stump in the background and I get to watch the audience go absolutely crazy."

For Todd, being part of Spamalot is like returning to his youth. Little did his parents know that he used to watch Monty Python's Flying Circus in his bedroom.

"I remember watching it as a child," said the 51-year-old.

"It was the most satirical, anarchic thing and there was nothing like it at the time. Lots of kids weren’t allowed to watch it. But I had a little black and white TV in my room so I watched it in secret.

"I always liked The Lumberjack Song because it went so crazy and a little bit dark. It was just ridiculous.

"But what I also liked was the Nudge Nudge sketch as a lot of my friends used to mimic Eric Idle in the playground and shout ‘say no more, say no more’."

So it was like meeting a hero some 40 years later when Python Eric Idle watched Todd and the team during a technical rehearsal about four years ago.

"It was like seeing Muhammad Ali or Pele," added Todd, who played the deranged PC Gabriel Kent in The Bill.

"He was one of my icons of the 70s and when he walked in there was definitely an awe about him.

"He seemed to enjoy being there and he watched one of the technical rehearsals.

"But there were definitely a few butterflies in the stomach as we were performing it for the man who wrote it. He’s a legend and it was lovely to meet him."

It was a phenomenon of the 70s and 80s but incredibly Monty Python remains as popular as when it started, if not more so.

The surviving members returned on stage at the O2 Arena in July and the first show sold out in just 43 seconds.

There were initially some mixed feelings about Eric Idle's Spamalot from the other Pythons but the Tony award-winning show has taken a life of its own, seen by more than two million people and grossing more than $175million.

Todd said: "I think you have the very natural fan base of Monty Python and obviously the original film it was lovingly ripped off from.

"I think the people that know it come to reassert their memories of Python and new people come along with eyes wide open.

"A lot of guys take their girlfriends or wives. You get grannies and granddads of 80 and you get children of 13 or 14. My sons have seen it at least 30 times.

"I remember Thomas, my youngest, brought most of his class to a performance in High Wycombe two years ago. Every kid knew Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life and I think that’s basically it. If you want to escape the mundane then I think it’s better than going to the doctor.

"I think should do a prescription for Spamalot because if you’re feeling a bit low it gives you two hours of madness and silliness."

- Spamalot is at Manchester Opera House from tonight, Thursday, to Saturday, January 24. Visit atgtickets.com/spamalot

DAVID MORGAN