Matthew Greer plays Sir Lancelot in the hilarious stage adaptation of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” saga that has transitioned from film to stage. The show, a spoof of just about everything as we know it, is extremely irreverent. Harrison: What happened when you suddenly joined the show? Matthew Greer: I joined the tour about a year ago. When you come in as a replacement, you don’t get a whole lot of direction. It’s more like jumping on a train that’s going very fast and trying to be funny at the same time. The material sort of demands that kind of freedom. If Eric Idle or Mike Nichols comes to see it, they have different takes on it. It’s a juggling act. The material is such that anything can happen on stage. The sky is the limit as far as the zaniness goes. Hank Azaria originated the role of Sir Lancelot, and he is a very skilled improvisational actor. I have never had to do that before in my career as a classical actor! Harrison: Do you have to change your performance every night to fit in any improvisation and funny bits? Greer: It’s open and it’s my moment to come up with something. It’s more fun for the audience if they can tell there’s something new and unscheduled. The other actors are all waiting to see what I come up with, and then cringe in horror! The trick to doing comedy is being willing to fail! Harrison: How did the very funny gay marriage bit go over in other places such as Kansas? It’s such a big issue in California. Greer: We were playing up in San Francisco and I asked if there was anything more we had to do about Prop 8. The line about gay marriage has been in the show since 2005. It continues to be controversial! Gurr as King Arthur Actor Christopher Gurr has the zany role of King Arthur, which he took over from TV’s John O’Hurley. Christopher has spent a lot of time in and around theater in St. Louis and Chicago and has taught drama as well. He has played other roles in the show, but is now enjoying playing King Arthur. Harrison: There was a wide range of ages in the audiences, and they all seemed to laugh hysterically. Christopher Gurr: It’s one of the most diverse audiences I’ve ever played for in terms of age. One of the sweet spots for the show are 9-year-old boys! It’s just silly enough for them to enjoy it with their dads. It’s like the dads are introducing them to the world of Python. There’s arrested development in practically everyone! Harrison: Is King Arthur strong enough with his merry men? Gurr: He tries to be in charge of his troops, but in fact he is not in charge of his troops. Arthur is sort of a comedic punching bag, and that’s good. Every comedy is based on knocking the pins out from under somebody in authority. Arthur believes he’s doing the best he can, but they tell me otherwise, repeatedly! Dandridge as Guinevere The beautiful Merle Dandridge plays the Lady in the Lake. Harrison: When you auditioned for the show, were you familiar with the part of Lady of the Lake or did you just say, here I am! Merle Dandridge: I auditioned several times. The first time was when they were first developing it. I don’t think they knew what the part was going to be. They wanted a lot of dancing, and I didn’t think I could be a real chorus girl. I went and did ‘Tarzan’ back in 2005, and then came back to this show after the part was formed. Harrison: Did Mike Nichols (husband of Diane Sawyer) ever direct you to say lines in a certain way to capture the comedy? Dandridge: I think there were a couple of things he was very specific about. But Mike is not that kind of a director. It’s about telling the truth. Broadway/San Diego’s “Monty Python’s Spamalot” romps into the Civic Theater Sept. 8 through 13 downtown. For tickets, call (619) 570-1100 or (800) 982-2787.