SARAH Earnshaw is as bubbly as a giant bottle of Fairy.

 

When the actress claims to be disappointed her current six month tour in Spamalot is coming to an end, you believe her.

Not for the Leeds-born lady to bemoan a life of impersonal hotels and new towns to contend with.

Sarah is delighted to be part of the 15-strong troupe. And why shouldn't she be?

Spamalot, 'lovingly ripped off from the classic film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail' is a monster musical.

Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, sort of, it incorporates all sorts of daftness and some very good songs.

"It's just a brilliant thing to do every night," says Sarah of Python legend Eric Idle's creation.

"You just have to go into it with the mindset of having fun.

"And if you don't, it doesn't work.

"Spamalot is really great fun to be part of. And I love comedy."

Sarah has a great comedy cv, having played Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors and Glinda in Wicked.

She's no stranger to wondrous events going on around her, and garnering the laughs from the situation.

"I think comedy is my favourite thing to do," she says of her stage work.

"It's great to get the audience reaction, and it's more fun that straight drama.

"You're never sure of what will come back at you."

She adds, laughing; "And when you're working with Joe Pasquale every night, the laughs never stop emerging."

Joe Pasquale, who plays King Arthur, is joined on stage by his son, also Joe, who plays Patsy.

"You've got to remember every night there's a fresh pair of eyes on us," says Sarah of the audience.

"And it's our job to entertain. You've got to deliver, whether it's a full house on a Saturday or a quiet Tuesday."

Sarah first joined Spamalot in 2006.

"I went to see the show beforehand and I loved it. I was desperate to land the role."

Who wouldn't want to play the Lady of the Lake?

"It's a brilliant role," she enthuses. "I get to sing every style of music going, a diva, gospel and a Lloyd Webber style ballet."

Sarah doesn't come from an acting background but she's been performing since she was a youngster.

"I knew from the age of sixteen I wanted to do it for a living.

"And since then, it's gone rather well."

It has. She's appearing in the BBC's Casualty and countless stage production.

Sarah also had a six month stint with Marti Pellow in Jekyll and Hyde.

"He was great to work with. I'd always been a fan of Wet Wet Wet and it was strange to know the songs and then to find yourself working with the lead singer."

Musical theatre can be ageist. Does Sarah worry about the ravages of time?

"Not really, you just think for the moment. And you hope the roles will come along."

There is little doubt they will if Sarah continues to attract the sort of reviews she achieved for Dusty, her portrayal of sixties legend Dusty Springfield.

"That was a few years ago," she recalls. "And I loved playing Dusty." She adds, grinning; "My musical tastes are a little older than my years.

"But what was great about that was discovering songs I'd never heard of."

Sarah found the challenge of playing the legend daunting.

"It was, but what's the point of being in the business if you don't want a challenge?"

Sarah enjoys a challenge.

"Once when I was playing Glinda, the giant plastic bubble I flew in on started to wobble.

"And as I sang the voice came out in a tremolo I'd never planned for."

At least the Lady of the Lake doesn't arrive in a bubble.

"I'm on safe ground this time around," she laughs.

*Spamalot, the King's Theatre, until Saturday.