Ten Swedish Finalists Announced for West End Lady of the Lake

The ten Ladies of the Lake selected by Swedish television reality show "West End Star" were revealed this weekend on Sweden's TV3.  The finalists - selected by a panel of experts from almost a thousand hopefuls who attended auditions across Sweden - will now battle it out in a series of live studio shows to claim the holy grail of prizes:  the role of the Lady of the Lake in the West End production of Monty Python's Spamalot.   The final ten are:

Sandra Caménisch
35 year old fill time mother of three from Stockholm with 8 week old son

Karin Funk
25 year old checkout girl at Seven Eleven from Gothenberg

Jenny Holmgren
25 year old student from Stockholm

Linda Holmgren
27 year old cruise ship entertainer from Stockholm and older sister of Jenny

Petra Jablonski
38 year old Opera singer from Västerås married to renowned concert pianist Patrick Jablonski

Viktoria Krantz
31 year old show jumper from Stockholm

Divina Sarkany
34 year old actress from Gothenberg

Nina Söderquist
35 year old singing waitress from Stockholm

Susanne Petersson
28 year old Cabaret artist from Malmo

Josefine Wassler
19 year old student at Rock School from Stockholm

In an exclusive arrangement between Swedish broadcaster TV3 and Python (Monty) Pictures an English language version of each episode is being made available online at the newly re-launched official Python website www.pythonline.com.

Over the next few weeks one contestant will be voted off until there are four left.  The final four will be flown from Stockholm to London to begin rehearsals for the role of Lady of the Lake with the cast of Monty Python's Spamalot, returning once each week to Sweden to face the judges and the viewing public in a live TV special.  The series finale will be broadcast on 2 February 2008 with the winner taking over the role of the Lady of the Lake from Monday February 11, 2008. 

Directed by Mike Nichols, Monty Python's Spamalot is "lovingly ripped-off" from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.  Book and lyrics are by Eric Idle with a Grammy Award-winning score by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.  Other members of the Spamalot creative team include Casey Nicholaw (choreography), multiple Olivier Award-winners Tim Hatley (sets and costumes) and Hugh Vanstone (lighting) and Acme Sound Partners.

The London production of Monty Python's Spamalot currently stars Peter Davison, Hannah Waddingham, Robert Hands, Steven Kynman, Graham MacDuff, Andrew Spillett, Tony Timberlake and Bill Ward.  On 14 January 2008 Broadway leading lady Marin Mazzie who currently plays The Lady of the Lake in New York, will join the London cast, swapping roles with Hannah Waddingham.  Mazzie will appear as the Lady of the Lake until February 9, 2008, when she will pass the role to the winner of Swedish TV reality show West End Star. 

Monty Python's Spamalot continues to play at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway having won more Best Musical awards than any other show in 2005.  A new production opened at the Las Vegas Wynn earlier this year and last week saw the premiere of the Australian production in Melbourne. For details and tickets on all productions visit www.montypythonsspamalot.com

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