The mythical city of Camelot bears a striking resemblence to Las Vegas' Excalibur hotel. The legendary Lady of the Lake is accompanied by a team of cheering "Laker Girls." When our heroes get to France, they're greeted by everyone from a mime to Les Miz's Eponine.

These are just a handful of the gags scattered throughout the appealing Spamalot!, now playing to eager crowds at the National Theatre.

Full disclosure: This reviewer is not a Monty Python fan. Though I've seen Holy Grail and such, I'm much more likely to roll my eyes than to chime in if a friend breaks out into their own rendition of "The Lumberjack Song". But Spamalot! is much more than just an orgy for Python-lovers; it's a send-up of Broadway musical clichés that will have even the most casual of theatergoers laughing.

Spamalot! follows the same general plotline as Monty Python and the Holy Grail: King Arthur and his knights go on a quest for the religious relic; hilarity ensues. Spamalot! seems occasionally to demand applause for even the most tired of Python references (then again, you can't expect the fans in the audience not to clap when Arthur enters the stage accompanied by the galloping sound of coconuts beaten together), but the show does a fine job occasionally putting a new spin on the old gags. More importantly, most of the new jokes are winners.

Killer numbers include "The Song That Goes Like This", a duet between Sir Galahad and the Lady of The Lake that pokes fun at every saccharine ballad convention from key changes to range-busting conclusions. Similarly clever is "You Won't Succeed On Broadway", which reminds the Pythons that in order to put on a musical, what you really need is Jews (giving cast member Dave Turner as Robin a real chance to shine as both comedian and dancer). The show also takes the classic "Knights of the Round Table" song from the film and transforms it into a total showstopper, complete with tap dancing, beaming showgirls, a lyrical ballet between a monk and a nun (in drag, natch) and even a stripteasing knight. Over-the-top is what Spamalot! does best.

A couple jokes you can see coming (the "Fisch Schlapping Song" gag is kind of a rip-off of Forum's "Tragedy TOMORROW!" opener, and drags a bit to boot), or seem a bit thin (too much is squeezed out of the "Lancelot is gay!" concept). The Lady's "Diva's Lament" feels superfluous, but the formidable Pia Glenn sells it anyway, playing the role as an excessive scene-stealer with attitude (and the vocal chops to match).

Other jewels in the cast include the unassailably deadpan Tom Deckman in an assortment of smaller roles, from the effeminate Prince Herbert to the memorable minstrel, and Jeff Dumas as the loyal Patsy, whose sunny optimism moves along "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life", smoothly transplanted from the Pythons' Life Of Brian. Michael Siberry's blustering King Arthur seems a bit one-note at first (the mind wanders to wondering what originator Tim Curry was like in the role), but he quickly becomes one of the most enjoyable cast members to watch, particularly during the show's dance numbers.

Despite its departures from the film on which it's based, Spamalot! at its heart is pure Python: it's slapstick and it's silly, but there are brains behind those pratfalls. The show runs through July 9, and tickets, if there are any left, are available through Telecharge