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Regional daily journalist appears in hit musical

A regional daily journalist became a star of the stage when he took on a cameo role in a hit musical.

The Liverpool Echo’s Neil Macdonald appeared in Spamalot, the show based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which is running at the city’s Empire theatre until Saturday.

Neil was due to star in the show as Sir Not Appearing, a one-line cameo designed to get a big laugh from the audience as a knight of the Round Table who is introduced but then says sorry and promptly walks off again.

Famous names to have appeared in the role during the show’s run include comedian Leigh Francis (in the guise of his well-known character Keith Lemon) and darts player Eric Bristow.

Neil (second left) with the Spamalot cast

Neil (second left) with the Spamalot cast

However, disaster struck when the costume department was unable make the right jacket fit.

Thankfully, an alternative role was found for Neil as a haybaler.

In a piece on his appearance for the Echo, Neil wrote: “My already-shaky confidence wasn’t helped by my Echo colleague who wished me well by saying ‘remember, if you mess it up you’ll have ruined the entire show for the audience.'”

“But buoyed by memories of my admittedly limited acting experience from six months in a local theatre group in Widnes with my mum and sister back when I was 14 (I’m now 43), I turned up at the stage door.”

Neil, the Echo’s head of web and data development, described “a roar of laughter” at his appearance before “grinning with relief” as he made his way off stage.

He added: “For a brief time, I got to see what it is like to appear in a successful stage show in a magnificent theatre in front of a big audience. In short, it was amazing.

“The sound of the audience laughing and knowledge I had played a small part in that gave me a buzz of adrenalin last night that still hasn’t worn off. I understand now why actors and comedians perform, as that response is addictive.

“Sadly, my phone is yet to ring with calls from agents competing to represent me or with offers of similar roles in the future (if you need someone who can carry things on stage, I’m your man!), but I live in hope.”

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