Back in 1984, when Phill Jupitus quit his nine-to-five job in the civil service and started performing punk poetry, supporting the likes of Billy Bragg and The Housemartins, the thought of being in a musical would have filled him with horror.

“It was never an option. Musicals were a world away from what I was doing,” says Phill, 48.

Fast forward a quarter of a century and he’s relishing his role in Spamalot, a show that could be described as the musical of musicals.

Not only that, his previous role was larger-than-life Edna Turnblad – the Baltimore mom with the sky-scraping beehive – in feelgood show Hairspray.

“I used to sneer at musicals. Years ago my missus said, ‘you should do a musical, you have a really good voice’, but I wasn’t interested,” says Phill. “Now I see how powerful they can be. With the right music and story, you can make a musical out of the most unlikely subject – look at Billy Elliot. Who’d have thought a show about the miners’ strike, set in the North East of England, would be a Broadway hit?”

And who’d have thought angry young man Phill Jupitus would one day be hoofing it in big-budget musicals?

“I love live performing, that’s the nub of it,” he says. “There’s nothing quite like being in a big, shiny production. It’s a world away from stand-up.

“Musicals can really move an audience. When I was in Hairspray, I wore a wig and a dress but it wasn’t drag – Edna was all woman. She had this endearing quality, it was touching. I found myself being nicer to my mother after that.”

Phill’s current role is pipe-smoking King Arthur in Spamalot, which rolls into Bradford next week. A nod to 1975 film Monty Python And The Holy Grail, it’s an irreverent parody of the Arthurian legend. It also sends up epic movies and over-the-top Broadway musicals.

At its heart is the tale of King Arthur’s quest to find the Holy Grail. Travelling with his servant Patsy, played by Todd Carty, and an assortment of knights recruited to accompany him on his quest, Arthur encounters flatulent Frenchmen, Vegas dancing girls, killer rabbits and the Lady of the Lake (played by Jodie Prenger).

It’s packed with Python references, from Spam worshipping to the dismembered knight and classic comedy song Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, but Phill insists that you don’t have to be familiar with Python to enjoy it.

“There’s plenty for the fans, but if no-one had ever heard of Monty Python it would still be a hit. My daughter, who’s 17, absolutely loved it. She wanted to get the Python DVDs,” he says.

“It’s a brilliant parody of musicals – with solos, the big showstopper, the Busby Berkley-type routines – and it could only have been written by someone who knows the genre well. It’s got the triple threat, as Americans would say. I’d say it’s basically adult panto.”

With audience participation? “I couldn’t possibly comment,” smiles Phill.

Co-written by Eric Idle, Spamalot is an affectionate tribute to his Python stable-mates. “It was very savvy of Eric, the time was right,” says Phill.

“Python is comedy establishment – they’re the godfathers of comedy if you like. People know Python lines because they recite them in pubs and in the playground, like I did 40 years ago. There’s a sense of ownership about them.

“This touring version is more like Spamalot would’ve been had the Python team done it themselves – it’s seven blokes and a bird.”

Phill’s earnest Arthur is a tribute to Graham Chapman’s performance in Holy Grail. “I play him like a deputy headmaster, someone who’s been left in charge. I keep a whistle at all times, to keep everyone in line,” he says. Born on the Isle of Wight, Phill has become a regular on TV and radio panel shows since joining BBC2 pop quiz Never Mind The Buzzcocks in 1996.

After his stint as a poet, he worked for record label Go! Discs and his passion for music led him to front radio shows. As a singer, he has performed with Madness and The Who.

Having grown up watching Monty Python, Phill says Spamalot is “a dream”.

“I’m drawn to the silliness in comedy, it goes back to the Goons and the Crazy Gang,” he says. “The British have always responded to daft stuff; that goes right through to Vic and Bob, the Mighty Boosh, even Miranda – there’ll always be something funny about a large woman falling over. I think it’s to do with the class system in Britain; there’s something about clowning that unites us. It’s a primal thing.”

Spamalot runs at the Alhambra from today until Saturday, March 19. For tickets, ring (01274) 432000.