Not Dead Fred

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Not Dead" Fred is a fictional character in the Broadway musical Spamalot, and the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In the film, however he is unnamed, and only credited as "Dead Body That Claims It Isn't". In the film, he is played by John Young, and in the musical, Christian Borle.

[edit] The Character in the Film and Musical

In the film, Not Dead Fred appears in only one scene, towards the beginning. King Arthur and his entourage are in a typical English village; the Black Death has ravaged the lands, and a civic cleaner is travelling through the town uncharismatically shouting "Bring out yer dead", for the villagers to put any Plague-dead bodies on a wagon with him to be carted out. Another villager comes out dragging an old man, saying "here's one." The old man responds by saying "I'm not dead!". The villager insists that the unnamed old man hasn't long to live, despite the protests of the old fellow and the cart driver.

In the musical, the cart driver shouts "Bring out yer dead" with more enthusiasm and only two times. Not Dead Fred is the man who is being carried out to the cart. He is younger than in the film, and less frail; in fact, he begins singing the rousing "I'm Not Dead Yet".

Not Dead Fred's name is only mentioned once, during the end of the song; he is seen saying "I am coming too... my name will be Sir Fred, I'll be ya' musician 'cos I'm not yet dead!" It is possible, given this lyric, that Not Dead Fred becomes Robin's leading Minstrel, as the parts are usually played by the same actor, but there is no direct evidence that the two characters are one man.