Monty Python cast to reunite

The five remaining members of UK comedy troupe Monty Python fronted a press conference at London’s Playhouse Theatre, to confirm they would come together for a stage show at London’s O2 Arena in July, 2014.

Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and John Cleese became famous with TV sketch show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, in Britain between 1969 and 1974, along with Graham Chapman who died of cancer in 1989.

The team went on to make films including Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979).

The show, set for July 1, will contain some of the troupe’s famous sketches with “a modern, topical, Pythonesque twist.

Cleese said they would almost certainly include popular sketches such as The Crunchy Frog and The Dead Parrot, but reiterated that there would also be “some new material”.

“People do really want to see the old hits but we don’t want to do them in a predictable way,” he said.

“The main danger we have is that the audience know the scripts better than we do.”

Idle said they would also include some material that had never previously been performed live.

Palin said the BBC retains rights to Monty Python shows. “We will be filming it,” he said.

Their last performance in the UK was 40 years ago at the Theatre Royal, while their final live performance together was held at the Hollywood Bowl in September 1980.

The surviving members said they would incorporate Graham Chapman into the show. A press release described their planned show as “Monty Python Live (mostly).” It also made reference to Chapman in a picture of a foot on a grave and the line: “one down, five to go.”

Said Jones: “If there is a God, [Graham] will be there.”

Source: BBC