LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) – The comic team Monty Python,
whose BBC TV series from the 1970s and feature films took their
subversive humour and “Dead Parrot” routine around the world,
are to reunite for a stage show, British media reported on
Wednesday.
A news release issued on behalf of the five surviving
Pythons, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin
and Terry Jones, all in their 70s, said that an official
announcement would be made on Thursday.
But several British newspapers and media outlets reported
that the five would be appearing on stage for the first time
together since the 1980s.
The group was famed for its skits about a man trying to
return a dead parrot to a shopkeeper who claimed the bird was
“resting” and for poking fun at the establishment, the military
and religion.
“We’re getting together and putting on a show – it’s real,”
Jones told the BBC.
“I’m quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot of
money. I hope to be able to pay off my mortgage!”
On his Twitter account, Palin wrote: “The Python rides
again…?” while Idle on Tuesday tweeted: “Only three days to go
till the Python Press Conference. Make sure Python fans are
alerted to the big forthcoming news event.”
The BBC programme “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” was made
for television between 1969 and 1974.
The Pythons went on to make films including “Monty Python
And The Holy Grail” (1975) and “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”
(1979).
They last performed live together in Monty Python Live At
The Hollywood Bowl in 1982. The sixth Python, Graham Chapman,
died of cancer at age 48 in 1989.
(Writing by Michael Roddy; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
