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Idle thoughts and Cleese observations on comedy legends

Monty Python's Eric Idle and John Cleese open the latest leg of the their Together Again At Last...For The Very First Time tour in Victoria
JOHN CLEESE
John Cleese

Author Neil Gaiman posted the Tweet on Wednesday:

"I just remembered that I liked Twitter better in the days before I thought of it as the 'Oh Dear God What Has Donald Trump Done Now' place."

It may seem like an odd quote with which to launch a piece promoting a visit from legendary Monty Python comics John Cleese and Eric Idle to Victoria.

But we thought Twitter might be a good place to find some insight into what occupies their thoughts these days, and if @EricIdle and @JohnCleese are to be believed, these comedy icons are still fuelled by poking holes into the nonsense that passes for the human condition.

Idle's feed is full of retweets pointing out the flaws, excesses and scary behaviours of the wannabe president with the apparently grabby hands and the obviously remarkable hair.

Cleese, meanwhile, fires out trademark dry barbs to virtually anyone and anything that rolls his eyes.

"Oct 7

Surprised that at during a long press conference today in Bilbao, all the questions were about Monty Python. Not a mention of Fawlty Towers.

Very sorry to hear scalpers in Seattle are making $200 profit on each 'Together Again' tour ticket And they contribute absolutely NOTHING.."

The scalper tickets remark is particularly relevant to Vancouver Island fans since it not only may explain why the duo had no need to talk to media in advance of their upcoming Victoria shows, it also serves notice as to the difficulty they may have getting tickets.

The Together Again At Last...For The Very First Time tour opens its third leg Oct. 16 with three shows at Victoria's McPherson Theatre. All three sold out almost immediately upon release, but a handful of extra tickets have now been made available.

Preceding other B.C. shows in Vancouver and Kelowna, the Victoria dates mark the resumption of a tour that took place last year in the North American east, and continued this spring in Australia and New Zealand.

Eric IdleThe Sidney Morning Herald described the show as a "gentle jaunt through their careers, with the spotlight mainly on Monty Python's history and highlights."

"Seated on plump red armchairs, Cleese and Eric Idle reminisce about the early days and beyond, their anecdotes fleshed out with clips of sketches from TV and film over the decades. It's startling how fresh, innovative and subversive the clips seem, even now. And utterly bonkers, too."

Promotional material indicates Cleese and Idle will "blend scripted and improvised bits with storytelling, musical numbers, exclusive footage and aquatic juggling to create a unique comedic experience with every performance.

"No two shows will be quite the same, thus ensuring that every audience feels like they're seeing Together Again At Last... For The Very First Time, for the very first time. And now you know why the show is called that, don't you?

Best known as founding members of Monty Python, Cleese and Idle are now into the fifth decade of a career that has seen them work together and separately as writers, producers and performers with shows like Spamalot, A Fish Called Wanda, Fawlty Towers and The Rutles.

According Cleese's bio "In his twilight years, John passes his time writing film scripts, giving speeches to business audiences, doing seminars on creativity, teaching at Cornell, paying alimony, and doting on three huge cats and a fish."

Idle meanwhile, "sings, tours, acts in bad movies, writes annoying songs, and generally never shuts up. Despite having Grammy®, Tony®, Writer's Desk, Lifetime Achievement, and numerous other awards thrust at him, Eric refuses to go away quietly. It's not right."

The duo plays Victoria Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Click here for ticket information for those shows. For information on other tour dates, click here.



John McKinley

About the Author: John McKinley

I have been a Black Press Media journalist for more than 30 years and today coordinate digital news content across our network.
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