Monty Python Live (a 20th Century Vole Production)

"Meep!"

A once-in-a-lifetime experience x 4

How quickly the eight months passed from the day the Monty Python Live shows were announced last November to the first show on 1st July! With a little help from my friends, I ended up seeing it four times, and that included the first night and the grand farewell finale on 20th July.

Back in November on the day the tickets went on sale, I did 6 live radio interviews including The Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2. And on 1st July, in addition to being on two more live radio shows, I was interviewed by the Belgian equivalent of the 9 o'clock TV News: VRT Nieuws.

Me, mid interview, on Belgian telly! Click the image to watch the interview. Click here to see behind-the-scenes photos of the film crew in my home: https://it.thislife.com/KHXVD2t4

So the day of the first show had finally arrived. In the courtyard at the entrance of the O2 Arena, there was a whole lot of silliness going on. 

Click the image to see more Python Live Silliness photos, including some of Python devotee Emma Thompson and her family!

Just before the show, by chance, I bumped into my old chum André Jacquemin of Redwood Studios (who features heavily in previous posts in this blog), and Sonia Jones who sang the theme tune to Life of Brian. They were just having a breather before curtain up. André, Python's sound engineer since day one, was doing the sound for the show and Sonia was part of the choir and she also played Mrs Betty Teale on VT. It was wonderful to meet her!

Sonia Jones, John Wood and André Jacquemin

And so, I was lucky enough to see the show four times, and all wonderful it was too, although I definitely prefer Lark's vomit to Mouse poo (I'm a purist) and I'm so used to seeing 20-something year old faces doing those sketches. But it's 2014... what did I expect? I was very pleased that so much of the older material was included, as the closest I had previously got to seeing a live Python show was the Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball in 1989. I really loved the new stuff too; essentially the huge dance numbers and notably, the Vagina Song and the Bottom Song.

Click the image above for a selection of photos I took of the four performances 

Along the way, I was also lucky enough to get some shots of me with a host of Python-related celebs: 

With Terry Jones' wife Anna Soderstrom

With Polly Parrot, the Norwegian Blue

With John Du Prez, the show's conductor, who composed the score for Monty Python's The Meaning of Life and is the co-author (with Eric Idle) of the music for Monty Python's Spamalot.

With Graham McDuff who has played both Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad in Spamalot. We first met at the stage door of the Palace Theatre in 2007 and have met at many a Spamalot stage door since.

With Alan Yentob who recently presented the insightful BBC documentary Monty Python: And Now For Something Rather Similar

Over the four nights, I also met up with many Python fans, some for the first time in "real life", two of whom flew all the way from LA just to see the show! That's Professor Molly Lavik who is currently writing a very interesting book (much more on that later), and the up-and-coming actress BreAnna "Bo" Chérie Wittman who is one of the Monty Pythong players. It was so good to meet them both! There was also Sally Western, Chris Butcher, Gemma Harris, Jonathan Gash, Lee Blazer, James Gent (who's also writing a very interesting book) and Hanna Anevik. What a happy bunch we made!

André Jacquemin and his daughter Jamie Lisa (one of the singers) kindly joined us after the show. Click the image above to see more photos. 

Gemma Harris, Jonathan Gash and Lee Blazer. Click the image above to see more photos of my Monty Python fan friends

The most memorable night was, of course, the last ever show. It was actually quite a sad moment when Eric Idle, during the encore just before Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, asked the audience to join in to bid them farewell... and then seeing them walk off stage for the very last time. But it's not the end of Python as we know it, because the DVD of the show is coming out in November, and they are bound to release other spin-offs such as books and albums. And there is now at last, a Monty Python online store! Then there's Spamalot which is going on tour from January 2015. And next year also sees the 40th anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. So it's only Monty Python live which has gone to meet its maker; there's loads more to look forward to!

To conclude, Eric Idle did an incredible job putting the show together - it was a massive hit! And what a treat it was for me! The very thing I've been passionate about for 40 years is suddenly on stage at full blast right in front of me, and it's the talk of the town, not just in London but all over the world due to the live global broadcast of the last show. Pure indulgence. 

Carol Cleveland Attends the Final Pre-Release Screening of A Liar's Autobiography

I risked my life taking this photo for you! I had to stand in the middle of a busy Shaftesbury Avenue! The things we do for art!

The 3D animated untrue story 
of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
- A Liar's Autobiography -
goes on general release in the UK

Click here for listngs http://bit.ly/11GoX6j

Friday 8th Feb 2013 - Curzon Cinema Soho: Attending this special event which marked the start of the film's UK general release, in addition to Carol Cleveland (the seventh Python), were:

• The film's 3 directors: Jeff Simpson, Ben Timlett and Terry Jones' son, Bill Jones
• Monty Python's sound engineer who also appeared in the film: André Jacquemin
• Philip Bulcock who played David Sherlock as well as one or two other characters

A Liar's Autobiography is a FAB film (Fabricated Animated Biopic); in a genre all of its own! 

In the bar area of the cinema, a life-size cardboard cutout of Graham Chapman as the Colonel watched over an exhibition of various props from A Liar's Autobiography (the actual model of Sigmund Freud that appeared in the movie as well as his desk, plus the figures used in the opening Oscar Wilde scene); Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the actual sun emblem King Arthur wore on his chest); and The Life of Brian (the actual sandal!). Also on display was Graham's Cambridge scarf.

The three directors: Bill Jones asked the audience to comply with Graham Chapman's wishes at the start of  the film and to shout abuse at the screen for 60 seconds

The actual sandal from The Life of Brian!

Various props from A Liar's Autobiography, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian - plus Graham's Cambridge scarf

"Please welcome Carol Cleveland" Our Carol's not shy, that's for sure

Some artwork from the film on display at the Curzon Cinema Soho 
(Exhibition thanks to LOCO London Comedy Film Festival)

Some stills from the film, background info, poster etc
(Exhibition thanks to LOCO London Comedy Film Festival)

Me "cuddling" Sigmund Freud (voiced by Cameron Diaz)

Graham's Cambridge scarf (no that wasn't his actual pipe)

Me with Carol Cleveland!

Philip Bulcock, me, André Jacquemin - photo taken by Carol Cleveland on my phone!

Philip Bulcock, Carol Cleveland, André Jacquemin

Philip Bulcock, Carol Cleveland, André Jacquemin

It was great to see André again, and I was so pleased to finally meet Philip having corresponded with him so much in the Twittersphere.

I also managed to have a little chat with Carol. I guessed that her most memorable Python sketch that she appeared in was either Marriage Councillor or Scott of the Sahara. For her, it was the latter. She told me how it was one of the rare long sketches that was filmed on location on Torquay Beach in 1969. At that time, she had only known the Pythons for about two weeks. She said she really enjoyed filming it and that they were always laughing so much on set. I asked her about her topless scene (well, I had to!) and she said that it was the only time she refused a Python 'order'! In the script, she was supposed to run up the beach away from the sea as the final cactus removed her bra. But by then, a large crowd had gathered to watch the filming, and she did not fancy running topless towards the crowd. So instead, she ran with her back to the crowd towards the sea. And here is the masterpiece for your delight:

A Liar's Autobiography on DVD and Blu-ray will be available from 18 Feb but can be pre-ordered now.

UK Premiere of A Liar's Autobiography, Empire Leicester Square

A Liar's Autobiography flyer we were given on entering the cinema

On the back of the flyer, the words to a very rude song, for us all to sing along to 

The two tickets I won in the BFI's "Biggest Monty Python Fan" competition after the one I paid for

16 October 2012: As winner of the British Film Institute's "Biggest Monty Python Fan" competition, I felt I was on official duty to some degree during the proceedings! Many people throughout the night told me they had seen my tweets promoting the film, that they were grateful and that I was famous! 

I had been looking forward to the premiere for such a long time as I somehow knew about this project when it was just an idea. Even though I had a ticket (three actually as you can see above!), I decided to stand behind the railings by the side of the red carpet to watch the celebs arrive and the media circus unfold.

I was chuffed that Bill Jones, one of the three directors of the film (and Terry Jones's son), recognised me (from the Adobe Private Screening of A Liar's Autobiography 2 weeks earlier) while walking down the red carpet and came up to me and said hello!

Then Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Carol Cleveland, Neil Innes, Justin McDonald, Ronald Rivron, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Barry Cryer walked the walk and the media circus was well and truly underway. To keep the fans happy, there were several Graham Chapmans wandering around in character, namely, the Colonel who kept saying "Stop that, it's too silly", King Arthur (and Patsy) with coconuts, Mr Throat Wobbler Mangrove, pronounced "Luxury Yacht" (complete with huge polystyrene nose) and Brian who later, inside the cinema, gave us Brian's speech from Life of Brian that includes the line "We're all individuals" to which someone in the audience inevitably, and exactly on cue, shouted, "I'm not!"

I went inside and took my seat and the three directors and three very well known members of the cast introduced the film in a very original way, and did a Q and A session afterwards.

 

It was so good to see the film a second time. There is so much to take in, it needs at least two viewings. The length of time images and scenes stay in your head from the movie you have just seen is my measure of how good the movie is. Well it's still happening, and I first saw it on 4 October! I say it's a masterpiece and Graham Chapman would have loved it!

When the Q and A session ended with a "Sit on My Face" singalong, we all had fun at the after party. It was such a wonderful unforgettable night! I was on Cloud 9 the whole time!