7th Python arrives in Newhaven

Carol Cleveland gives a talk to the Newhaven Chamber of Commerce members and their guests

Actress Carol Cleveland – best recognised as the only featured, female member of the Monty Python team and often referred to as the 7th Python – captivated an audience of Newhaven Chamber of Commerce members and their guests at the Newhaven Enterprise Centre on 4 December 2012. 

Carol relayed tales from her busy theatrical career, in particular from her days on the road with the Monty Python team – from appearing with them in the Flying Circus series to being on stage with them at the Royal Albert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl where they played to audiences of 8000 every night. More recently, she appeared in Not the Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall for the Python’s 40th anniversary. On film, she played Dingo and Zoot in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Miss Hannigan in Annie II, A Royal Adventure. 

She ended her talk with a hilarious tale of the time she met the Queen at Buckingham Palace. 

Her latest project is a new Python related film called A Liar’s Autobiography which is a 3D, animated film version of the late Graham Chapman’s book of the same name, for which Carol did most of the female voices. The film was recently premiered at the London Film Festival. 

Here she is in Monty Python's 1969 "Marriage Guidance Sketch":

And here she is in a documentary about the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail:

References:

• http://www.carolcleveland.com
• http://www.newhavenchamber.co.uk
• http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/local/monty-python-s-seventh-member-to-give-talk-at-newhaven-chamber-of-commerce-1-4519871

A Visit to Graham Chapman's Local

To Preserve and Foster the Tradition of British Comedy
Graham Chapman 
"A very naughty boy"
8 January 1941 to 4 October 1989
Comedian and writer
Member of Monty Python's Flying Circus
Drank here often and copiously
The British Comedy Society
6 September 2012
photo:hamhigh.co.uk

What a stroke of PR genius it was to have The British Comedy Society put up a blue plaque for Graham Chapman to help promote his movie "A Liar's Autobiography" which goes on general release in the UK in January 2013.

"A Liar's Autobiography" flyer

Instead of putting the plaque on the house he lived in (that would have been far too ordinary), it was placed on a wall of his local pub - The Angel Inn, Highgate. After all, during his alcoholic years, he probably spent more time there than at home!

The Angel Inn, Highgate (you can just see the blue plaque to the left of the angel)

Unfortunately, my Monty Python "sources" didn't manage to tell me in advance about the plaque unveiling ceremony attended by Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Carol Cleveland and other celebs; I heard about it like everybody else did - on the news. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes. 

Soon to be The Chapman Corner

So, on the night of 16th October 2012, just before the UK premiere of "A Liar's Autobiography", (an appropriate night if ever there was one), I decided to go and see The Angel Inn for myself. I tried to visualise him being there in the 70s and 80s, probably doing crazy things and shouting a lot. The Angel's landlord, Ben Martin, told me he regularly got thrown out for being drunk, and would complain at the top of his voice in the street outside! Ben also told me that he will dedicate a corner of the pub to Graham, to be called (unsurprisingly) The Chapman Corner, where he will put some pictures of him. I'll definitely pop back one day for a photo of that! 

Graham Chapman as the Colonel: "Now, nobody likes a good laugh more than I do... except perhaps my wife... and some of her friends... oh, yes, and Captain Johnston. Come to think of it, most people like a good laugh more than I do, but that's beside the point."

News reports of the unveiling: 

• Local TV
• Local newspaper 

I won BFI's 2012 Biggest Monty Python Fan competition!

We think we've found the biggest Monty Python fan -here is the entry that won them #ll tkts to A Liar's Autobiography:  bit.ly/QNFHzX 

I am over the moon about this!!