Monty Python surreal comedy group outline reunion plan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Monty Python delivered the good news on Thursday, November 21. As promised, they announced their reunion show, which is scheduled to take place at London's O2 arena on July 1, after they last performed together in Los Angeles in 1980, AceShowbiz said.

The surviving members of the group, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam, appeared at the London's Playhouse Theatre to talk about their big reunion. Gilliam jokingly said that they decided to do the show "to try to remind ourselves that we are funny and important and famous."

"The important thing is we are going to be in front of 15,000 people all listening to every word we say, unlike our home life which is lonely and sad," he added when speaking to The Associated Press. "That is the only reason we're doing the show, because we've all become so depressed over the years that our wives don't find us interesting, our children don't even laugh at us anymore."

Palin admitted he "didn't need any persuading" and Terry thought the "planets were in the right position" so that the reunion show is happening, while Cleese revealed he needed to "fill in the large hole" in his finances.

Idle, who will serve as director, said people could expect "little comedy, a lot of pathos, music and tiny bit of ancient sex" on the show. Cleese, meanwhile, said there wouldn't be any chance of people seeing him do the "Silly Walks" again because he now has an artificial knee and hip.

The live show is planned as a single event, but Idle didn't rule out the possibility of further engagements. It will be filmed for possible distribution.

The sixth member of the group, Graham Chapman, died of cancer in 1989 at age 48. While admitting that they would miss their late friend, the rest of the group believed Chapman would be there during the show.