Disbanded but hardly forgotten, sublimely ridiculous comedy troupe Monty Python (pictured above) gets a fresh influx of showbiz love over the next couple of months. Tributes to England’s funniest geezers peak Oct. 15 when the Python gang gathers onstage in New York to share stories and blow minds.
First up: Theatrical production An Evening Without Monty Python, co-directed by founding member Eric Idle, resuscitates an assortment of songs and sketches drawn from the troupe’s canon in Los Angeles from Sept. 23 through Oct. 4, then moves to New York’s Town Hall for a five-show run starting Oct. 6.
On TV, six hours of Python lore will unspool on IFC starting Oct. 18. The cable network plans to air the three-part documentary Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut), which features archival footage and interviews with Python principals.
Best of all is the reunion itself, which brings together the five surviving Pythonites (Graham Chapman died in 1989) for the premiere of Almost the Truth. Following the Oct. 15 screening of the documentary at Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin will take questions from the audience and no doubt bend them into wicked, black-humored pretzels.
“Everyone has their favorite Python moments, and they continue to inspire new generations of comedians,” IFC general manager Jennifer Caserta said in a statement.
That’s putting it mildly. What is your favorite Python bit? Before answering, check the classic “Black Knight” snippet embedded at right.
Image of Monty Python courtesy IFC
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