DOCSLIB.ORG

John Cleese of Monty Python: on Creativity and How Everyone Can Be More Creative

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
John Cleese of Monty Python: on Creativity and How Everyone Can Be More Creative 3 Takeaways Podcast Transcript Lynn Thoman (https://www.3takeaways.com/) Ep 16: John Cleese of Monty Python: On Creativity and How Everyone Can Be More Creative 00:00 Male voice INTRO: Welcome to the 3 Takeaways podcast, which features short memorable conversations with the world's best thinkers, business leaders, writers, politicians, scientists, and other news-makers. Each episode ends with the three key takeaways that person has learned over their lives and their careers. And now your host, and board member of schools at Harvard, Princeton and Columbia, Lynn Thoman. 00:23 Lynn Thoman: Hi, everyone, it's Lynn Thoman, welcome to another episode. I'm delighted to be here with John Cleese. John is an actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. He co-founded Monty Python, also co-wrote and performed in Fawlty Towers, and wrote and starred in A Fish Called Wanda. He's won too many awards to list, and he has also turned down a life peerage. His latest book is Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide. It is both short, a one-hour read, and cheerful because he believes that everyone can be creative. John, thank you for making us all laugh, for teaching us how we can be more creative, and for being here today. 01:01 John Cleese: Oh, thank you. How long did it take you to read the book? 01:06 LT: It really took just under an hour. 01:10 JC: Exactly. Now, I love that. You see, that was my aim. And I know it sounds slightly odd, but you know that, I think it was Mark Twain who said, "I'm sorry this is such a long letter, but I didn't have time to write a shorter one." I think that's very profound, because if you really think about something, and really examine it and kind of chew it over, you start boiling it down to a smaller number of simple principles. And that's what I did with the book; I had the time to write a short book. I didn't put anything into it that was not key to learning how to be more creative. And that's why you could read it in an hour, and I'm proud of that. 01:54 LT: It's a great read. What does creativity mean to you? 02:00 JC: I think it means the ability to have ideas about how you could do anything better. I mean, just as much to do with business as the arts. I mean, the arts is a creative people... Well, some of them are creative. I think there's a lot of visual artists who aren't creative at all; people who make unmade beds and all that kind of thing. Doesn't seem to me like a very interesting idea. But I think creative artists are obviously creative. People in business are hugely creative, scientists are hugely creative, teachers, everyone's creative, if they're trying to learn how to do their job better. Because people don't understand somehow that just doing the same thing time after time after time doesn't teach you anything unless you're trying to learn. And the moment you're trying to learn, the moment you're thinking, why am I not so good at that? 02:54 JC: Think of a professional tennis player who realizes he's got a weakness on his backhand, and the moment he starts practicing very specifically on his backhand, he becomes a better tennis Page 1 player. Well, people tend not to do that in their lives. Very few people really want to get better at what they're doing. And I have a speech called Why There Is No Hope, that is based on the basic idea that only 10% of people really know what they're talking about. 03:22 LT: What is your favorite of all your work, your comedies, and why? 03:27 JC: I think I look back on Life of Brian, was a very happy event. God smiled on that one. There were no terrible problems, everybody got on well, and we were confident we'd written a very good script. It was, later, it was voted Best British Comedy Ever. So we were right about the script, but also we made it in Morocco, or rather Tunisia, and in Tunisia the sun was out when you got up in the morning instead of it being dark and rainy, so there was something wonderful about sitting on the hotel balcony sipping fresh orange juice and then shaving and going off to work about 300 yards away. [chuckle] It was a very happy experience, that. 04:14 JC: Then A Fish Called Wanda was... God smiled on that one too. Everything went well, the team was very, very strong, they liked each other, we all helped each other with it, and we had a great director pointing the cameras, Charlie Crichton, who was 77 years of age when he directed the film. And both of those were joyful. But of course, making movies is very difficult, and a lot of them... There was no great unpleasantness on any of the movies I was with, but people get anxious and they tighten up, and sometimes you're working with a director who doesn't really know what he's doing, [chuckle] and sometimes you're working with a script that isn't really that good, and you're sort of saving the script rather than savoring it. So the experience can be very, very different. 05:04 LT: How do you think about comedy and humor, and what are the different kinds of comedy and humor? 05:10 JC: I suppose if you arrange them on a spectrum, at one end you have very, very verbal comedy, and at the end you have largely visual, physical comedy. And then comedy can be anywhere on that spectrum. I mean, Fawlty Towers has got a lot of physical comedy in it. But Fawlty Towers isn't really silly. The character is silly, Basil is silly, but if you talk about silliness, then that's another more of a Python thing; absurd ideas, a sketch where a couple walk in to buy a mattress for a bed, and when they say the word mattress the salesman puts a brown paper bag over his head, and the man who is manager of that floor explains that he'll have to sing a verse of Jerusalem before he'll take it off again. [chuckle] That's nothing like Fawlty Towers. That's what we call, technical term is, silly. 06:06 JC: So, there's many, many different types, and I kind of enjoy them all. I like elegance. I think Joe Orton was a great English playwright, and he wrote an odd combination, quite physical farcical comedy but with everybody spouting epigrams. It was very odd and it didn't quite work sometimes because there were two different styles that didn't necessarily come together. But there's all kinds of humor. In America, the main difference is that in the Midwest and the South, there's no real understanding of irony. I think a lot of the people there are literal-minded, which is why they interpret the Bible literally. Which seems to me an odd thing to do because Jesus Christ talked in parables, which were not stories of actual historical incident. They were stories that he made up in order to illustrate a certain point, so how could you possibly interpret those literally? 07:04 JC: I don't understand it, but there are literal-minded people, and they tend not to be awfully funny, or terribly good company, in my opinion. Very earnest, and probably very, very good Page 2 people, but sort of missing out of a lot of mental life that I think gives people pleasure. 07:23 LT: How do you think about the left and right brain, what you call the hare and the tortoise brain? 07:29 JC: Yes, well, I've been thinking about it for years. First of all, I used to talk about open mode, which is when you're looking for feedback and seeing whether you're getting it right, and the closed mode, which you have to go into if you're attacking a machine gun post. If you're attacking a machine gun this is not the moment to admire the scenery, or to see the funny side of what you're doing. You just do it. You want to get into closed mode, and if you've come to an open mode, you've come to a plan that you like, then you've got to try it out and not immediately think, "Well, should we be doing this?" You've got to give it a good shot to see if it works or not. 08:08 JC: So that I started out, then I read a book, which is superb, by Guy Claxton, Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind, which is just about fast, ordinary, purposive, logical thinking, very verbal, and tortoise mind, which is much more thoughtful, and meditative, and playful. We need them both, but they solve different kinds of problems. If you've got a mathematical problem you don't need to be creative to solve it, logic will do that. But if you're trying to figure out how a scene in a play should continue, or how you should manage a difficult group of people, then being more meditative about it allows the unconscious with all its observation of people's behavior to come up, and help you come to a conclusion about how to try and solve this problem instead of giving you a little written instruction, like "speak louder." 09:07 JC: Then I have been carrying this idea of the two halves of the brain for a long time.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • John Cleese & Eric Idle
    JOHN CLEESE & ERIC IDLE TOGETHER AGAIN AT LAST…FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME Mesa, AZ • November 21 Tickets On-Sale Friday, June 17 at 10 a.m. June 15, 2016 (Mesa, AZ) – Still together again, Britain’s living legends of comedy, John Cleese and Eric Idle, announce their must see show John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again At Last…For The Very First Time in Mesa at Mesa Arts Center on November 21 at 7:30 p.m.! Tickets go on-sale to the public Friday, June 17 at 10 a.m. In Together Again At Last…For The Very First Time, 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? Following a successful run last fall in the Eastern US as well as a sold-out run in Australia and New Zealand this past February, their tour, John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again At Last…For The Very First Time will once again embark on some of the warmest (and driest) territories the US (and Canada) has to offer. The tour will take place from October 16 to November 26 and will see the British icons perform unforgettable sit-down comedy at premier venues in Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Spokane, Salem, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, San Jose, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, Escondido, San Diego, Las Vegas, Mesa, Tucson, Albuquerque, El Paso with additional markets to be announced soon.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 a Quotation of Normality – the Family Myth 3 'C'mon Mum, Monday
    Notes 2 A Quotation of Normality – The Family Myth 1 . A less obvious antecedent that The Simpsons benefitted directly and indirectly from was Hanna-Barbera’s Wait ‘til Your Father Gets Home (NBC 1972–1974). This was an attempt to exploit the ratings successes of Norman Lear’s stable of grittier 1970s’ US sitcoms, but as a stepping stone it is entirely noteworthy through its prioritisation of the suburban narrative over the fantastical (i.e., shows like The Flintstones , The Jetsons et al.). 2 . Nelvana was renowned for producing well-regarded production-line chil- dren’s animation throughout the 1980s. It was extended from the 1960s studio Laff-Arts, and formed in 1971 by Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive Smith. Its success was built on a portfolio of highly commercial TV animated work that did not conform to a ‘house-style’ and allowed for more creative practice in television and feature projects (Mazurkewich, 1999, pp. 104–115). 3 . The NBC US version recast Feeble with the voice of The Simpsons regular Hank Azaria, and the emphasis shifted to an American living in England. The show was pulled off the schedules after only three episodes for failing to connect with audiences (Bermam, 1999, para 3). 4 . Aardman’s Lab Animals (2002), planned originally for ITV, sought to make an ironic juxtaposition between the mistreatment of animals as material for scientific experiment and the direct commentary from the animals them- selves, which defines the show. It was quickly assessed as unsuitable for the family slot that it was intended for (Lane, 2003 p.
    [Show full text]
  • MONTY PYTHON at 50 , a Month-Long Season Celebra
    Tuesday 16 July 2019, London. The BFI today announces full details of IT’S… MONTY PYTHON AT 50, a month-long season celebrating Monty Python – their roots, influences and subsequent work both as a group, and as individuals. The season, which takes place from 1 September – 1 October at BFI Southbank, forms part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the beloved comedy group, whose seminal series Monty Python’s Flying Circus first aired on 5th October 1969. The season will include all the Monty Python feature films; oddities and unseen curios from the depths of the BFI National Archive and from Michael Palin’s personal collection of super 8mm films; back-to-back screenings of the entire series of Monty Python’s Flying Circus in a unique big-screen outing; and screenings of post-Python TV (Fawlty Towers, Out of the Trees, Ripping Yarns) and films (Jabberwocky, A Fish Called Wanda, Time Bandits, Wind in the Willows and more). There will also be rare screenings of pre-Python shows At Last the 1948 Show and Do Not Adjust Your Set, both of which will be released on BFI DVD on Monday 16 September, and a free exhibition of Python-related material from the BFI National Archive and The Monty Python Archive, and a Python takeover in the BFI Shop. Reflecting on the legacy and approaching celebrations, the Pythons commented: “Python has survived because we live in an increasingly Pythonesque world. Extreme silliness seems more relevant now than it ever was.” IT’S… MONTY PYTHON AT 50 programmers Justin Johnson and Dick Fiddy said: “We are delighted to share what is undoubtedly one of the most absurd seasons ever presented by the BFI, but even more delighted that it has been put together with help from the Pythons themselves and marked with their golden stamp of silliness.
    [Show full text]
  • No Laughing Matter?A Short History of German Comedy
    ISSN 1649-8526 Volume 2007 · Issue 2 http://scenario.ucc.ie No Laughing Matter?A Short History of German Comedy Chris Ritchie, James Harris Abstract This article is the first stage of research for the book “No Laughing Mat- ter: A Short History of German Comedy’ by Chris Ritchie and James Harris which will look at some key moments in German comedy, repres- entations of Germans in English language comedy and ’and also take a look at the current Berlin comedy scene. It begins with an example of how the British, or particularly the English, represent the ‘comedy Ger- man’, and is followed by an overview of some key moments in the history of German comedy, in particular the work of Hans Sachs and the develop- ment of 20th century cabaret. The second section then looks at how the Germans view English comedy through an analysis of the sketch Dinner for One and Monty Python’s German-language episode. 1 Preface “Don’t mention the war.” (The Germans, Fawlty Towers, Series 1 #6) The Germans have no sense of humour. This is the orthodoxy of the English mindset; expressed bluntly as that or as a recent German perspective more eloquently had it, “(to the British) the Krauts are a humorless people, who vacillate between grumbling seriousness and sentimental romanticism and are unable to distance themselves from the seriousness of life”1. Despite these suggestions, humour remains an essential part of human culture, a by-product of both language and social interaction and in Western Europe it is highly dubious to assert that any culture lacks comic objects, linguistic humour or comedy taboo.
    [Show full text]
  • Cleese Notes.Indd
    CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS ABOUT THE ARTISTS Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 8 pm write for the BBC, then rejoined Cambridge Th ursday, February 9, 2006, 8 pm Circus in 1964, which toured New Zealand Zellerbach Hall and America. He remained in America after leaving Cambridge Circus, performing and doing a little journalism, and here met Terry John Cleese Gilliam, another future Python. Returning to England, Cleese appeared in a BBC radio series, I’m Sorry I’ll Read Th at Again, based on Cambridge Circus. It ran for several years and also starred future “Goodies” Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden. He also appeared, briefl y, with Brooke-Taylor, Chapman and Marty Feld- man in At Last Th e 1948 Show (1967), for television, and a series of collaborations with some of the fi nest comedy-writing talent in England at the time, some of whom—Eric John Cleese was born on October 27, 1939, Idle, Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and in Weston-Super-Mare, England. He was born Chapman—eventually joined him in Monty into a family of modest means, his father being Python. Th ese programs included Th e Frost an insurance salesman, but he was nonetheless Report (1966) and Feldman’s show, It’s Marty sent off to private schools to obtain a good (1968). Eventually, however, the writers were education. Here he was often tormented for themselves collected to be the talent for their his height, having reached six feet by the age own program, Monty Python’s Flying Circus of 12, and eventually discovered that being (1969), which was originally to be a vehicle humorous could defl ect aggressive behavior for Cleese but soon showed itself to be an in others.
    [Show full text]
  • Absurdity and Irony in the Work of Monty Python
    Univerzita Hradec Králové Pedagogická fakulta Katedra anglického jazyka a literatury Absurdity and Irony in the Work of Monty Python Bakalářská práce Autor: Barbora Štěpánová Studijní program: B 7310 Filologie Studijní obor: P-AJCRB Cizí jazyky pro cestovní ruch – anglický jazyk P-NJCRB Cizí jazyky pro cestovní ruch – německý jazyk Vedoucí práce: Mgr. Jan Suk Hradec Králové 2016 Prohlášení Prohlašuji, že jsem tuto bakalářskou práci vypracovala (pod vedením vedoucího bakalářské práce) samostatně a uvedla jsem všechny pouţité prameny a literaturu. V Hradci Králové dne … Poděkování Ráda bych touto cestou vyjádřila poděkování Mgr. Janu Sukovi za jeho vstřícnost, trpělivost a za cenné rady při vedení bakalářské práce. Anotace ŠTĚPÁNOVÁ, Barbora. Absurdita a ironie v díle skupiny Monty Python. Hradec Králové: Pedagogická fakulta Univerzity Hradec Králové, 2016. 46 s. Bakalářská práce. Cílem bakalářské práce je poukázat na prvky absurdity a ironie v díle britské humoristické skupiny Monty Python. Tyto elementy budou nastíněny analýzou jejich televizní a filmové tvorby. Dále předkládaná studie podtrhuje elementy "montypythonovského" humoru v kontextu tradičního pojetí humoru. V neposlední řadě bakalářská práce představuje jednotlivé členy této skupiny, seznamuje s jejich dílem jako takovým a všímá si jejich vlivu na další vývoj britské komedie. Klíčová slova: absurdita, ironie, britský humor, Monty Python. Annotation ŠTĚPÁNOVÁ, Barbora. Absurdity and Irony in the Work of Monty Python. Hradec Králové: Pedagogická fakulta Univerzity Hradec Králové, 2016. 46 p. Bachelor Degree Thesis. The goal of the bachelor's thesis is to point out the elements of absurdity and irony in the work of the British comedy group Monty Python. These elements will be demonstrated by the analysis of the television and film production of the group.
    [Show full text]
  • An Evening with John Cleese: Writer, Actor & Tall Person Two Shows on St
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2017 MEDIA CONTACT: Sydney Gleisner, Marketing Assistant Manager 253.573.2507 |[email protected] | BroadwayCenter.org An Evening with John Cleese: Writer, Actor & Tall Person Two Shows on St. Patrick’s Day Sponsors: Brightwire, CHI Franciscan Health, Davita, Gray Lumber Company | Media: KUOW TACOMA, WASH. – John Cleese, legendary comedian and star of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and numerous films and television specials, brings his quirky brand of comedy to Tacoma’s Historic Pantages Theater for two performances on March 17 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. With his incomparable sense of humor and witty observations, Cleese will share, in his own words, “an evening of well-honed anecdotes, psychoanalytical tid-bits and unprovoked attacks on former colleagues.” Tickets are on sale now. A BAFTA Award winner, Cleese first made his mark in comedy as a member of the legendary Monty Python troupe in the 1960s. Known for skits including the “Ministry of Silly Walks,” and “The Cheese Shop,” Cleese’s deadpan style and signature catchphrase, “…and now for something completely different,” immediately endeared him to audiences across the globe. Along with the Python troupe, Cleese wrote, starred and produced four feature films: And Now for Something Completely Different, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and The Meaning of Life. In addition to the Monty Python canon, Cleese has contributed to some of the greatest comedic hits of the last forty years, including the British sitcom Fawlty Towers. For his work on A Fish Called Wanda, he received an Oscar nomination for best screenplay.
    [Show full text]
  • Fawlty Towers: the Sitcom
    FAWLTY TOWERS: THE SITCOM Do you know the difference between a sitcom and a soap opera? What does sitcom stand for? Have you ever heard of any famous British sitcoms? FAWLTY TOWERS: THE SITCOM Fawlty Towers might be the best British sitcom ever. Produced by the BBC in the seventies, any other sitcom filmed afterwards is juged by Fawlty Towers. Although only two seasons (twelve episodes) were made, it’s considered to be John Cleese’s TV masterpiece. FAWLTY TOWERS: THE SITCOM Now, thirty years after Fawlty Towers was closed, this chaotic hotel is back in business. Watch an excerpt of one of its dearest episodes and find out why this sitcom was Britain’s most loved one. FAWLTY TOWERS: THE SITCOM Did you enjoy what you’ve just seen? What problems does it depict? What type of humour does it feature? What is Mr Fawlty’s lesson about? Was it successful for Manuel? Do you find it interesting for your language learning? FAWLTY TOWERS: THE SITCOM Now watch the latest news about Fawlty Towers and meet the characters thirty years after having closed BBC’s production. FAWLTY TOWERS: THE SITCOM Time to answer some questions about what you’ve just watched: What kind of names did the sitcom provide the cast with? According to John Cleese, how do they keep in touch? What are Manuel’s feelings about John Cleese? Where did the group pose? What did the group pose there for? How did John Cleese come up with the idea for this famous sitcom? What relationship did two members of the team hold thirty years ago? What awards did the sitcom get? Why did they decide not to make more episodes? How did all contribute to the making of the sitcom, according to Manuel? Who is the funniest? FAWLTY TOWERS: THE SITCOM Learn more: http://www.fawltysite.net/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fawlty_Towers http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/fawltytowers/.
    [Show full text]
  • It's… the Monty Python Memorabilia Auction
    It’s… The Monty Python Memorabilia Auction Below is a list of all of the items available. More items are being added, so verify you have the latest list! This version: 17 June 2014 Please check Moe’s Books page on eBay regularly to see which of the below items are currently for auction. New items will be posted regularly. Individual items not currently listed on eBay can be purchased directly from Moe’s Books by contacting: [email protected] MONTY&PYTHON&COLLECTION DATE:&17&JUNE&2014 Item& Collection& Autographed&/& Publisher&/& Date&/&& Format Qty. Title&/&Product&Name Comments Author&/&Creator ISBN&/&ID&/&SKU Country Type Lot&ID Signed Manufacturer Year Accessory Bag 1 Monty&Python's&Spamalot&Duffle&bag&(black) Black&Spamalot&duffle&bag&With&strap&inside.&&Embroidered&on&front:&in&Red:&Monty&Python's&and&in& Item&1003 YelloW&Spamalot Accessory Bag 1 A&E&Pole&to&Pole&duffle&bag&(navy) Promotional&product&contribution&gift&for&PBS.&&Navy&With&White&accents&and&White&lettering&A&E&Pole& Item&1004 A&E to&Pole Accessory Wristwatch 1 Officially&Licensed&Monty&Python&Wristwatch& Rare!&&Officially&licensed&Monty&Python&Wristwatch.&&Features&the&famous&Python&Foot&at&the&center& Item&2599 Henderson&Group 2000 UK (2000)&]&Monty&Python&Foot&Watch of&the&Watch&With&"Monty&Python"&in&large&font.&The&Watch&face&uses&Arabic&numerals.&On&a&black& leather&strap.&Water&resistant&to&30&meters.&Box&display&includes&removable&cardboard&background& and&plastic&stand&With&Monty&Python&logo.&&CONDITION:&Mint,&never&used. Accessory Wristwatch 1 Officially&Licensed&Monty&Python&Wristwatch&
    [Show full text]
  • 6466 Egan & Weinstock.Indd
    AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT 66466_Egan466_Egan & WWeinstock.inddeinstock.indd i 113/08/203/08/20 110:000:00 AAMM 66466_Egan466_Egan & WWeinstock.inddeinstock.indd iiii 113/08/203/08/20 110:000:00 AAMM AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT Critical Approaches to Monty Python Edited by Kate Egan and Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock 66466_Egan466_Egan & WWeinstock.inddeinstock.indd iiiiii 113/08/203/08/20 110:000:00 AAMM Edinburgh University Press is one of the leading university presses in the UK. We publish academic books and journals in our selected subject areas across the humanities and social sciences, combining cutting-edge scholarship with high editorial and production values to produce academic works of lasting importance. For more information visit our website: edinburghuniversitypress.com © editorial matter and organisation Kate Egan and Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, 2020 © the chapters their several authors, 2020 Edinburgh University Press Ltd The Tun – Holyrood Road 12(2f) Jackson’s Entry Edinburgh EH8 8PJ Typeset in 10/12.5 pt Sabon by IDSUK (DataConnection) Ltd, and printed and bound in Great Britain A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 4744 7515 0 (hardback) ISBN 978 1 4744 7517 4 (webready PDF) ISBN 978 1 4744 7518 1 (epub) The right of Kate Egan and Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock to be identifi ed as the editors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 (SI No. 2498). 66466_Egan466_Egan & WWeinstock.inddeinstock.indd iivv 113/08/203/08/20 110:000:00 AAMM CONTENTS List of Figures vii Acknowledgements viii Notes on Contributors ix ‘It’s .
    [Show full text]
  • End of Month
    Newport News Tourism Development Office Fountain Plaza Two 700 Town Center Drive Suite 320 Newport News, VA 23606 757-926-1400 Toll Free 888-493-7386 Fax 757-926-1441 www.newport-news.org WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK OCTOBER 23 – 29, 2015 PERFORMING ARTS VELVETEEN RABBIT Peninsula Community Theatre October 24 This literary classic is routinely named one of the top books for children! This heartwarming story tells of a stuffed rabbit and its quest to become real. The story celebrates unconditional love and real beauty with a strong anti-bullying message. Join our professional actors as they bring to life this engaging and sweet story with imaginative costumes and captivating skill. 10251 Warwick Boulevard, 757-595-5728, www.pctlive.org. RESHIMO BY VERTIGO DANCE COMPANY Ferguson Center for the Arts October 25; 7 pm Founded in 1992 by Adi Sha’al and Noa Wertheim, the Vertigo Dance Company has established a unique presence in the contemporary dance scene worldwide. Having developed a distinct artistic language that emphasizes the link between “Art and Earth,” works challenge and create an awareness to the limits of the human body. The result is a collage of intricate and singular dance creations that exude the holistic and spiritual approach of leading choreographer, Noa Wertheim. Since founding the Vertigo Dance Company, Sha-al and Wertheim have created a new production each and every year, from original dance works to various collaborative projects— each time, inviting audiences on a unique and enchanting journey. 1 Avenue of the Arts, 757-594-8752, www.fergusoncenter.org. JOHN CLEESE AND ERIC IDLE: TOGETHER AGAIN AT LAST…FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME Ferguson Center for the Arts October 27; 7:30 pm Don’t miss your chance to see the must-see new show, John Cleese and Eric Idle: Together Again At Last … For The Very First Time! Cleese and Idle will blend scripted and improvised bits with storytelling, musical numbers, exclusive footage, aquatic juggling and an extended audience Q&A to craft a unique comedic experience with every performance.
    [Show full text]
  • STAR JOHN CLEESE COMING to MOTOR CITY COMIC CON Special Appearance on May 18Th and 19Th
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE “MONTY PYTHON” STAR JOHN CLEESE COMING TO MOTOR CITY COMIC CON Special appearance on May 18th and 19th NOVI, MI. (April 2, 2019) – Motor City Comic Con, Michigan’s longest and largest comic and pop-culture event, is pleased to announce “Monty Python” star John Cleese will attend this year’s convention on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th at the Suburban Collection Showplace. Cleese will be hosting a panel Q&A and will be available for autographs ($80) and professional photo ops ($100). Also for sale will be a VIP Package. To purchase tickets and for more information about autographs, photo ops, and VIP package, please go to – www.motorcitycomiccon.com John Cleese was born and brought up in Weston-super-Mare. However, he recovered to win a place to study science at Cambridge. After sampling the conversation in the Chemistry laboratories, he switched to Law. The success of the 1963 Cambridge Footlights Revue, which played in the West End and on Broadway, saved him from a legal career. He first shot to fame in England with The Frost Report in 1966 and in 1969 co-created Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The team went on to conquer the world with four cult TV series and four hugely successful films, And Now for Something Completely Different (1971), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974), The Life of Brian (1979) and The Meaning of Life (1983). The Pythons reunited for a one-off series of 10 live stage shows in the UK in 2014. After leaving Python, Cleese moved on to create Basil Fawlty, the hotel manager from hell in Fawlty Towers.
    [Show full text]