# John Cleese and a Life of Brian stage show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** theater-stage-dance\ **Created:** [July 13, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425 "2021-07-13T21:17:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/1 "2021-07-13T21:17:23Z")
> **[John Cleese plans Life Of Brian stage show - British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/6436/life-of-brian-stage-show/)** > > John Cleese has finished the first draft of a script for a stage version of Monty Python's hit film Life Of Brian. Wouldn’t surprise me to see a song or two end up in the final version. Certainly “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” _has_ to be in it! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/2 "2021-07-13T22:35:59Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Wouldn’t surprise me to see a song or two end up in the final version. > [@](#): > > - He added the project is “not a musical, as songs slow the pace down too much” Cleese (unlike Eric Idle, who adapted _Holy Grail_ into _Spamalot_) is not a particularly musical Python. But, yeah, how would you end this without “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life”? ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/3 "2021-07-14T00:18:10Z")
Those alimony payments must have been a real bummer, eh? Talk about _ **every** _ last drop of blood from that stone. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/4 "2021-07-14T05:16:21Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Certainly “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” _has_ to be in it! > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > But, yeah, how would you end this without “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life”? Interestingly, the musical _Spamalot_, based on _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_, does indeed contain „Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life“, it’s the opening song of Act 2. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/5 "2021-07-14T05:39:43Z")
How are they gonna pull off the Space Dogfight on stage??? ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/6 "2021-07-14T09:15:51Z")
Will it feature Cleese as a geriatric centurion who forgets his lines? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/7 "2021-07-14T09:21:15Z")
I look forward to the part where Brian does an extended monologue addressed directly to the audience about why Brexit was actually a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/8 "2021-07-14T10:46:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > look forward to the part where Brian does an extended monologue addressed directly to the audience about why Brexit was actually a good idea. That makes me wonder: is this going to be an adaptation of the familiar movie, or will it be an almost-new show, with new concepts (such as your idea about Brexit–I like it!) On the one hand, Cleese could do the show as a copy of the movie,and make it into a singalong with audience participation. I’m thinking of the famous show they did called “Live at the Hollywood Bowl”. That was a low-budget-and-LOTS-of-fun performance, based on the assumption that everybody in the audience already knew every word of every sketch by heart, and they all felt like they are good friends with the cast, and even with the stranger sitting in the seat next to them. In my opinion, the Hollywood Bowl show was far superior to the grand finale show at the O2 Arena, for which tickets sold out in 15 seconds. That was a full-scale, high-budget show but was a bit too flashy… Sure, it was enjoyable, but , to me, it lacked the emotional connection that I felt watching the Hollywood Bowl show. . But however Cleese does it–I’m buying tickets! ( I hope within the first 15 seconds.) . ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/9 "2021-07-14T11:05:28Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > (such as your idea about Brexit–I like it!) Oh dear. I wasn’t being serious. I was merely riffing on the fact that Cleese has been strongly pro-Brexit in real life and has made some rather xenophobic comments in the last few years, and it’s rather off-putting to see yet another counterculture legend turn into an old nationalist boomer who’s scared of change. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/10 "2021-07-14T11:12:03Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Oh dear. I wasn’t being serious. … it’s rather off-putting to see yet another counterculture legend turn into an old nationalist boomer who’s scared of change. Hey, don’t spoil my fantasies. 🙂 I don’t want to hear the facts…He’s a legend, and I wanna keep it that way! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/11 "2021-07-14T11:55:26Z")
A _Life of Brian_ stage show, you say? > **[Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_the_Messiah_(He%27s_a_Very_Naughty_Boy))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) is a comedic oratorio based on Monty Python's Life of Brian. It was written by former Monty Python cast member Eric Idle and collaborator John Du Prez, and commissioned by the Luminato festival. > With the success of Spamalot, Eric Idle's musical retelling of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Idle announced that he was giving Monty Python's Life of Brian a similar treatment. The oratorio, called Not the Me... And in a definitely-not-humble brag, I wish to note that I’m in it as one of the onstage chorus. It was a fun night. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/12 "2021-07-14T12:49:49Z")
Aha! Hadn’t heard of that. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-and-a-life-of-brian-stage-show/946425/13 "2021-07-14T13:00:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Oh dear. I wasn’t being serious. I was merely riffing on the fact that Cleese has been strongly pro-Brexit in real life and has made some rather xenophobic comments in the last few years, and it’s rather off-putting to see yet another counterculture legend turn into an old nationalist boomer who’s scared of change. Oh well, at least he recognized Sarah Palin as the idiot she is.