Monty Python is no more. Right now John Cleese and Eric Idle are making their way across the States on their Together Again at Last… for the Very First Time tour. The show they are performing is a mix of live skits, classic videos, and storytelling. It’s a fun and rewarding experience for lifelong Python fans, but sadly it may be the last time the two are on stage together.
John Cleese is old. The man who once silly walked his way into the hearts and minds of comedy fans worldwide has now aged like a fine, pleasantly bitter wine. Eric Idle is no spring chicken either, but he can still strum a guitar, sing a nice song, and please the crowd with the best of them. Idle and Cleese make an interesting and amusing pair and the two have over 100 years of combined performing experience.
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam made up the core of Monty Python that sadly disbanded when Graham regrettably left this world in 1989. The last time all six members of the comedy team were on stage together occurred in 1998 at the Aspen Comedy Festival when Gilliam kicked over Graham Chapman’s urn in front of a live HBO audience. Ashes went everywhere. It was hilarious.
Terry Jones has tragically been diagnosed with dementia. The man responsible for keeping the glue of Monty Python together through some of their most tumultuous times can barely form a sentence these days. This is terrible news for Python fans, but Cleese and Idle go to great lengths to honor and show the man respect by leading the crowd in a singalong of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life while images of Terry Jones light up the screen.
Will Monty Python Ever Reunite Again?
According to Cleese and Idle, the days of Monty Python performing together on stage are over. The last hurrah for the Pythons occurred in 2014 when they reunited for a five-day stint of shows. Considering that they’ve all been at it for 50 years, the Pythons deserve to go out on a good note. Fans will always have the movies, shows, comedy albums, and memories of how great Monty Python was and still is. Look up the tour and go see John Cleese and Eric Idle together at last for the first and possibly final time. It’s worth it.
