John Cleese, a well-known name in British comedy, will be in town as part of his “Last Time to See Me Before I Die” tour. Calgary is one of seven cities that Cleese is visiting in the next two months. During the show, Cleese will be sharing stories and memories from his 40-year career.
Here are just a few of our favourite Cleese performances that we hope will be mentioned during the show.
Monty Python
John Cleese is perhaps best known for his involvement in the Monty Python troupe. The comedy group was formed for the BBC series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons from 1969 until 1973. British comedy would not be the same today without “The Life of Brian.”
Most memorable quote: “And now for something completely different…”
Fawlty Towers
Cleese co-created the “Fawlty Towers” sitcom, which ran from 1975 until 1979. Cleese played Basil Fawlty, the cantankerous owner of the Fawlty Towers hotel. Before seeing Cleese live, be sure to revisit timelessly funny episodes of the show such as “Basil the Rat,” “Communication Problems” and “The Germans.”
Most memorable quote: “You’ll have to forgive him. He’s from Barcelona.”
Harry Potter
For those who weren’t around in the 1970s and 1980s, Cleese’s comedy has also made it into popular 21st century films. Cleese played the character of the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, in the first two Harry Potter movies. Having also had anappearance in the Bond film series, Cleese is one of the only actors to have appeared in the two biggest-grossing UK movies of all time.
Most memorable quote: “I prefer Sir Nicholas, if you don’t mind.”
John Cleese’s final tour will take place in the Jack Singer Concert Hall on October 9, 19 and 20. Tickets are from $60.