British comedy group Monty Python is set to reunite on a major project for the first time in 30 years.
Surviving members John Cleese, 74, Terry Gilliam, 72, Terry Jones, 71, Eric Idle, 70, and Michael Palin, 70, will appear together in what is expected to be a stage show. The official announcement and details of their reunion will be announced during a press conference Thursday in London.
“We’re getting together and putting on a show – it’s real,” Jones told the BBC. “I’m quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot of money. I hope to be able to pay off my mortgage!”
Idle also posted a tweet on Monday, saying “Only three days to go till the Python press conference. Make sure Python fans are alerted to the big forthcoming news event.” Idle then tweeted Tuesday, “Python meeting this morning. Can’t wait. Press Conference Thursday will apparently be live on Sky News. I’ll get you the online URL.”
The comedy troupe is famous for their sketch show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which aired from 1969-1974. They also had many hit films, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
The last time Monty Python worked together was in 1983 for the film Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life with sixth member Graham Chapman, who passed away from cancer six years later. Since then, the Pythons have been pursuing solo projects and occasionally collaborating with each other. Jones, Idle, Cleese and Palin starred in Jones’s film adaptation of The Wind in the Willows in 1996. Some of the members also briefly appeared together at London’s West End theater for Spamalot, the stage version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The group’s last public appearance together was in 1998 at the Aspen Comedy Festival in the U.S.
