John Cleese promoting his show, due to hit Canberra in April. Photo: Jason South
We touch base with funny man John Cleese who'll be performing in Canberra for the first time in April.
“The last eight months have been busier than any other part of my life and to say that about my 71st year is extraordinary.”
For comedy legend John Cleese, a trip to Australia to play a 43-date tour is a chance to explore the country, to relax – and to pay his ex-wife’s alimony.
After his high-profile divorce in 2009 from Alyce Faye Eichelberger left him a rumoured $23 million out of pocket, Cleese - most famous for his Monty Python and Fawlty Towers days - decided to alter his comedic writing to the stage setting, embarking on a massive global stand-up tour.
And while the bitterness is still in his voice, Cleese believes a different career turn has re-energised him.
“I got annoyed with Hollywood executives when they rejected good scripts of mine; I thought ‘why do you think you understand comedy better than I do?’.
“Just at that time, I got an offer from New Zealand to go on a tour and thought it was great fun, so I started off in Invercargill on this great adventure.
“I did California, nine shows in Norway, then South Africa and it went on from there.
“A lot of (the touring) is about paying the alimony every year.”
For the best part of five decades, Cleese has been at the helm of English comedy, developing cutting edge series like Monty Python and Fawlty Towers and movies, including the Oscar nominated A Fish Called Wanda.
Cleese’s writing skills and impeccable timing and sense of humour in the Python TV series and four movies brought him a legion of fans across the world, who loved his combination of dry wit and slapstick humour.
He’s appeared in two James Bond films, twice in Harry Potter movies and leant the voice of King Harold to three Shrek films but has also been seen in the Muppets Show and Cheers, showing his versatility across many streams of comedy.
In bringing his stand-up show, An Evening With John Cleese, to Australia for the first time, Cleese has set himself the task of exploring the Australian psyche and the country’s comedy.
“I’ve always felt very comfortable here in Australia; I find Australians very comfortable to be around.
“There’s no bullshit and I always feel more comfortable here than I do in England.
“Australia still feels Australian, there’s something about it but I don’t know a lot about the comedy to be honest so there’s always something to learn.”
The show is based around his life, but focusses prominently on his recent divorce, and subsequent financial strife. He also talks openly about his new love, Jennifer Wade, who – at 32 – is some 40 years younger than the comedian.
Three shows in Canberra are on the cards at the Canberra Theatre, which Cleese describes as a “nice theatre” which “gives a real contact with the audience”. Local demand in the national capital meant a third show was added to the run, which wraps up the three-month marathon.
“I came to Canberra about three years ago on a short visit to do a creativity seminar, I think I understand creativity more than most people, and the people of Canberra struck me as a very creative bunch,” he said.
“I think my advantage is that I can do most things creatively and I understand it from the outside and inside so I like doing those kinds of things.”
Brutally honest as ever, Cleese admits some scenes of the Monty Python TV series to be “terrible”, fellow Python member Eric Idle as “always complaining about the money” and making movie Fierce Creatures with the same cast that was used in A Fish Called Wanda to be “my biggest mistake”.
As to what makes a comedian with 50 years in the business laugh, he admits laughter is now a rarity.
“It’s a pretty sad thing to report that when you have been doing comedy for this long, you can see where each joke is going,” Cleese said with a sigh.
“About four times a year people say a joke that makes me laugh. To be honest, I feel jaded by it all.
“The 1 1/2 hour movie isn’t as good as it once was and comedy movies don’t really work anymore.
“It’s relatively unusual for me to get excited about a single performer other than Bill Bailey, Jimmy Carr and Louis CK – who is absolutely outstanding.
“In fact, the last thing to make me laugh was the Leveson media inquiry in Britain, the sloppiness and unprofessionalism of journalism is laughable.”
But while age may weary him, the show must go on.
“Five years ago 80 per cent of my work was in the US, now 80 per cent is outside the US,” he laughed.
“We went to Monaco and fell in love with the place and will move there soon.
“Obviously, taxation is virtually non-existent there, which is a good thing with the ex-wife looming.”
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