191:(written by John Cleese) – with John Cleese (as the prosecuting counsel), David Hatch (as the judge), Tim Brooke-Taylor (as Percy Molar company director of no fixed abode and music-hall comedian), Tony Buffery (as Arnold Fitch the defendant), and Bill Oddie (as Sidney Bottle – the plaintiff). (Tim Brooke-Tayor and Bill Oddie also appeared in the sketch as ushers).
64:
broadcast again in
January 2016 under the title "Goodie, Goodie! Python, Python! The Cambridge Circus Tapes" The New Zealand tour was also notable for the one-hour Cambridge Circus special made for New Zealand television, screened in November and December 1964. It was the first on-screen performance by most of the cast.
352:
A sketch with Fry, Laurie, Slattery and Dwyer, set after dinner in the living room of a couple hosting a father and son. Themes include marital tensions, sexism, and the father's displeasure with his son's acting aspirations and implied homosexuality. The characters also play a game of charades that
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itself. "Cambridge Circus" then toured New
Zealand in July and August 1964, where they recorded a television special and four radio shows. which were eventually broadcast in November and December 1964. The radio shows were rediscovered in the New Zealand national sound and film archives in 2015 and
344:
actress accepting an award in the most obnoxious, falsely modest manner possible. ("At this point I'd like to say a very warm 'hello and good luck' to Glenda, who's taking over for me tonight... brave, brave lady...") Shearer plays the presenter who gives her the
321:
A sketch about a chess tournament, with an experienced
Russian champion (Paul Shearer) beaten by a clueless beginner (Slattery) who chooses moves that constitute a brilliant strategy despite not knowing the names of the pieces or the rules of the
329:
read by Fry, consisting largely of puns and wordplay. ("Tell me, what blood type are you?" "A?" "I said, what blood type are you?" "O!" I said. "B." "Of all the hideously twisted spectacles I have ever beheld, the pair perched on this man's nose
348:
Another blackout depicting "today in
Parliament," which consists of an exterior shot of the building, the voice of Fry calling for order over sounds of unrest, and the voice of Laurie demanding to know why there is "only one monopolies
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coming to visit her. In ridiculous, affected accents, they have a classically romantic conversation that ends with
Browning finally enticing Barrett out of bed (in spite of her feeling "so desperately weak") by promising to "whip
173:(written by Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, and Chris Stuart-Clark) – with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Chris Stuart-Clark (later with Jonathan Lynn in place of Stuart-Clark) as Elizabethan entertainers.
311:, is there anybody there?" and the second set at a disco where an apparently enthusiastic dancer (Tony Slattery) lures a girl (Penny Dwyer) onto the dance floor in order to steal her chair.
108:, who later became an experimental psychologist. As well as writing and acting in the revue, Bill Oddie also wrote the music for the revue, and an album of sketches and songs, produced by
363:
A last blackout, with Laurie babbling gibberish sounds in the style of someone emphatically arguing a point, and Fry firmly telling him, "Now that's a lot of nonsense, and you know it."
333:
A sketch with
Slattery and Laurie as two privileged would-be revolutionaries, featuring their performance of the song "If You Can't Smoke It, Kick It to Death," which has the refrain,
360:(which took place only a few months before it was written). This song, with its haunting text and its ominous performance, is the only non-comedic segment of the revue.
307:-type sketches, the first with a lone radio announcer (Hugh Laurie) cryptically asking, "Is there anybody there?... Is there anybody there?...," then, "This is
260:, and Emma Thompson and performed by Laurie, Fry, Dwyer, Shearer, Slattery, and Thompson. Additional material was provided by Anthony Berendt, Greg Brenman,
318:("an actor prepares"), where a teacher (Stephen Fry) with delusions of grandeur gives pretentious, nonsensical acting advice to his eager student (Laurie).
296:
A melodramatic opening credit sequence featuring all of the cast members running through the woods in slow motion in a manner reminiscent of the film
123:
This revue is a notable part of
British television history because it includes early appearances by John Cleese and Graham Chapman (later members of
208:
The
Cambridge Revue recorded four studio radio shows during their New Zealand tour for Radio New Zealand in August 1964 (broadcast November 1964).
273:
71:
in
September 1964 and finally Off-Broadway. The revue was broadcast on television in the United States when the cast made an appearance on
185:
sketch – with Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor and
Jonathan Lynn demonstrating the throwing of custard pies. David Hatch narrated the sketch.
199:
on 30 December 1963. Originally intended as a one-off special, this went on to become a successful and long-running radio series called
144:. One of the comedians became the head of ITV Comedy and another became the head of BBC Radio. Jo Kendall spoke the very first line in
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A choral performance featuring all of the cast members, led by Thompson and Dwyer. The song is a satirical exhortation to join the
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in London on 10 July 1963. Unfortunately, the revised title sometimes confused audiences, as it was not actually playing at
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Information about the Footlights Club and its revues can be accessed through the Cambridge Footlights official website
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in 1963. Graham Chapman took over from Tony Buffery when he left the revue to pursue an academic career. Likewise,
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Slattery singing the song "I'm Going to Shoot Somebody Famous", referencing the shocking assassination of the late
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The 1981 revue, entitled "The Cellar Tapes", was broadcast on television in 1982. The revue won the first-ever
335:"They hate you/Everybody hates you/You better look out behind you to see them stabbing you between the eyes"
513:— 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960-1980' — Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980.
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241:(Vice President of Footlights), all of whom went on to greater fame in the film and television industry.
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with Hugh Laurie and Tony Slattery (the exception being the music in the Dracula monologue which is
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31:
582:— 'A Hundred Years of Cambridge Comedy' — Robert Hewison, Methuen London Ltd, 1983.
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229:. It is a notable part of British television history because it includes early appearances by
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quickly deteriorates into shouting and name-calling due to Fry's character's ineptitude.
382:, full of racist and militaristic imagery. The final stanza describes the party's goal:
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441:. The 2012 show "Perfect Strangers" had a cast of five made up of outgoing president
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took over from Chris Stuart-Clark when Stuart-Clark left to become a schoolteacher.
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Following their successful New Zealand tour, "Cambridge Circus" transferred to
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This film is included as a special feature on the DVD of Series 2 of
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The order of sketches and songs featured in the revue is as follows.
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127:), as well as Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie (later members of
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White dirt and white licorice, white helmets, white truncheons,
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White hope and white elephant, white wash and white Christmas,
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The 1963 revue, entitled "A Clump of Plinths" (later retitled
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In 2012, the Cambridge Footlights celebrated 50 years at the
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548:"Goodie, Goodie! Python, Python!" — Radio New Zealand
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Fumigate the Underground and sterilize the cricket ground,
196:
608:
https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/m/morgan-python.html
150:. A decade or so later, Cambridge Circus's piano player
34:. Three of the more notable revues are detailed below.
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Imagine a society with skinheads roaming wild and free
131:), and Jonathan Lynn (later one of the co-writers of
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during October 1964, featuring some of the sketches.
562:"Cambridge Circus — Internet Broadway Database
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504:
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244:It was written by Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry with
195:A radio version of the revue was broadcast by the
619:"Cambridge Circus audio — Radio New Zealand
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340:A sketch with Emma Thompson as Juliana Talent, a
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449:2010 and Comedy Central Funniest Student 2011),
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43:"A Clump of Plinths" — "Cambridge Circus"
631:"Welcome - Footlights International Tour 2012"
30:, a group of comedy writer-performers at the
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573:
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485:Footlights Past — "A Clump of Plinths"
557:
555:
399:White horse and white rich and white poor,
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393:And not a pair of thick lips in sight!
366:A sketch with Thompson as a bedridden
80:The show was written by, and starred,
287:
494:- (later renamed "Cambridge Circus")
460:
447:Chortle Student Comedian of the Year
13:
14:
699:
651:
205:, which premiered in April 1964.
104:. Also in the original cast was
457:, George Potts and Emma Powell.
166:Sketches in the revue included;
202:I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
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541:
516:
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1:
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427:
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314:A sketch about a Shakespeare
268:, Greg Snow, Nick Symons and
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524:"Laughter Log — New Zealand"
511:From Fringe to Flying Circus
7:
248:, Kim Harris, Katie Kelly,
233:(President of Footlights),
161:
10:
704:
272:. The music is written by
262:David Tyler (as Dave Meek)
179:sketch – with John Cleese.
55:in 1963 before opening at
19:Cambridge Footlights Revue
658:The History of Footlights
606:. Also appears online at
467:The History of Footlights
439:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
227:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
100:, Chris Stuart-Clark and
53:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
422:A Bit of Fry and Laurie
32:University of Cambridge
678:British comedy troupes
413:
403:White face and white
385:
74:The Ed Sullivan Show
596:Monty Python Speaks
433:"Perfect Strangers"
140:Yes, Prime Minister
683:Comedy collectives
594:in David Morgan's
490:2006-05-16 at the
325:A monologue about
288:Sketches and songs
217:"The Cellar Tapes"
112:, was released by
604:978-0-380-80479-5
461:Footlights revues
368:Elizabeth Barrett
82:Tim Brooke-Taylor
51:), played at the
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633:. Archived from
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380:British Movement
298:Chariots of Fire
177:Cloak and Dagger
154:joined the band
61:Cambridge Circus
49:Cambridge Circus
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28:Footlights Club
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349:commission."
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254:Paul Shearer
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225:at the 1981
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134:Yes Minister
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125:Monty Python
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106:Tony Buffery
79:
72:
66:
48:
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18:
17:
15:
592:John Cleese
580:Footlights!
375:senseless."
370:and Fry as
358:John Lennon
316:masterclass
274:Steven Edis
246:Penny Dwyer
235:Stephen Fry
231:Hugh Laurie
183:Custard Pie
171:Swap a Jest
156:Jethro Tull
129:The Goodies
94:David Hatch
90:John Cleese
667:Categories
641:2012-07-16
534:2010-11-14
473:References
428:2012 revue
416:Home media
303:Two short
282:Jan Ravens
250:Jan Ravens
212:1981 revue
152:Dee Palmer
114:Parlophone
102:Jo Kendall
98:Bill Oddie
38:1963 revue
443:Phil Wang
189:Judge Not
147:Emmerdale
488:Archived
342:West End
305:blackout
162:Sketches
69:Broadway
57:West End
327:Dracula
309:Radio 3
237:, and
26:by the
673:Revues
602:
345:award.
137:, and
322:game.
24:revue
600:ISBN
330:...)
16:The
197:BBC
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568:^
554:^
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469:.
453:,
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445:(
407:!
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300:.
142:)
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