Spend A Night 'In Conversation' With John Cleese At The Sydney Opera House

Venerated British comedian John Cleese will precede the Australian premiere of his new Fawlty Towers Live stage adaptation with an appearance at the Sydney Opera House this August.

With the new stage show set to start its four-week run at Roslyn Packer Theatre on 19 August, Cleese will take to the Opera House a few days prior — on Monday 15 August — to canvass an array of experiences and ideas gathered over a colourful and sometimes controversial career, from his tumultuous time with iconic comedy troupe Monty Python to having the opportunity to revive the beloved character of miserable hotelier Basil Fawlty 41 years after Fawlty Towers first aired.

"I can never do better than Fawlty Towers whatever I do," Cleese said in a statement. "Now I very much want to teach young talent some rules of the game."

Cleese's 'in conversation' show — hosted by James Valentine as part of arts talk series Culture Club — falls under the umbrella of the Opera House's Talks & Ideas program, with the initiative's head, Ann Mossop, describing the comedian's appearance as "a rare opportunity to talk to him about his work and his enormous influence on comedy".

Tickets for John Cleese In Conversation: From Monty Python To Fawlty Towers, hosted by James Valentine, will go on sale from this coming Monday, 25 July, via the Sydney Opera House.

For more information about Fawlty Towers Live, adapted for the stage by Cleese himself with direction from Caroline Jay Ranger and starring Stephen Hall and Blazey Best as Basil and Sybil Fawlty, see the production's website.