Monty Python are remaining coy about a possible world tour after tickets to their “one-off” London show sold out in 43 seconds, leading to the announcement of an additional four dates.
Those extra stage shows at the O2 Arena in mid-2014 also sold out on Monday within 55 minutes.
“It’s totally amazing,” Eric Idle said in a statement.
“I don’t think we realised quite how much Python is loved around the world.
“We look forward to paying off Terry Jones’s mortgage soon.”
Monty Python last week announced they were reforming for a “one and only” live show at the O2.
But the veteran comedy troupe – John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Idle – were clearly prepared for the huge demand.
Promoters immediately announced the extra four shows after the first sold out in under a minute.
Some 14,500 tickets were snapped up for each of the five performances in early July with tickets priced from STG27.50 ($A49) to STG95 ($A170).
However, Monty Python are refusing to say if a world-wide tour is now on the cards.
Asked about that possibility a spokesman told AAP: “We have no further comment for now.”
The Pythons last week joked about taking the show to continental Europe for a camping holiday.
Asked if they’d like to tour Australia, Jones said: “Yes, of course, I love Australia.”
Idle, who’ll direct the show, said an Australian date wasn’t out of the question because the Sydney Opera House was “one of the finest places to play”.
But Cleese was less keen.
“The only problem with Australia is there are planets closer than that,” he quipped.
The team will be doing some material never performed live before, but the 2014 stage show will mainly be re-worked classic sketches.
“We’ll do some version of the parrot shop,” Cleese, 74, said last week before ruling out The Ministry of Silly Walks because he now has an artificial knee and hip.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus was made for TV between 1969 and 1974. They went on to make films including Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975) and Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979).
Sixth Python Graham Chapman died of cancer in 1989, aged just 48.
Nine years later the five remaining members were interviewed together at the Aspen Comedy Festival in the US, but their last live stage show was at the Hollywood Bowl in 1980.
The remaining members are all aged 70 or older.
The 2014 gig is called “One down, five to go”, but Palin has said an alternative title – “Two down, four to go” – is ready just in case.
Ad Feedback
– AAP
