Edinburgh Playhouse
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE, LIVE! contains everything including Comedy, Music, Philosophy and one fart joke.
A rare survivor of pancreatic cancer, he sings, ironically, “this may be the last time you see me” in an evening of rude songs, some singalongs, inappropriate remarks, reminiscences of fame, fortune and rare footage, plus a Virtual Band and surprise guests.
In this one man musical, Eric, accompanied by The Virtual Band, a sort of Infinite Monkees Cage band, bids a fond farewell to old friends like George Harrison, Robin Williams and Neil Innes with rare footage from and a salute to The Rutles. The Beatles parody movie he created, which was the world’s first ever mockumentary about the legendary pre-fab four, Dirk, Nasty, Stig and Barry.
Eric Idle, star of stage, screen and crossword puzzle, has often been compared to Noel Coward.
But never favourably.
A legend in his own lunchtime, he reveals how he accidentally fell into comedy in 1963 and has been unable to climb out ever since.
He has been in show business since 1963. “Unfortunately, I can’t find the exit” he says.
“My role in life seems to be cheering people up,” he adds glumly.
Idle’s last solo UK performance was in front of a global audience of two billion at the London 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony. Leading an 80,000-strong crowd in a sing-along of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, he was surrounded by a lively spectacle of Morris dancers, a choir of rugby players, and even skating nuns.
Two years later, in 2014, he reunited with Monty Python for Monty Python Live (Mostly)—a sold-out, ten-night run at the O2 which he wrote and directed.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, coincidentally the title of his best-selling Sortabiography, has been the Number One most requested ditty at British funerals for over twenty years.
It also appears in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Broadway hit Spamalot, which Eric wrote with John Du Prez, and which returned to Broadway a year ago with rave reviews and packed houses and which starts a tour of the US in September.
His recent book, The Spamalot Diaries, an intimate look at the making of that show, was released last year.
Edinburgh Playhouse
Although designed as a variety theatre, the Edinburgh Playhouse opened in 1929 as Scotland’s second largest cinema. It was hugely successful and remained so until the downturn in cinema attendance in the early 70s. When it closed in November 1973, the building was at risk of demolition, but following several years of public ‘save the Playhouse’ campaigns it was eventually saved. It reopened in 1980 as the fully functional theatre it was always intended to be. Since then, it has hosted some of the world's biggest music and stand-up comedy acts including, Elton John, The Who, Nick Cave, Kevin Bridges and Tim Minchin and international hit musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, We Will Rock You, Wicked, Matilda and Disney’s The Lion King.
Edinburgh Playhouse
