The ECHO’s Ryan Paton was in attendance as the Monty Python legend brought his one man musical, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, LIVE, to the city
Ryan is a senior journalist who specialises in celebrity and entertainment news. He regularly secures exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in TV with stars from BBC and ITV shows such as Good Morning Britain, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, The Chase and Strictly Come Dancing. He has also covered some of the major events in Merseyside such as Eurovision, The Open, The Grand National and the Labour Party Annual Conference.
Ryan also regularly writes articles on the latest travel advice, money saving tips and weather updates.
Eric Idle brought his one man musical to the Liverpool Empire on Sunday (September 14)(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Eric Idle tells the Liverpool crowd it’s been 52 years since he was last on stage at the Liverpool Empire. The legendary comedian was back in the theatre on Lime Street on Sunday night for the first time since 1973, when the Monty Python first farewell tour arrived in the city.
The comic was just 30 then and it’s fair to say he didn’t exactly fade into obscurity after what was billed as the group’s farewell to the stage. Eric has went on to lead one of the most remarkable lives in showbiz history and his latest one man musical is a brilliant retrospective of his incredible career.
After changing television comedy forever with Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Eric has went on to star in some of the most influential comedy films of all time and even penned a Grammy award-winning musical, as well as making some incredibly famous friends along the way. Eric joked at the start of the show that the evening is going to involve an element of namedropping.
From partying with Harrison Ford and accidentally spoiling a scene in Empire Strikes Back, to becoming one of George Harrison’s closest friends and influencing Elvis, his anecdotes truly hit home just how much you are in the presence of showbiz royalty. Eric tells the tales with his customary razor sharp wit that meant the audience was laughing along the whole way.
However, it wasn’t all comedy, as stories about his friendship with the late Beatles icon George and another close friend, Robin Williams, proved to be particularly moving that completely changed the mood within the room.
Eric dedicates two songs to his close friends while many pictures from their times together play on screen. You could really feel the emotion swell in the venue, as the comedian paid tribute to two people who forever made their mark on pop culture and touched so many lives. However, the tender simplicity of the songs was illustrative of how, to Eric, they more than pop culture icons, they were his friends.
In his interview with the ECHO, Eric said he bonded with George immediately on the first night they were introduced, which leads him to wonder if they met as children as both of their beginnings were in Merseyside. He received a huge cheer at the start of the evening on Sunday when he once again alluded to his roots in the region.
He said: “Anyway, the odd thing you may not know is that I’m part Scouse. I first went to school in Wallasey across the Mersey. I was there from five to seven.
“Then I was sent to a boarding school in Wolverhampton for 12 years. You get less for murder. Anyway, Wolverhampton isn’t the end of the world, but you can see it from there.”
Eric Idle paid tribute to his friendship with George Harrison in one emotional moment
With these comments, it was obvious the show was primed for a Merseyside audience, who lapped up Eric’s anecdotes across a thoroughly entertaining two hours. It’s easy to forget during the show that Eric is now in his 80s, as he still has much of the youthful vigour that injected so much zany energy into early Python sketches.
This is especially impressive considering he has also recovered from pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis that so few people survive. Eric addresses his recovery with typically dark humour, as he said: “I’ve survived the four c’s: Covid, cancer, crucifixion and [John] Cleese.”
It’s hard to not feel a little bit sad to see how two Monty Python stars, who have contributed to so much joy, have fallen out so dramatically. However, it’s clear both are at peace with remaining at loggerheads as Eric regularly aimed, admittedly funny, jibes in his former co-star’s direction.
Eric only enjoys a well deserved sit down when he introduces sketches and moments from his incredible career, such as clips from the Life of Brian and sketches from his The Beatles parody group, The Rutles.
Hearing the stories behind such legendary moments from his life in “mock and roll”, as he quips, felt like a real treat, as there’s not many people in entertainment who have seen and done the things that he has.
Of course, the evening ended in the only way it could have as Eric performed the song he is best known for, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. The Liverpool crowd united in song to sing along with the Life of Brian classic, before giving Eric a standing ovation that was worthy of his legend.
The comedian was taken aback by the response as he has since taken to social media and said it was the best of the tour so far. He said on X: “Stu says last night was the best of the 17 shows we’ve done. The loudest laughs and the longest standing ovation. Thank you Liverpool, it was lovely playing that old theatre again which we last played in 1973.” Hopefully, it won’t take another 52 years before he returns.