On a warm, summer’s Friday evening, excited Sheffielders of all ages, amongst other eager fans, assembled at Sheffield City Hall in anticipation of Michael Palin’s great return.
Michael Palin, writer, actor, comedian, Monty Python star and traveller, was born and bred in Sheffield and this evening felt like a true homecoming for the legend. For one night only, BBC Radio 1 presenter and Creative Director of Crossed Wires Greg James invited Palin to the stage to share stories of his life, mainly focusing on growing up in Sheffield but dabbling into his Python days, whilst attempting to persuade him to do a podcast (because everyone has a podcast… except Michael Palin!).
Michael Palin is a delight to listen to. This 90 minutes felt as though as it barely scratched the surface of the fascinating stories he has to share. His reminiscing over his Sheffield based childhood is a fascinating look into his childhood, as well as into how Sheffield has changed over the decades – in some ways a lot, in others not that much. Palin is also, unsurprisingly, very funny! He lands his comedic remarks effortlessly. It was a shame not to hear a huge amount of stories from his days in Monty Python, let alone travelling the world – so perhaps he does need to start his own podcast?
Greg James also proves himself as a fantastic British talent. He hosts the space expertly, whilst ensuring the spotlight remains firmly on Michael Palin. At the same time, he manages to be funny, landing his own comedic comments whilst still never stealing the spotlight. Perhaps someone needs to give him a TV chat show to host in the future. The rapport between James and Palin is lovely. James’ deep respect and admiration for Palin is clear, whilst the duo still feel like good friends.
Nobody expects The Michael Palin Podcastwas a wonderful evening out in the presence of greatness. Hopefully there will be further opportunities to see Michael Palin live on stage in the future as he is so engaging to watch and listen to. The ‘Nobody expects…’ concept also certainly has legs – so let’s see who Greg James will try and persuade to do a podcast at Crossed Wires 2026 (although perhaps a slightly more intimate venue may be more effective next time)!
Reviewed on 4th July 2025