The Satirical Essence Of Monty Python Imbibed Into Cotemporary Theatre

The very essence of Contemporary Theatre is that is such a diverse realm of performance art. Many different playwrights have contributed to this post World War Two theatre that instead of keeping to just one narrow genre it was able to branch out to cover all aspects and views of an ever transitional modern society. Theatrical pieces from this time period have ranged from Existentialism, pioneered by Jean Paul Sartre, to the Theatre of the Absurd, which was precedented by Samuel Beckett, and all along the way a myriad of performance genres sprung up to support this new post-war society. Most plays of the contemporary theatre tended to focus up on one single aspect of theatre, though a group of men formed a performance troupe that would ever change such a notion. Monty Python’s Flying Circus revolutionized the stage performance, incorporating many aspects of modern day theatre; such as realism, surrealism, futurism, existentialism and of course Theatre of the Absurd, for no Python sketch was sans an eccentric dash of absurdity.The very roots of Monty Python lay in the humble beginnings of six men, five British and one American, who took to the stage in college and never looked back.

The six Pythons; Graham Chapman, Eric Idel, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, John Cleese, and Terry Gilliam, began their acting drudgeries before the footlights but not without a struggle. Much of their work was initially considered too risqué for college theatre, though eventually, but a few years down the road, after several stints with other performance acts one of the greatest comedic troupes to ever be born of the British Theatre were gathered for their first show on October 5, 1969 to a mediocre crowd at best. Michael Palin said it best when he claimed that “their first viewers were insomniacs, intellectuals, and burglars” (Howard xxiv). Though many failed to realize it, it was that initial audience that was attracted, the combination of such extremes that would come to make up many of the Troupe’s future fans. It is theorized that it might have been their middle class upbringing, either in the States or in England, which lead to form a structure up on which to base their comic stylings, societal attitudes leading them to become exposed to society and in turn gave them something to rebel against.

From such humble beginnings, and a rather slow start ratings wise, Monty Python...

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...e, whether it be live theatre or even movies in our modern society do have those pieces of Python influence in them with each stabbing satirical remark about the government or sexual innuendos. Actor Kevin Klein had once said that much of his own comedic style was rooted in the Pythonian way of visual comedy, not only audible.

Lorne Michaels the creator of Saturday Night Live has oftentimes given credit to Python for setting the standards for sketch television as well as theatre. Though the actual birth of Monty Python’s Flying Circus was up on the sound stage of a television studio the live theatre roots were imbibed into each performance. Leave it Monty Python to find a way to make sketches about the Spanish Inquisition, Death, buying a dead parrot, and a song about Lumberjacks more than just highly amusing. The comedic team was a tight knit netting of brilliance matched with humor, which has in turn kept the troupe going strong still more than thirty years later and still appearing to the new generations with what would be otherwise considered outdated humor. A true indication of permanant influnce is time, and Monty Python’s Fling Circus has certainly got that decades later.