Monty Python’s NOT THE MESSIAH

Judäa, about 2023 years ago: Brian is born in the stable next to that of Mary and Joseph. 33 years later, he has more important things to do than join a popular hero called Jesus Christ. Naively, he begins a career as an underground fighter against the Romans until he is mistaken for the Messiah by a stupid coincidence. He ends up before Pontius Pilate, is condemned as an insurrectionist and has to listen to this while hanging on the cross: ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’!

Eric Idle and John Du Prez have transformed the cult film from 1979 into a ‘Komisches Oratorium’ for the live stage with lots of music from country to pop to Broadway - in the style of a Handel Messiah parody for opera soloists, choir and symphony orchestra. Of course, neither the ‘Volksfront von Judäa’, a speech-impaired Pontius Pilate, nor winged words such as ‘Jeder nur ein Kreuz!’ and ‘Folgt der Sandale!’ should be missing. Look forward to a German-language premiere that is once again a perfect fit for Gärtnerplatz!

MONTY PYTHON’S Reading sample programme