”And now for something completely different,” John Cleese would say, sitting behind a desk in an incongruous spot in the British countryside, in order to segue to the next Monty Python sketch. The renowned British comedian is now planning something truly different, as announced by the Ministry of Culture and the Central Archeological Council a few days ago: a live performance at the ancient theater Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Organized by The Hub Events as part of the celebrations marking the British Council’s 80th anniversary in Greece, the show titled “John Cleese Live at the Acropolis” will take place on September 20th.

The actor wrote comedy history with the Monty Python gang and helped shape a style of comic acting that revolved around dark humor, profanity and provocation. From “Biggus Dickus” and the biblically-inspired “Life of Brian”, through his portrayal of Sir Lancelot in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, to the sex educator whose blackboard turns into a bed in “The Meaning of Life”, John Cleese regularly upended norms and skewered British sacred cows, famously refusing offers of a knighthood and a seat in the House of Lords. Among the many high points of his long career have been his role as Basil Fawlty in “Fawlty Towers”, his appearances as “Q” in a number of James Bond films, and, of course, his starring role in “A Fish Called Wanda”.

In recent years, Cleese has been touring the world performing live. He has long been politically active, and was a supporter of Brexit, but six months ago announced that he will be leaving Britain to settle permanently in the Caribbean.

British Council

The British Council is celebrating their 80-year presence in Greece with a wide variety of cultural and educational events. The program, which is still being enriched and will be officially announced at a later date, will include cinematic tributes and film screenings, appearances by British dancers at the Kalamata Dance Festival, a performance and workshops by Drum Works at the Greek National Opera, a large exhibition at the Benaki Museum, and collaborations with other Greek institutions such as the National Library.

The first event celebrating the anniversary focused on the future of fashion and design. The two-day program, called “Crafting for the Future”, took place at the Onassis Cultural Center on February 1 & 2, and featured workshops and speakers active in the design field.

This article was originally published on kathimerini.gr