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Chapman thing
Posted Fri Sep 22 13:53:13 BST 2000 by Aslef Napkyn
From the all knowing BBC:A play written by Monty Python star Graham Chapman is to receive its world premiere at a small Atlanta theatre 11 years after his death.
The farce Oh Happy Day was written by Chapman and comedy writer Barry Cryer in the mid-1970s and was only re-discovered a few years ago by the ex-Python's partner.
John Cleese and Michael Palin are working as advisors on the play which is being performed by an American improvisation company, Dad's Garage Theatre.
David Sherlock, Chapman's partner for 20 years, has sent a vial of his ashes to the audition and plans to send more for the opening night on Friday.
Jim Yoakum, director of the Graham Chapman Archives, was given the script by Sherlock and, at first, wanted to stage the play in London or New York.
But he settled on a production in his home town of Atlanta, because of finances, and after he'd seen Dad's Garage perform a Joe Orton farce.
"I was stunned when I read it," Yoakum writes on the Dad's Garage website.
"I mean, here was this incredibly funny script, written by a genius of modern comedy, and not only was it totally unknown - it was a play, not a medium normally associated with Graham."
Python moments
He added: "It's sort of like discovering a Christmas pantomime written by Oscar Wilde or something."
The plot of involves families, weddings, mistaken identities and one character's hidden homosexuality.
There is a bar that plays a different song from the musical Sound of Music as each drink is poured, a 300-pound Australian, and a whole slate of silly walks.
"There are scenes when you just say, `Wow, this is a Python moment that never happened'," artistic director Sean Daniels said.
The play is unfinished and Dad's Garage has been given the freedom to update, edit and change the work.
At one rehearsal, an actor suggested changing a line, and Daniels promised to use a Ouiji board to get Chapman's permission.
"Graham would have just been tickled to know that a bunch of American boys were doing his British farce," John Cleese writes in the programme notes.
"Then again, Graham had a very tenuous relationship with reality," he adds.
Chapman died of throat cancer in 1989.
Nice to hear from Mr. Joakum again, n'est pas?
Subject: Re: Chapman thing
Posted By TJ on Fri Sep 22 16:38:41 BST 2000:
Interesting change of tone from the previous outpourings about how Graham would respond to the reappraisal of his work if he were alive.
Anyone got a Ouija Board?
Subject: Re: Chapman thing
Posted By Paul on Fri Sep 22 16:39:01 BST 2000:
>"Graham would have just been tickled to know that a bunch of American boys were doing his British farce," John Cleese writes in the programme notes.
>"Then again, Graham had a very tenuous relationship with reality," he adds.
Hmmm...
Subject: Re: Chapman thing
Posted By Steven on Fri Sep 22 16:56:52 BST 2000:
Christ I think we all know now the only messages that were really from Jim Yoakum were the ones titled The REAL Jim Yoakum, all the others were fake. I think it's fairly safe to tell from the fact his writing seems to come from an adult and the fakes sounded like a 14 year old twat with too much time and own semen on his hands.
Subject: Re: Chapman thing
Posted By TJ on Fri Sep 22 17:46:20 BST 2000:
That's as may be, but SOME things about it were never sufficiently explained... and I had a problem with the situation from day one, long before the forum rantings began. I haven't changed the fundamental principles of my views just because someone calling himself the 'real' Jim Yoakum was more polite than someone calling himself 'Jim Yoakum'.
Subject: Re: Chapman thing
Posted By PJ on Fri Sep 22 17:51:42 BST 2000:
The origional psting to Mogwai(?) from Jim was in a similar style to the ones sent by the 'false' one - also ,didn't someone say that the postings and all originated from the right address i.e. the same as the real was sending form. All very suspicious...
Subject: Re: Chapman thing
Posted By Sam D on Fri Sep 22 18:13:03 BST 2000:
I found a Jim Yoakum site, and the "contact Jim" e-mail address was different from any bandied around before.
Personally my opinion regarding J.Y is forgive and forget.
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