Monty Python expected to reunite for stage show

They are all officially senior citizens -- and so are many of their fans -- but that isn’t stopping the surviving members of Monty Python from planning a reunion that is expected to take the form of a stage show.

Members of the beloved British comedy group are expected to announce this week that they are reuniting for a new stage production. Eric Idle said on his Twitter account that a news conference will be held in London on Thursday. “Make sure Python fans are alerted to the big forthcoming news event,” he wrote.

It remains unclear if the show will feature new comedy material and how the Monty Python members will be involved. The British tabloid the Sun first reported Monday that the surviving members of the troupe have agreed to a reunion.

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Monty Python launched its BBC television sketch show in 1969. Together, they have created movies -- most famously, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” in 1974 -- as well as stage productions. The team’s appearance at the Hollywood Bowl in 1980 was recorded and became a popular concert film.

“Spamalot,” a musical based on “Holy Grail,” was a hit on Broadway when it opened in 2005 and toured the country.

The surviving members of the group include Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones. Comedian-writer Graham Chapman died in 1989.

Idle has been trying out new stage material in Los Angeles in recent years, but it remains unclear if it will be part of the reunion.

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