John Cleese. Credit: Medium Sized Fish Productions Ltd
Comedy legend John Cleese, whose classic 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers was set in Torquay and inspired by a local hotel, is inviting audiences to follow him on the road in what could be his final tour.
The 85-year-old star, best known for his work on Monty Python and the Torquay-set Fawlty Towers, will feature in a new documentary called John Cleese Packs It In.
The 90-minute film captures Cleese performing 23 shows across 16 cities in five countries during a six-week European tour.
It offers an unfiltered look at life on the road for the veteran comedian, as he battles ailments, chaotic travel, and his own reluctance to slow down.
The film also sees Cleese reflecting on his six-decade career, from his beginnings with the Cambridge Footlights to co-founding Monty Python and co-creating Fawlty Towers, which was famously inspired by a real Torquay hotel that once hosted the comedy team.
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Speaking about the documentary, Cleese said: “For the first time, audiences will see a different side to me, not just the dashing, devil-may-care, devastatingly handsome bon viveur, but also the decrepit, addled, nasty old geriatric that my PR team work day and night to hide from the public.”
He added: “You will see with your own eyes what it’s really like for a moribund 85-year-old to struggle through a 23-city European tour, desperately trying to squeeze a few laughs from audiences.”
Throughout his career, Cleese has helped shape British comedy, starring in films such as A Fish Called Wanda, Rat Race and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, as well as appearing in the Harry Potter, James Bond and Shrek franchises.
John Travers of CinemaLive, which is distributing the film, said: “We’re genuinely excited to be working alongside Medium Sized Fish Productions to share this incredible documentary about John Cleese in cinemas later this year. We can’t wait for audiences to meet the man behind the comedy legend.”
John Cleese Packs It In will be screened in more than 350 UK cinemas from 13 November 2025, with tickets available at www.johncleeseincinemas.com
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