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He sees the stage show in LA as a glorious celebration of Python – and Denis comes in with fervent enthusiasm. It’ll be a sell-out, at whatever price, at whatever place. It’s all rather like a revivalist meeting. America the Promised Land, wrapped up in contracts and million dollar bills and stuffed down the throats of the recalcitrant, thankless English members of the group.

John C is most vocal in resisting the idea of an expensive, big theatre show. He wants to do it well in a smaller place. But I’m afraid Eric is right – we could fill the Hollywood Bowl.

Monday, April 2nd

Back to the Bijou Theatre for another viewing, with some of yesterday’s adjustments made. A tiny audience, but I enjoyed the showing much better. ‘Ben’s Cell’ scene is a strange phenomenon. It appears to be very delicately balanced at the opening. If it starts well, then there is great laughter all through, but if something goes wrong at the beginning (God knows why), it can go in silence.

Peter Cook, with frizzed and hennaed hair, is amongst the audience. He seems to enjoy it. It must hurt, because he is so funny himself and yet has had so little success (apart from Derek and Clive records) in the last few years.

Tuesday, April 3rd

At the end of the day I have another Python session. This time to cover as much general ground as we can before Graham returns to Los Angeles tomorrow.

I get to 2 Park Square West by 6.30. They’re just discussing the day’s film viewing. ‘Leper’ is back in. It just hadn’t worked without it. ‘Otto’ see-saws between condemnation and popularity. At the moment it’s in favour. When discussion comes round to appropriately silly music to be played behind JC’s dance, Graham suggests bagpipes and I suggest the bagpipes play ‘Hava Nagila’.

The meeting now rattles on with decisions coming thick and fast. I agree to supervise the making of the soundtrack album, JC will put together a short to go out with Brian. Eric is keen to go into the merchandising, but his visionary commercial delights appeal not at all to JC, and to a lesser extent TJ, and I must admit I myself baulk at the idea of Python 10 Year mugs, which have the Queen’s face crossed out on them.

One good and promising idea of his, though, is that Python set up its own label for the world-wide marketing of Python video cassettes – and also Python-related video cassettes, such as Yarns, Rutland Weekend and Fawlty Towers.

To round off the evening, Iain Johnstone brings his Python documentary (shot in Tunisia) to show us. It’s ten o’clock and we’re tired, but a little high on all our discussions and decisions and dreams of the future, and Iain’s film goes down a treat. It manages to make every one of us look articulate and quite amusing, but wittily avoids being pretentious itself or allowing us to be pretentious.

An odd therapy to all sit round and hear ourselves saying things about each other on screen which we’d never say directly!

Wednesday, April 4th

In the evening (free of Python meetings for once), to dinner with J Cleese. Ronnie Eyre present with JC’s psychiatrist’s wife, and Christopher Falkus of Weidenfeld’s plus wife. Superb meal of asparagus mousse and Jerusalem artichoke salad and roast beef with magnificent trimmings.

Ronnie Eyre, blunt, sane, humorous and down to earth. An effective debunker of pretension and a man whose combination of sharp intelligence, honesty and lack of deviousness makes him a joy to listen and talk to. He says that every religious group was in part offended by his TV programme The Long Search, except for the Moslems, who took it rather well.

I end up chatting to him about the Brian movie. He’s not surprised to hear that the Festival of Light are almost daily ringing the censor’s office. He could be a great ally if it ever came to public debate.

Monday, April 9th

Am up in my work-room by seven to look through the Brian book proofs and try to unblock some of the problem areas. Terry G is unhappy with the cover and wants me to